Pitch
Idea:
Dr. Stevenson is a professor of psychology, neuroscience program coordinator, and principal investigator of his on-campus research lab. I work in Dr. Stevenson’s research lab, so I already have a lot of first-hand knowledge about his pharmacology/drug-interaction studies as well as his most recent and novel study of the gut microbiome. As the follow link explains, he studied behavioral neuroscience at American University and psychopharmacology through Dr. Steve Negus’s lab at Harvard Medical School. Before this however, Dr. Stevenson’s had two previous careers as a professional musician in Boston and in the luxury hotel businesses of Washington D.C. Although I have heard Dr. Stevenson allude to his previous careers in conversation, I have not asked details of these specific, surprising experiences; and, I think many are completely unaware of his past. It may be interesting for readers/students to learn more about how his career has drastically changed. It may also be beneficial to talk to other students (perhaps his lab manager who has been his student and employee) and other faculty members (perhaps someone he collaborates with for his research).
https://www.une.edu/people/glenn-w-stevenson
Questions:
- Where did you grow up? What were your educational or general interests growing up?
- How did you decide on your current career? Did you always think you would be in this current position (career)?
- What did you do before being in this position? UNE’s website mentions you were a musician and worked in the hotel business. What did you do? What was this time in your life like?
- What do you do at UNE? What do you do that you think makes the most impact?
- What are your goals for the future? What are you focused on?
- What advise do you have for your students who may go down a similar path as you?
Early Draft
Outline:
- Headline
- Subheading
- Byline
- Visual
- Image of Dr. Stevenson
- Brief caption
- Lead
- Introduction to who the profile is about (Dr. Stevenson)
- Quote from Dr. Stevenson
- Theme
- Brief summary of information from UNE’s website
- Focus in on what his past
- Background
- What Dr. Stevenson is presently doing
- His past
- Information and quotes from others (ex. students)
- His Future plans
- Conclusion
- Tie back into the theme
- Ending quote from Dr. Stevenson
200-Word Draft:
Dr. Glenn Stevenson is currently one of University of New England’s psychology professors and the neuroscience program coordinator. Possibly what he is most known for is for being the principal investigator of his on-campus pharmacology research lab. He has published multiple works that identify the therapeutic index of opioid receptor drug interactions in assay of pain-depressed responding in operant conditioning. And his newest and novel studies of pain-like behavior as it is modulated via the gut microbiome with and without the presence of antibiotic. Dr. Stevenson gained his knowledge of neuroscience and pharmacology at American University and Harvard Medical School through the laboratory of Dr. Steve Negus. Before every studying science though, Dr. Stevenson’s career was much different. In Washington D.C. Dr. Stevenson was found success working in luxury hotel businesses. In Boston, he was a professional musician. Not many students may realize this side of him, however. In Dr. Stevenson’s office, you can find neat stacks of papers and books; pictures of his family; a pair of monkey statues; yet his desk remains spacious and clear of objects. He can be found with his head buried into his laptop as he works diligently analyzing and graphing data from his lab.
Workshop Draft
*HEADLINE
*Subheading
BY: RAVIN DAVIS
*Image of Dr. Stevenson (perhaps from his collection of band photographs)
*Brief caption
Dr. Glenn Stevenson recounted his past as a professional musician and head-bartender at the Bristol Lounge as he smiled and shook his head, “I was in my mid to late twenties. I had this beautiful two-bedroom apartment right on Com Ave. Everyone around me had real jobs, but I was totally living the dream.”
In Dr. Stevenson’s office, you can find neat stacks of papers and books; pictures of his family; a pair of monkey statues; yet his desk remains spacious and clear of objects. He commonly has his head buried into his laptop as he works diligently analyzing and graphing data from his undergraduate-run pharmacology lab.
According to UNE’s website, Stevenson is the neuroscience program coordinator, and one of the college’s professors of psychology. Possibly what he is most known for is directing his NIH-funded on-campus research lab. To date, he has published multiple drug discovery works as well as novel gut microbiome brain axis studies. Stevenson gained his knowledge of neuroscience and pharmacology through his master program at American University and Harvard Medical School through the laboratory of Dr. Steve Negus.
However, before ultimately setting his sights on his work as a professor, Stevenson found success following his dreams, finding “his people,” and making memories that spark unwavering enthusiasm for experiencing life.
