www.mwk-dba.com
www.bluewithens.com
Editor
Author
Entrepreneur
Education
Instructional Design
Ministry
Social Media
research
Content Creator
Dr. Megan Warden Knutson
Dr. Megan Warden Knutson
¡Bienvenidos!
A Bit About Me
Hello there! I’m Dr. Megan W. Knutson, a dedicated managing editor leading an exceptional instructional design & technology editing team. I received my doctorate in Business Administration with a focus on multicultural marketing and advertising engagement. I am Mexican American, and I also freelance edit as well, including content creation and editing, book editing, and academic/instructional design.
My professional canvas is a diverse one. I strategically navigate the realms of freelance writing, orchestrate captivating book/course/social media marketing content, and wield my editorial expertise to refine content. With a firm grasp on publisher collaborative terms and agreements, I shape pathways to success. I am also copyright certified through the Copyright Clearance Center, and I am a member of the American Copy Editors' Society (ACES).
Click ^ image to find at Amazon.com
With nearly two decades in writing and editing, both as freelance and within academic spheres, I've also sculpted value-based social media content that resonates with different audiences. A testament to my versatility, I've recently published a creative writing/poetry book collection, The Capable Chrysalis, a tangible embodiment of my literary passion (available at Amazon.com)
I have also owned and operated the Blue Withens ministry blog as well as recently opened Lupita Lime Designs, a small business specializing in enchanting Mexican-style embroidery products patterned from the Chiapas, Oaxaca, and Hidalgo (Otomi) regions.
Looking ahead, I aspire to channel my expertise into academia, ministry, nonprofits, or the broader public publishing industry. My pursuit is one of words and impact, and I'm thrilled to continue scripting meaningful narratives wherever life leads.
My experience includes: academic publishing, writing/editing, small business ownership, social media content creation, online marketing engagement research, Latin American marketing studies, instructional design and editing, copyright law, interpersonal communication, organizational leadership, time management prioritization, and project management!
About Me
Welcome to my website! I'm glad you found me here. My name is Megan Warden Knutson, and I have worked in the writing/editing field for nearly two decades. I have received my Doctor of Business Administration degree, with a specialization in Latin American marketing and engagement, I'm a full-time editing manager for instructional design and technology, copyright certified through the Copyright Clearance Center, and a member of the American Copy Editors' Society.
I'm also married to the love of my life, Logan, and a mom to two sweet little girls and a stepmom to one incredible little boy. I've been managing and creating content for the Blue Withens Blog, based on ministry and inspirational content for nearly the last decade, and I have significant experience with freelance editing books, articles, dissertations, and online content. I published my first creative writing book, a poetry collection in three volumes (The Capable Chrysalis), this year, and I launched the Lupita Lime Designs embroidery shop, specializing in Mexican-style embroidery from the Oaxacan, Chiapas, and Hidalgo (Otomi) regions. I have also published a number of diverse projects that are listed below. I love to stay busy, and I find significant joy in creating art that is meaningful.
