Kathy E. Gill: University of Washington

Posted by admin
August 3, 2009

 

Kathy E. Gill is full of awesome. Check that. She is overflowing with it.

At the University of Washington, Kathy is currently teaching one of the coolest courses I’ve ever heard of: a Twitter best practices class. Sound cool? It is. In the course, which is officially called “Beyond The Fail-Whale: How Twitter Is Changing Organizational Communication,” Kathy’s class will explore…

“…the impact of Twitter on how organizations communicate (internally and externally)—from facilitating knowledge sharing to bypassing traditional communication gatekeepers, from social network impacts on content creation to new methods of conversational marketing.”

Interested in actually checking the class out? You can do that, too—it’s Ustreamed every Tuesday! This is a great opportunity for those who aren’t enrolled in the class because Kathy brings in many guest speakers to talk about different aspects of Twitter use. Past speakers have included Linda Thomas, Jeremy Bertrand of the WSDOT, Sean DeButts of the Puget Sound Blood Center, Brian M. Westbrook, and a bunch of other brilliant social media folks from here in Seattle. For the link to the Ustream, be sure to follow @uwtwtrbook.

When Kathy isn’t out teaching at the University of Washington, she can be found teaching good folks like you how to ride motorcycles!

Get to know Kathy, wouldja? ;)  And if you haven’t met her before, go say “Hi” to her. You won’t regret it!

The Basics:

1. What is your name?
Kathy E. Gill

2. E-mail?
kegill at u dot washington dot edu

3. What is your occupation/company?
My job title is Senior Lecturer at the University of Washington. I’m also a writer, a consultant, and a motorcycle safety instructor.

4. What is the best part of your job?
That I don’t have to report to an office every day from 9-5! Seriously, although it may seem like a cliche, interacting with and learning from students, helping them make new insights—that’s why I teach, whether it’s digital journalism, digital economics, or how to ride a motorcycle. I’ve been teaching professionally (for pay) since the mid-1980s, if you count my stint as a Dale Carnegie instructor.

5. Originally from?
A native of south Georgia (Albany), I migrated north to Pennsylvania after grad school (VPI, Blacksburg). My (ex)husband moved here in 1988 and I followed in 1989; it took a year to sell our house in Pennsylvania. (Yes, there has been a major real estate decline in my lifetime before this one.) It was the second time Washington had beckoned; Battelle had offered me a job here right out of grad school, but I wasn’t quite ready to move across the country.

6. How can people find you on the web?

Social Media:

7. What is it about social media that attracts you?
The possibilities, the serendipity. Today’s Web 2.0/social media space is as invigorating as the early days of the worldwide web. It’s fun, it’s challenging, it’s shaking up the status quo.

8. How do you utilize social media?
I share my thoughts on digital convergence, technology, politics, and media on my blog, WiredPen. It’s also my digital card file! I’ve been blogging actively since 2003, although I set up my first account at Blogger in 1999. I make business-related connections on LinkedIn. I connect with students (and now my peers from college and high school) on Facebook. I share presentations on Slideshare.net and use YouTube to find relevant clips for classes. I’m on TeachStreet.com. I use old-fashioned social media tools, e-mail, and listman to stay connected with my motorcycle buddies. But my favorite space these days is Twitter, where I get tips, have my thinking challenged, arrange for lunch dates, learn about Seattle events, and keep up with what’s happening in the world… all the while doing the same for those who follow me (I hope!).

9. What is one thing that mainstream population should know about social media?
It’s here to stay, it’s not a fad.

10. If people follow you on Twitter, what can they expect?
My soapbox interests are the future of news and digital convergence, in general, although I’m particularly interested in economics and innovation adoption in digital communications. I’m interested in the intersection of technology and politics as well, but you won’t get partisan tweets from me. I’ll tweet links that I find or retweet that others in my network find. I promote Seattle events like Ignite, SMC, and CHI. In special situations, like July’s heatwave, I’ll make some personal posts, but you won’t see a lot in the “What am I having for lunch today?” genre from me.