Stevenson’s band days were marked by his long black hair and hours spent at Squid Hell recording studio. He mainly played piano, keyboard, and the horn, and he oversaw all programming for synthesizers and keyboards.
The name of his band took on two different names throughout its nine years running. “The first one was Billy Muel Dart and His Orchestra. ‘Billy’ for William and Mary; ‘Muel’ for Mueller College; and ‘Dart’ for Dartmouth. These were the colleges where the major players went,” he said with a laugh, “And then we contracted it to Ed. Just Ed.”
As a child growing up in New York City, Stevenson fondly remembers playing a bunch of instruments. He was a natural from day one, and this explains why his first desire was in music.
Although he reminisces on these days, Stevenson admits that this career path was hard to rely on. “You can be the best player in Boston or Chicago or whatever, and if you’re not politically connected, you are just not going to get good gigs,” he explained. “We were really connected but we all had different interests. I think that’s what broke us up.”
After releasing only one album, Stevenson spent twenty-five years surrounded by 90s rock musicians, actors and actresses at the Bristol Lounge. “I was the head bartender at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, which means that I was essentially the mayor of Boston.”
He remembers feeling that power as he socialized with his clientele, and especially when he would visit the neighboring, award-winning restaurant, Biba. His pride shined through as he remembers always being met at the door and handed a drink after his shifts.
Stevenson’s excitement amplified as he said, “I still remember like it was yesterday.” One afternoon, he saw no more than two women as he walked into an empty Biba, and he explains, “I just my future wife. I saw her and I knew it right then, that’s the woman I’m going to marry. We went out that night and we just kind of knew.”
As the country’s fourth best ranked hotel in the country at the time, Stevenson’s success was at a peak, and his management noticed. “I cannot tell you how many times they came to me and said, ‘Glenn, you run a great bar. This is like the bar. This is the coolest place to be, we get it, but we want to promote you to assistant manager’,” he described. “I always said no,” he explains as he continues to bolster the love he had for his career.
“And then I decided, no joke, I wanted to do something easy. Just easier. What would be easier than music? What would be easier than the hotel industry? And I thought aha! PhD,” he said with a shockingly serious grin.
It was his mentor, Tony Riley, from American University who had foreshadowed Stevenson’s third career. “He walked me around his laboratory, and he looked at me and he said, ‘I want to offer you this space. This is all yours if you stay and continue on to do the PhD program with my lab’.” Stevenson refused at the time, but Riley pushed further. “He looked me in the eyes and said, ‘I expect you back in five years.’ Guess what? I came back in eight years.”
Stevenson confesses that his past careers took up a large part of his early years, but he would not trade those memories for anything. “Does it make me older in my career now? Yup. Does it mean that I was successful much later on than others? Yup. Does it mean that I am less likely to have the publications and grants I would have if I started earlier? Yup. But I don’t care.”
Sometimes Stevenson misses the city life he once thrived in, but he does not ever plan to move back. “When I am in Maine and I’m trying to get my cellphone to work, those are the days I miss it.” He adds, “When I go to NYC to see my brother, I feel calm. It’s like homecoming. I love the noise and I love the people,” but Maine is now home.
He firmly believes that it’s the memories that make up someone’s identity. “I take pleasure in looking back on all those years. They were amazing.”
“Even though I might get frustrated and say, ‘This is my third career and I’m going have a fourth! I’m going to do something new!’ I don’t think I would ever turn my back on you guys,” he said as he gestured to me, alluding to all his undergraduate research assistants.
Although Ed will not be reuniting to make their musical comeback, and rumors of the legendary head-bartender of the Bristol Lounge will continue to circulate, Stevenson can be found at UNE making new memories and experiencing life in pharmacology.
Revised Draft
THIRD TIME’S THE CHARM
From music, to bartending, and finally to neuroscience, Dr. Glenn Stevenson has made priceless memories through every career change along the way.
BY: RAVIN DAVIS
Dr. Glenn Stevenson recounted his memories as a professional musician and head-bartender at the Bristol Lounge as he smiled and shook his head. “I was in my mid to late twenties. I had this beautiful two-bedroom apartment right on Com Ave. Everyone around me had real jobs, but I was totally living the dream.”
