Bio

Writer. Mountain biker and runner. Newbie retiree. I’m a former journalism professor who has traded life inside the classroom for one outdoors, or at least as much as possible. I’m sure I will still teach some. And I will write and edit. But the retirement to-do list reads thus: ride bike lots, lace up running shoes more, volunteer on trail projects, enjoy.

Check out my play blog (link above): Think two retirees + van life + mountain bikes = play. You’ll find some older posts on how animals play and how humans (ahem, me) might nurture playfulness on a daily basis. Still curious about the topic of play, I set out this summer with my husband for some serious field research. Stay tuned for posts about our 13,026-mile, 118-day trip from Ohio to Alaska and back. More how-to, than travelogue, the blog will share our wins/fails as we sought epic mountain bike trails to challenge our 60-something selves, found camping spots far from the RV crowd, and in short, had a blast.

Here’s a little background on what I’ve been doing, professionally, in recent years. For more than 14 years I was a faculty member in the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University. I taught aspiring journalists and public relations practitioners how to write magazine features, craft advertising and PR copy, and edit publications. For academic journals, I wrote about women editors and journalists whose stories had gone untold by journalism historians. I researched magazines aimed at teen girls and the life of Dr. Virginia Apgar, a famous obstetrical anesthesiologist who championed the acceptance of children with birth defects.

Before joining the academic world, I wrote for magazines such as Midwest Living, Ohio and Cycling on topics ranging from travel and food to cycling. I also wrote a few books about people who help small businesses succeed. I also worked in the public relations field for some 10 years, primarily for nonprofit organizations.

I could go on, but won’t. Hope you enjoy the blog.

Click here for my vitae. Gerl_CV_2019