Curriculum Vitae
BRANDON A. WENERD
BAW272@GMAIL.COM
Education:
Pennsylvania State University – University Park, PA
• Bachelor of Science in English and Communication Education – GPA: 3.7
• Graduation Date: December 2008
Spring 2006 – Semester at Sea
• Institute for Shipboard Education with academic accreditation through the University of Pittsburgh
• Academic fieldwork and cross-cultural travel experience focusing on relevant global economic, social, and geo-political issues
• Destinations included extensive travel in Puerto Rico, Brazil, South Africa, Mauritius, India, Burma, Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, and Japan
Honors:
Deans List – Fall 2004, Spring 2005, Fall 2005, Spring 2007, Fall 2007, Spring 2008, and Fall 2008
Editorial Experience:
Winter 2009 to Present – Staff writer and Web Producer at Aspen.com – Aspen, CO
• Write luxury lifestyle, ski, hotel, restaurant, real estate, travel, event, profiles for Aspen.com, a high traffic community and visitor portal for the Aspen area owned by Morris Communications.
• Conduct interviews and write exclusive features profiling Mario Batali, Ishmael Beah, Sam Bush, and Ratatat
• Utilize effective SEO terms into editorial copy to increase site traffic
• Publish articles and blog posts with relevant pictures to compliment existing copy
• Suggest, brainstorm, plan, and implement branding and promotional social marketing strategies with a team of Morris Communications developers to increase site traffic
• Successful mentions include the Travel Channel’s World Hum blog and The Elegant Variation
Summer 2008 – Editorial Intern at Sherman’s Travel – New York, NY
• Write, research, edit, fact-check, and produce online travel guides for Shermanstravel.com, a high traffic niche “smart luxury” travel website
• Produce and publish web content by uploading copy and photos through a backend content management system
Fall 2006 to Summer 2009 – Editorial, Research, and Production Assistant to Anita Thompson, wife of the late American Gonzo journalist, Hunter S. Thompson – Woody Creek, CO
• Research, editorial, and production assistant for Ancient Gonzo Wisdom, a book project compiling four decades of Hunter S. Thompson’s interviews, published in July 2009 by Da Capo Press/Peruses Books
• Responsibilities include researching, compiling, organizing, editing, and contextualizing Hunter S. Thompson’s interviews into a working manuscript
• Lead, organize, and collaborate with other assistants and the publisher while frequently reporting the project’s progress to Anita
• Communicate with independent authors, major magazines, and newspapers such as Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The Paris Review, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Spin, Salon.com, and Esquire (U.K.) and in order to successfully seek reprint copyright permissions
• Prepare finished manuscript for publication by copyediting and writing contextual footnotes on relevant historical figures and events.
Skills:
• Fact-checking and extensive research skills utilizing newspaper, magazine, and blog research databases such as Lexis Nexis, Proquest, and Newsbank
• Internet savvy and proficient with all Internet tools including backend content management systems, Google Analytics, search engine optimization, Google Keywords, Microsoft Office utilities, html, Dreamweaver, podcasting, Wordpress, Drupal, and blog production
Other Experience:
Fall 2007 to Present – Freelance Writing
Published and paid freelance writing for travel essays, travel guides, and music reviews in prominent nationally publications such as Jambase.com, Sherman’s Travel, and Brave New Traveler and Voices of Centre County
Fall 2007 to Fall 2008 – Co-host and production manager of “The Homegrown Music Show” on Penn State’s student-run radio station, “The Lion” 90.7 FM WKPS
Fall 2008 – 7th grade student-teacher in English and Language Arts classroom in Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Interests:
- Writing, traveling, research, journalism, media, fly fishing, skiing, film, live music, dining, and American literary tradition
References:
- Available upon request
