Overview
Compose a 300-word professional biography of yourself. Read the elements and example below to think about what content to include.
For this project: your biography would be published in the LU Forum, so your hypothetical audience would be peers of your own, faculty, and staff.
Elements to Remember:
1.Purpose and Audience - what you want to accomplish and who your intended audience is are the two most important considerations before you start writing. Ask yourself who is likely to read your biography and what information they might benefit from.
2.Register and style - a student biography does not need to be overly formal, but the level of formality should be chosen based on item "1 " above.
3.Content - start with a short introduction, including first and last name and some anchoring information such as what area of study you are pursuing. Follow up with any honors and awards. Describe a bit of your academic experience and any pertinent extracurricular activities. Finish with plans and professional direction.
4. Brevity: This isn't a book-length biography, but a "short" bio that someone can use, either on a webpage or in a news release.
Example:
Sally Elizabeth Mitchell is a third-year student at Arizona State University's New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, where she is pursuing in a degree in Biology (BS) and a minor in Communication. She is the recipient of an NCUIRE research scholarship, which has allowed her to engage in research on river pollution, working alongside one of her professors. In her studies, Sally is focusing on biodiversity and sustainable practices while also furthering her knowledge of endangered species and marine ecosystems. Her interest in communication stems from her goal of communicating the importance of conservation to a large audience. Ms. Mitchell has worked as an intern at the Phoenix Zoo for the last two years. Upon completion of her undergraduate studies, she intends to apply to graduate school to further her knowledge of biology and progress toward a career as a researcher.
Use This Again:
These professional bios - and getting comfortable with talking about yourself in the third person - will come in handy when you:
- Present at academic conferences during your junior or senior year of college.
- Prepare applications for graduate school.
- Publish your work.
- Get ready for job interviews.
Submission Guidelines:
No specific formatting style is required, but you should be typing the paragraph(s) out on a Word document in Times New Roman 12pt font double spaced. Submit only as a Word doc file (.doc/.docx) or a PDF.