11. How would you describe the social media scene in Seattle?
The confluence of Twitter, twtvite.com, and SMC Seattle have created a boon. It’s a rocking scene! I just wish folks would avoid Tuesday nights, since that’s when I teach.

12. Do you remember your social media “wow” moment?
One of my wow moments happened in March, when Scott Berken and I hosted PresentationCamp. Most of our promo was done on Twitter and we had almost 100 people. Amazing! And in April, when my 81-year-old dad asked me about Twitter, I realized that Twitter had attained a mainstream mindshare, an awareness far beyond my imagining. I’m not very good at guessing where the “middle” is in the adoption cycle; I thought the 1996 presidential election would be very impacted by the ‘net.

With that cloudy crystal ball for perspective, I believe that we will look at the 2009 election in Iran as a turning point for Twitter and the mainstream press not unlike Trent Lott is a turning point for blogs and the mainstream press. In both instances, the socially networked media space forced traditional media to change how it was reporting an event.

13. What is one piece of advice you give to new users of social media?
(1) Experiment! Jump into the deep end of the pool, even if you’re not sure that you know how to swim. It helps to have buddies nearby to help when you flounder, but there are so many books and articles for newbies today that you don’t really need a mentor if you’re willing to experiment. That means, take a chance.

(2) Be prudent. The old adage about e-mail—never write anything that you wouldn’t want to read on the front page of the NYT or have your mother see—holds true here, too. Recognize that your interactions are public and post accordingly.

(3) Be yourself, warts and all.

14. Are you currently working on any projects that involve the use of social media?
All of my classes use social media—students must blog! But my special summer project is a class on Twitter. My students are collaboratively writing a book of Twitter best practices: twitter09.wordpress.com.

15. Are there any social media events or conferences in the future you would like to let people know about?

Just For Fun:

16. What are your hobbies?
Motorcycles. Travel (any kind, really, but two-wheels is more fun). Soaring Crane Qigong. Reading: science fiction (not fantasy), mysteries, tech books, some business books, and some biographies. Photography. Gardening. Cooking (wiredpen.com/recipes)

17. Favorite vacation spot?
My dad bought a timeshare in the Bahamas several years ago (www.oryc.com). Mike and I love to go there in December. Even though I’ve lived up here 20 years, I still need sun in the depths of winter!

18. Favorite restaurant in Seattle?
Oh, wow. Three Pigs BBQ in Bellevue; The Herb Farm in Woodinville for “an event”; LaGalleria in Edmonds for weekend brunch; Beth’s for boisterous good times; Ray’s Boathouse for seafood (and out-of-town guests); and all the new street-food vendors!

19. Favorite things to do in Seattle in the summer?
I teach a lot of motorcycle classes in the summer! But we hold 3-4 BBQs in our backyard, which are neat because the mix of people is cool. Not as varied as Gnomedex (another summer pleasure) but fun just the same. Taking Katie, our Cairn Terrier, to the park. Visiting wineries, especially those around Lake Chelan. Meeting our moto buddies at our annual campout. And my birthday is in August!

20. Favorite quote?
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

21. Guilty pleasure?
Sweet iced tea (home brewed, not in a can).

22. Favorite actor/actress?
Katherine Hepburn, both on screen and in life.

23. I really like it when…
I see the light bulb go on in a student’s eyes!

24. One day I would love to…
Live in another country for at least six months. I spent a summer in Norway when I was in college but haven’t done anything like that since. I admire our international students, who not only live in a foreign country but learn in a foreign language.

25. If I could meet anyone, alive or dead, I would want to meet…
Other than reconnecting with my mom and grandmother, I’m not sure.

26. What would you like everyone to know about you?
I’m available for speaking and consulting!
 

 

Kathy E. Gill Links

Kathy E. Gill at Gnomedex 2008

UW Insight: The Digital President

Tim Reha and Kathy Gill, Social Media, Seattle Wine Awards

 

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  • timreha
    We had a great time with Kathy and her team from the UW at the Seattle Wine Awards http://www.seattlewineawards.com

    I like her "go for it and try new things attitude" as this is where we are at today in the new media space.

    Nice work on the interviews Kenji. Cheers, @timreha
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