Kelsie McWilliams

Hi, I'm Kelsie McWilliams

I'm a professional writer, editor, and instructional designer

Professional Profile

Skilled writer and editor with 12+ years of interdisciplinary experience. Accomplished and adaptive instructional designer with seven years of experience applying ADDIE, backwards design, rapid iterative prototyping, and UDL principles to develop engaging content for adult learners. Higher education administrator trained in online education and project management. Core competencies include:

  • eLearning Content Development
  • Writing and Editing
  • Marketing and SEO Copywriting
  • Training and Development
  • Assessment and Evaluation
  • Performance Management

Education

COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY GLOBAL
5/2020

Graduate Certificate in Digital Instructional Architecture

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER, Denver, CO
5/2014

M.A. in Rhetoric and the Teaching of Writing

GPA – 4.0

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER, Denver, CO
5/2012

B.A. in English Writing and Creative Writing (dual degree)

Minors in History and Interdisciplinary Research Methods

Career Summary

Peterson's
1/1/2021 - Present

Writer/Editor

  • Research test structure, timing, and alignments to develop organization and sequence of print titles and online content.
  • Review and identify gaps in existing content for alignment with revised and updated testing guidelines.
  • Generate and aggregate content for interactive lessons, activities, and practice tests.
  • Perform quality control reviews of online materials for functionality, completeness, accuracy, clarity, and concision.
  • Copy edit material for spelling, grammar, style, accuracy, and consistency according to product specifications and company style.
  • Collaborate with content writers and editors to resolve inconsistencies in content and/or style.
  • Prepare material for production by formatting with Word styles and inserting callouts for books and online content.
  • Proof layout and coordinate with book designer to resolve layout concerns.
  • Update and maintain the currency of project files in the content management system.
Colorado State University Global – Remote/Aurora, CO
12/2017 – 12/2021

Student Services Coordinator, July 2020 - December 2020

  • Oversaw a staff of 25 career coaches, 16 writing consultants, and seven résumé reviewers
  • Created, optimized, and maintained process documentation, including job aids, training materials, hiring and onboarding documents, quality control assessments, and resources for ongoing professional development
  • Developed strategic vision and goals to increase usage and expand visibility of Career Navigation Services and the Writing Center
  • Conducted surveys and focus groups to identify stakeholder needs and propose targeted initiatives
  • Developed resources for the Writing Center and Career Navigation Services to meet student and alumni needs based on internal data, program offerings, and industry trends

Contractor - Curriculum Special Projects, March 2019 - December 2020

  • Edit and proofread course content while ensuring adherence to university standards and style guidelines
  • Improve quality of course content through collaboration with instructional designers, SMEs, and program managers
  • Perform quality control reviews of courses for migration to new learning object repository

Writing Center Coordinator, December 2017 - July 2020

  • Partnered with university stakeholders to improve, expand, and promote writing center services, resulting in a 586% increase in monthly writing consultations
  • Designed and created two self-guided courses in Canvas for 20,000 students and 600+ faculty members to facilitate university-wide transition to APA7 style guidelines
  • Implemented an online scheduling system to monitor usage and client satisfaction
  • Developed policies and procedures for hiring, onboarding, and training writing consultants
  • Revised and developed 20+ instructional resources on writing center website in response to user feedback and data from Google Analytics
  • Increased staff from five to 16 writing consultants to expand appointment availability for clients
  • Designed and developed self-paced and instructor-led professional development courses in Canvas for writing consultants in response to needs identified in employee performance evaluations
Visiture – Remote
10/2017 – 12/2017

Contract Medical Writer

  • Composed SEO content on various medical conditions, treatments, and procedures
The Writing Center at CU Denver, Denver, CO
8/2010 – 12/2017

Supervisor

  • Developed, created, and revised professional development courses in Canvas focused on writing, grammar, and pedagogy for 20+ writing consultants
  • Collaborated and networked with faculty and campus resources to provide 50+ instructional workshops and presentations per semester for students of various levels and disciplines
  • Composed, revised, and proofread instructional resources for students and job aids for 20+ consultants

Writing Consultant

  • Developed, edited, and proofread instructional resources, web content, marketing materials, and student testimonials while ensuring adherence to in-house and university style guidelines
  • Provided face-to-face and asynchronous writing feedback and instruction to 20+ students per week
SDL PLC – Remote
4/2017 – 10/2017

Contract Copywriter

  • Wrote UX/UI microcopy for the Samsung Bixby virtual assistant app, in accordance with the brand's tone, voice, and in-house style guidelines
  • Revised, edited, and proofread 2000+ lines of copy in Excel on a weekly basis 
  • Conducted beta testing by logging responses to user utterances
Volume Public Relations, Highlands Ranch, CO
8/2015 – 8/2016

Research Writer

  • Wrote 1-2 page informational briefs reviewing and synthesizing cognitive research for lay readers
  • Composed trade magazine articles, according to APA style guidelines, on current, evidence-based public relations strategies

Publications

Freelance

Writer & Editor
7/2007 – Present
  • Provide instructional and developmental feedback on writing in various fields and disciplines
  • Produce creative SEO copy that adheres to style guidelines (APA, MLA, Chicago, AP, AMA, CSE, etc.) while targeting the appropriate audience(s)
  • Proofread for grammar, mechanics, syntax, and adherence to style guidelines