UNM Assistant Professor of English Cristyn Elder has been elected by the members of the Council of Writing Program Administrators (CWPA) to the executive board. One of three newly elected members of the nine-member board, Elder will begin a three-year term on July 1. The CWPA Board oversees the organization and its activities, develops policies, and engages in special projects and initiatives.

“Cristyn Elder brings to the executive board energy, thoughtfulness, and experience at all levels of the organization,” said Dominic DelliCarpini, vice president of CWPA and the naylor endowed professor of writing studies at York College. “Her work with the Writing Program Administrators Graduate Organization (WPA-GO) gives her empathy for the Council’s graduate student members, our newest and fastest-growing cohort, and her concern for diversity is just what CWPA needs.”

Completing her doctoral work at Purdue University in 2012 and joining the UNM faculty that same year, Elder has already been an active contributor to the Council.

DelliCarpini adds, “Her résumé of achievements speaks for itself, and makes it hard to believe that Cris is just getting started. Just imagine what is still to come. We're thrilled to have her on board.”

Elder has been equally active and impressive strengthening the University’s undergraduate teaching mission during her four years at UNM. Recipient of Student Services’ 2015 Golden Louie Outstanding Award for Faculty, Elder teamed with English Department colleague Bethany Davila to develop UNM’s Innovative Stretch/Studio Curriculum for first-year composition, which offers additional support for students who until 2014 would have taken remedial-writing courses.

Most of Elder’s efforts—whether published research, institutional program building, or work at the national level—focuses on helping all students from all backgrounds and levels of preparation succeed. Elder said that she was attracted to UNM in part because it is a Hispanic serving institution. She takes those interests to her upcoming work on the Council.

“With my election to the executive board, and as faculty at a Hispanic-serving institution, I'm excited to work with others inside and beyond the organization to strengthen CWPA’s relationship with other minority serving institutions and the field of second language writing.”