Stevenson is UNE’s neuroscience program coordinator and one of the college’s professors of psychology. He gained his knowledge with an expertise in pharmacology through American University and McLean Hospital-Harvard Medical School. Possibly what he is most known for on campus is directing his NIH-funded research lab. He is proud to have published multiple drug discovery works as well as studies of the novel gut microbiome-brain axis alongside his undergraduate lab assistants.
Kylee Harrington is a UNE senior studying neuroscience and working as Stevenson’s research lab manager. She admired Stevenson’s hard work as she reflected on his accomplishments from the past four years. “He’s very knowledgeable, but he never admits that. He’s very humble.”
Before ultimately setting his sights on neuroscience however, Stevenson found success following his dreams, finding “his people,” and making memories that now spark his unwavering spirit for experiencing life.
Stevenson’s band days were marked by his long black hair and hours spent at Squid Hell recording studio. He played piano, keyboard, the horn, and oversaw all programming for synthesizers and keyboards.
His infamous band took on two different names during its run. “The first one was Billy Muhl Dart and His Orchestra. ‘Billy’ for William and Mary, ‘Muhl’ for Muhlenberg College, and ‘Dart’ for Dartmouth. These were the colleges where the major players went,” he said with a laugh, “And then we contracted it to just, Ed.” For the following nine years, the band simply known as ‘Ed’ launched Stevenson into a time he would never forget.
Stevenson has fond memories of growing up in New York City and spending his time engulfed in the world of music. He was a natural from day one, and this explains why his first and only desire was to live a musician’s life.
Although he reminisces on those days, Stevenson admits that this career path was hard to rely on. He laments how competitive the music arena can be while trying to create a name and land big gigs. The memories of those days flashed through his mind as he remembered his bandmates. “We were really connected, but we all had different interests.” After releasing only one album, Ed broke up.
Stevenson was soon after propelled into his second career at the Bristol Lounge where he was surrounded by actors, actresses, and 90s rock musicians. “I was the head bartender at the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston, which means that I was essentially the mayor of Boston.”
He described a feeling of power as he socialized with his clientele, and when he would visit the neighboring, award-winning restaurant, Biba. Pride shined across his face as he remembered being met at the door and handed a drink after his shifts.
One afternoon, Stevenson recounted seeing no more than two women as he walked into an empty Biba. Endearment overcame his words as he said, “I just saw my future wife. I saw her and I knew it right then, that was the woman I was going to marry. We went out that night and we just kind of knew.”
At the country’s fourth best ranked hotel in the country, Stevenson’s success peaked, and his management noticed. “I cannot tell you how many times they came to me and said, ‘Glenn, you run a great bar. This is like the bar. This is the coolest place to be, we get it, but we want to promote you to assistant manager,’ but I always said no.” Not wanting his memories at the Bristol Lounge to come to an end, he was hesitant.
“And then I decided, no joke, I wanted to do something easy. Just easier. What would be easier than music? What would be easier than the hotel industry? And I thought aha! PhD,” he said with a shockingly serious grin.
It was his mentor, Dr. Anthony Riley from American University, who had foreshadowed Stevenson’s third career. “He walked me around his laboratory, and he looked at me and he said, ‘I want to offer you this space. This is all yours if you stay and continue on to do the PhD program with my lab.’” Stevenson refused at the time, but Riley pushed further. “He looked me in the eyes and said, ‘I expect you back in five years.’ Guess what? I came back in eight years.”
Today, Stevenson can be found in his office surrounded by cluttered stacks of papers, shelves of books, and pictures of his family. He commonly has his head buried into his laptop as he works diligently analyzing and graphing data from his undergraduate-run lab.
As Harrington reflects on the impact he’s made on her education, she reveals how Stevenson has truly become the kind of role model he once looked up to. “He’s helped me determine what I love about research and passed his passion onto me. I can say for a fact that I would not be the same person I am today if I didn’t have him as a mentor,” said Harrington.
Although Stevenson’s first two careers dominated his twenties, he is adamant that he would not trade his memories for anything. “Does it make me older in my career now? Yup. Does it mean that I was successful much later on than others? Yup. Does it mean that I am less likely to have the publications and grants I would have if I started earlier? Yup. But I don’t care.”
Sometimes Stevenson misses the thriving city life, but he doesn’t plan to move back. “When I am in Maine and I’m trying to get my cellphone to work, those are the days I miss it.” He adds, “When I go to NYC to see my brother, I feel calm. It’s like homecoming. I love the noise and I love the people,” but Maine is now his home.