Publications
- The Capable Chrysalis Poetry Book, Vols. I-III
- Blue Withens blog founder & author,
- published Instructional Design Web Series Article for Columbia Southern University, The Benefits of Positivity on Health While Battling Burnout in Today’s Dynamic Climate
- published editor for multiple books (art history, book reviews, childrens books, ministry, etc.),
- article contributor for the Columbia Southern University Newsletter, the CSU Communicator,
- article contributor for the CSU Instructional Design & Technology Newsletter, IDT Times,
- interview/transcript entry contributor to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project,
- poetry contributor and member of the editorial staff for the University of West Florida creative journal, the Troubadour: Anthology of Poetry, Prose, and Art,
- article contributor for the Nautical Research Journal,
- an interactive research website and online kiosk exhibit designer for the University of West Florida Athletics Department Hall of Fame,
- a museum gallery exhibit along with corresponding children's scavenger hunt for the Battle of Pensacola at the T.T. Wentworth, Jr. Museum,
- six podcasts (plus 3 local) for national landmarks across the United States and oral history interviews for the Next Exit History podcast app, and
- an article contributor to the digital contextualization of vintage magazines for the1925 Virtual Newsstand
Resume
Work Experience
Education
2022
Doctor of Business Administration
Columbia Southern University
❖ Specialization in multicultural marketing and advertising engagement
❖ 3.82 GPA
❖ Sigma Alpha Pi member, (National Society of Leadership and Success)
2012
Master of Arts, Public History
University of West Florida
❖ Specialization in digital preservation
❖ 3.85 GPA
❖ Phi Alpha Theta Honors Member
❖ History Club Member
❖ National Council on Public History Member
2010
Bachelor of Arts, English
University of West Florida
❖ Graduated Cum Laude
❖ Academic Dean’s List Member
❖ Honors Program Member
❖ Florida Medallion Scholarship Recipient
❖ Who’s Who Among American Colleges and Universities Recipient
2022-Present
Manager of Editing
Instructional Design and Technology
❖ Supervisor to editing team, experience with project management, delegation, multitasking course revision deadlines, collaboration with academic program directors, course writers, instructional designers, and course technologists
❖ Established weekly team morale newsletter, Wellness Wednesday, Editing Edition
❖ Implemented an Editor of the Quarter award system for team
❖ Manage reports, course revision and assignment spreadsheets, and university-wide special projects
2015-2022
Editor
Instructional Design and Technology
❖ Experienced in assisting in the design of instructional materials by reviewing courses for grammar, sentence structure, punctuation, format, content, plagiarism, and copyright accuracies
❖ Specialized in collaborating with leadership, instructional designers, other members of the editing team, and course technologists
❖ Organized in managing multiple projects, spreadsheets, databases, course production, and tasks while focusing on quality and productivity
❖ Expert in researching to verify materials, assessments, academic journals, and resources used in academic courses
❖ Selected to lead training process for new hires to the editing team
2016-Present
Editor, Freelance
❖ Editor for doctoral dissertations & academic applications/letters of intent
❖ Editor for virtual Bible studies
❖ Editor for medical news/journal articles
❖ Editor for U.S. military academic courses - student support
❖ Manuscript editor for books (adult print, eBooks, & children's books)
❖ Editor for church devotional series
❖ Editor for content creation for social media advertising and influence
2013-2015
University Financial Aid Specialist
❖ Experienced in utilizing university/Department of Education electronic databases
❖ Editor and developer for department email templates
❖ Selected to represent department in university-wide focus group regarding communications and cross-training
❖ Member of Scholarship Committee
❖ Selected to pilot text messaging program for Financial Aid department
❖ Organized and Presented Emotional Customer Service Workshop for department
❖ Detail oriented; retained large volume of FSA guideline knowledge and quickly adaptable to new training/procedures as regulations update
❖ Member of Welcome/Fun Committee
❖ Maintain interpersonal skills in correspondence with other departments, the Department of Education, other institutions and students as needed
❖ Skilled in multitasking and maintaining daily reports, chats, phone rotation calls, emails requiring action and/or assistance, completing 80–100 awards within deadlines, reviewing awards for error, and adjusting awards as needed
