Ken Andersen

Prior to his return to academia, Ken worked as a writer, producer, and DJ at a Wenatchee, Washington radio station; he served as hotel manager and medical officer aboard cruise ships sailing out of Seattle; he was a public relations practitioner in Spokane, Washington; and he was the restaurant manager at Roche Harbor Resort on San Juan Island.

After completing his graduate work at Washington State University in 2003, Ken accepted a position at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. At MSOE he taught a wide variety of writing and communication courses, including Business Writing, Technical Writing, Composition, Public Speaking, Mass Communication, and Interpersonal Communication. In Milwaukee, Ken also served as the curriculum developer and instructor for the RiCH Company’s Vocational Services program, where he created and taught basic and advanced business-skills courses for people with disabilities.

After his family’s move to Davis in 2009, Ken accepted the senior writer position at the California Lighting Technology Center (CLTC), where he worked with engineers, designers, and outreach personnel to write and edit a wide range of publications. While working in that position, Ken also occasionally taught courses in the UWP.

Today, Ken is a continuing lecturer in the University Writing Program where he teaches a variety of upper-division courses while also serving as the program's assistant director for Business Writing. He also developed and teaches the Business and Communication Summer Internships Abroad courses, which take students to Hong Kong, Tokyo, Prague, and New Zealand. He is the chairperson of the Association for Business Communication Undergraduate Studies Committee and a member of both the Society of Professional Journalists and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

In his spare time, Ken enjoys biking, boating, and traveling with his wife, daughter, and son. He’s an avid SCUBA diver, fly fisherperson, birder, and photographer; a burrito connoisseur; and an accomplished writer of third-person personal biographies. He is also hilarious.