Communication, Media & Theatre Arts

Biography

In 2005, Amy Johnson moved to Ypsilanti to attend graduate school at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) in interpretation/performance studies. Prior to her move to EMU, Amy spent eight years teaching speech and English in Illinois as well as working as a speech coach, technical director, drama assistant director, key club sponsor and soccer coach.

As a student at EMU, Amy hosted performance hours, attended and presented at performance festivals, performed in the Vagina Monologues and spent the majority of her time working with the forensics program. In June of 2007, she completed her degree with the performance of "The V Show: Virginity, What's it to Ya".

Upon her graduation, Amy was hired as the assistant director of forensics and a full-time lecturer in communication and interpretation/performance studies. She teaches communication, performance and teaching methods classes. Besides her extensive work with EMU's nationally recognized speech team, Amy continues her involvement in the I/PS program through her continued work with performance hours, festivals and the American Reader's Theater Association. When she is not teaching or coaching and traveling with the speech team, you will likely find Amy cooking or dancing. If you cannot find her, it's because she is an avid traveler and really enjoys searching out and going to unique performance venues (especially spoken word).

Her service roles include forensics outreach:

• ISU Forensics Institute
• The Edge Summer Forensics Day Camp
• Work with EMU's MLK Day celebration
• Undergraduate Symposium, faculty sponsor
• General Education Assessment Team (GEMAP), member

Education

• MA, Communication with specialization in Interpretation/Performance Studies, Eastern Michigan University
• BS, Speech Communication Teacher Education, English Education minor with endorsement in Theater, Illinois State University
• AA, Liberal Arts, College of DuPage

Courses

• CTAC 124 Foundations of Speech Communication
• CTAC 224 Public Speaking
• CTAO 210 Interpretative Reading
• CTAO 310 Ensemble Interpretation
• CTAC 226 Nonverbal Communication
• CTAC 260 Gender Communication
• CTAC 227 Interpersonal Communication
• CTAC 307 The Teaching of Speech
• CTAC 407 Directing the Secondary and Theater Co-Curriculum

Professional Affiliations

• National Communication Association - NCA
• National Education Association – NEA
• National Forensics Association – NFA
• American Forensics Association – AFA
• National Forensics League – NFL
• National Development Conference on Individual Events – NDC-IE
• American Reader's Theater Association - ARTa
• Illinois Speech and Theater Association - ISTA
• Illinois High School Association – IHSA
• Michigan Speech Coaches Inc. Conference and Tournament - MSCI
• Michigan Interscholastic Forensics Association – MIFA
• Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League – MISL
• United Association – UA