2011-2013
University Library Digital Archivist
❖ Member of Society of American Archivists
❖ Supervisor - Experience overseeing/delegating responsibility to undergraduate and graduate student workers, volunteers, and work-study assistants and opened/closed office for each business day
❖ Experienced researching, processing, and cataloging collections
❖ Skilled in assisting donors and students in research writing, digital conversions, leading department tours, and managing artifacts
❖ Member of Library Marketing and Outreach Committee; developed strategic planning practices regarding implementation strategies and recommendations to enhance library efficiency
❖ Knowledge of preservation/conservation laws and needs of archival collections, converted materials to digital formats, and skilled in writing descriptions
❖ Skilled in utilizing electronic databases, editing and managing search indexes, research analysis with primary and secondary sources, analytical thinking, photography editing, press release writing, technical writing, and creative design
Skills &Expertise
Computer Skills
❖ type approximately 105 words per minute,
❖ knowledge of Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, CampusVue, Omega,
❖ Project Manager,
❖ National Student Loan Data Systems,
❖ Common Origination and Disbursement, USA Funds University, Financial Aid Administrator Access to Central Processing Systems Online (FAA Access to CPS), Information for Federal Student Aid Professionals (IFAP),
❖ Westlaw and LexisNexis databases,
❖ Adobe Lightroom and Acrobat,
❖ Sony Vegas Pro,
❖ DtSearch indexing applications, Archon Archival Database, Epson digital conversions and photo reconstruction,
❖ Adobe Captivate
Professional Skills
❖ Skilled in advanced research, academic editing, time-management, organizational strategies, critical reading/writing, complex analysis/problem-solving, managing and multitasking reflection-based projects, interpretive thought-processing, and interpersonal communication
❖ Experienced in writing, editing, amd communication in public relations, instructional design, academic, creative, historical, and technical settings and editing higher-level academics research/writing/editing
❖ Experienced in editing for content, style, appropriate citations/references, copyright, plagiarism, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure
❖ Trained in database management, design and editorial processes, curriculum development, professional collaboration with historic districts, graphic design companies, managing/overseeing complex projects, collaboration with diverse university administration, local community/alumni, and students
❖ Accomplished in cooperative efforts to determine effective learning strategies for different learning styles
Conferences & Training
❖American Copy Editors' Society (ACES) training/webcasts on Bias in Terminology, Handling Bad Writing, Copyediting and Critical Thinking, Global and Conscious Language, Fact Checking and Tone Detection for Multiple Audience Segments, Ensuring Credibility in Editing, and ChatGPT: The Threat, the Promise, and its Effects on the Editing Industry
❖ Training Magazine Network Webcast, Using Chat GPT Responsibly to Generate Presentation Ideas and Do Research
❖ American Copy Editors’ Society (ACES) Webcast, Let’s Talk About Tech: How to Expand Your Editing Skills for a Career in Tech
❖ American Copy Editors’ Society (ACES) Webcast, Microaggressions in Editing: Understanding Bias and Undoing Harm
❖ American Copy Editors’ Society (ACES) Webcast, Editing in a Multilingual World
❖ American Copy Editors’ Society (ACES) Webcast, Editorial Work in Instructional Design for Online Learning
❖ American Copy Editors’ Society (ACES) Webcast, How Google can Help Verify and Write Stronger Headlines
❖ Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Training for University Curriculum and Editing Guidelines, Columbia Southern University
❖ Volunteer for General Federation of Women’s Clubs Jubilee Fundraiser
❖ National Society of Leadership and Success Member
❖Favor House of Northwest Florida, Inc. (Family Anti-Violence in Organized Response) Community Action Team member, partnering with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
❖ Presentation of research at Get in the Spirit Day/St. Michael’s Cemetery for Living History Project
❖ Leadercast Women’s Conference
❖ Quality Matters certified
❖ American Copy Editors Society (ACES) member
❖ Gainful Employment Webinar for Reporting Data to NSLDS
❖ Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Seminar
❖ National Council on Public History Conference in Ottawa, CA
❖ Public Relations Workshop, University of West Florida
❖ Digitization Webinar via Lincoln Memorial University
❖ LYRASIS: Creating and Managing Digital Content, University of Florida
❖ National Council on Public History Conference
❖ Volunteer for the West Florida Historic Preservation, Inc. in Archives
❖ Volunteer for the Girl Scouts of Northwest Florida
❖ Volunteer with LTI Laser Mapping Systems
Projects & Publications
❖ Published Book, The Capable Chrysalis: A Collection of Poems, Vols. I-III, 2023
❖ Social Media Manager for Church Online Communications, 2023, Wisdom House Church
❖ Instructional Design Web Series Article, 2023, The Benefits of Positivity on Health While Battling Burnout in Today’s Dynamic Climate
❖ Proposal Editor for Vice President of University Relations and Vice Provost of Strategic Academic Partnerships
❖ Revision Editor for 2022-2023 University Catalog, 2022-2023 Student Handbook, and the Academic Master Plan for Columbia Southern University
❖ Primary Instructional Design Editor for Creation and Development of Freedom Writers Courses
❖ Planning and Organizing Launch of Lupita Lime Designs Embroidery Shop
❖ Blackboard Catalyst Award Editor for Community Engagement Course Program Leadership Series
❖ Blackboard Exemplary Course Program Award Editor
❖ Instructional Design & Technology Newsletter Article Publication in IDT Times
❖ Christian Blog Founder & Author, Blue Withens
❖ Published Manuscript Editor for multiple books, including
Virtual Bible studies and Christian newsletters, Pediatric Journal Articles for American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics Member, Cooley Farm Adventures children’s book, Taking Down Your Mountains, Your New Life as a Christian, Beyond the Basics -Strategies for Success in the Business World, Editor and Contributor for Wisdom House Church Women’s Christmas Devotional, Power of the Word, Go After Your Inheritance, Stand on the Word, Artistic Collaboration Today
❖ Contributor to the CSU Communicator, Columbia Southern University Newsletter
❖ Contributor to the Nautical Research Journal
❖ Writer/Researcher/Publisher of University of West Florida Athletics Hall of Fame Digital Exhibit/Interactive Website
❖ Member of Editorial Staff and Contributor for University of West Florida Publication: Troubadour: Anthology of Poetry, Prose, & Art
❖ Writer/Researcher/Interpretive Research Study and Presentation for the Girl Scouts of Northwest Florida
❖ Writer/Producer/Researcher for National Register Nominations and Historic Building Surveys for Historic District Preservation Projects, Completed Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) reports, proposed city preservation grant, and completed surveys for Historic Structures in local city
❖ Contributor to the Veterans History Project of the Library of Congress, conducted oral history interview with WWI Veteran for the Veterans History Project, including written transcript of recording
❖ Writer/Co-Researcher/Designer of museum gallery exhibit, including children's museum scavenger hunt
❖ Writer/Producer/Researcher for 3 published podcasts including oral history interviews
❖ Writer/Producer/Researcher for 6 published U.S. landmark podcasts for digital national app
❖ Writer/Editor/Published Digital Conversion and Contextualization of Vintage Magazines, Associate creator of the 1925 Virtual Newsstand
Blue Withens Blog
I started this blog to provide encouragement in the love of God. My hope is to encourage others in their faith with stories about life, parenthood, and personal experiences of God’s love. I hope that a glimpse into the contextualization of my perspectives, tragedies, joys, experiences, and lessons learned can bring you inspiration and draw out the relevance of God in a culture determined to suppress Him. There are also countless Bible verses for hope, inspiration, and joy, book recommendations, podcast recommendations with a small contextual review, and a specific tab for National Hispanic Heritage Month recommendations!
Lupita Lime Designs
Embroidery Shop
¡Bienvenidos! Lupita Lime Designs is a small embroidery business that focuses on threading the unique vibrancy and heritage of Mexican embroidery into each piece. It represents history, culture, colorful imagery, language, heritage, and beauty. Feel free to contact me with any questions, and I hope you enjoy visiting my shop.
Please Note: A percentage of all profits are donated to shelters for those who are domestic violence victims or in need of residential and food assistance. This business is a celebration of art, women, tradition, culture, and creativity.
Items are COMING SOON!! :) So stay tuned!
Contact
Email
megank.dba@gmail.com
Blog
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