“Even though I might get frustrated and say, ‘This is my third career and I’m going have a fourth! I’m going to do something new!’ I don’t think I would ever turn my back on you guys,” he said as he gestured to me, alluding to all his undergraduate research assistants.
Although Ed will not be reuniting to make their musical comeback, and all that’s left are rumors of the legendary head-bartender of the Bristol Lounge, Stevenson is sure to keep his old memories alive while continuing to make new ones in his third career at UNE.
Workshop Experience
I so wish we were back to our typical, in-person workshops. I think that the prior model was very good at gathering a consensus at the same time as providing a variation of feedback. For example, although a couple people felt disconnected from Dr. Stevenson as they read, more reviewers thought his voice was captured very well. I particularly like how Jack described Dr. Stevenson as a “full of life kind of guy,” because this is exactly the angle that I was trying to portray. For anyone knows Dr. Stevenson, they know that this is so very true about him. Possibly the biggest feedback I received was in regard to interviewing another point of view. I initially intended to include an interview from a student who works with Dr. Stevenson, but after I went over the word limit, I was not sure how to move forward. I did receive some feedback on parts of the story that felt out of place or like too much information, so I hope to distill those sections in order to make room for another interviewee. I also absolutely love the idea of interviewing a bandmate! Dr. Stevenson is unfortunately not in close contact with any of his bandmates himself, however, but this would have been so cool! I also received great feedback on how I incorporated the theme of “memories.” I’m glad that the theme was even caught at all because it definitely felt like I was not making that element very clear. Therefore, I definitely plan on taking this advice and making the theme standout a bit more. Additionally, based on feedback, I plan to edit my transitions, move the paragraph about who Dr. Stevenson is at UNE up, and fix minor errors.
Editorial Team Reflection
This set of workshops was much different from our past workshops. Not being in person I felt made the process feel a little more like a peer-review. Although I feel our class is made up of an exceptional group of students who put a lot of care into how they review, an online format is just not as good at fostering the same environment we created in person. I found that it was most difficult to gather a consensus and for that reason, some critiques varied widely. Nonetheless, I think there were three broad elements of our pieces that we were able to create the best discussion on.
First, I took a lot away from our comments in regard the sources and quotes. I think one of the most important elements of a profile in particular is the quotes. These are the pieces of our profiles that gave the most depth and feeling for who someone is. Furthermore, I think what we realized through our workshops is how important it is to still have other voices besides the person who the profile is about. There are characteristics about individuals that they are unable to see or describe themselves, and for this reason it is important to interview many people for a profile to capture the entire image of someone. Our workshops also largely encourage the quotes to speak for the person as they were. It feels much more genuine to fill a profile with quotes than to paraphrase.
Second, our workshops also fostered a lot of discussion surrounding overall organization and order. I think this type of comments in particular made me feel like we were back to our old in-person class. It was extremely helpful to be able to tell someone where to specifically move pieces around and what pieces to take out and add. I also noticed that there was a lot of consensus surrounding organizational edits. I noticed many similar comments suggesting the same paragraphs to be moved or replaced, which felt reassuring.
Lastly, I found that a lot of discussion surrounded creativity elements of stories, even when it was feature story. I think this was a big sign that we have evolved as a class toward a more sophisticated direction of journalism. Many people were aware and appreciative of creative leads, stories, and overall flow of the various pieces. I enjoyed seeing everyone treat their pieces as more of an artistic expression rather than simple assignments.
Profile Story Reflection
I overall very much enjoyed this style of journalism. In the beginning, I thought I may struggle to capture a creative tone and depict someone fully in words. The writing I have done while as UNE has largely consisted of scientific reports and professional-based pieces. For this reason, I felt like I grew to completely lack a creative hand in writer. However, I actually found that a casual and intriguing tone came naturally after I had interviewed Dr. Stevenson. I recorded my interview with him and took minimal notes. I spent my time during the interview really trying to get a feel for his personality, his way of speaking, and his overall aura. I think this was an incredibly effective move to make, and I would suggest this for anyone. Additionally, I feel like I also had an advantage with his piece because I already have an established, deep connection with Dr. Stevenson. Talking to him felt very normal and we were both very open to discussing personal and genuine topics. I feel very fortunate to have been able to spend the extra time to get to know him a little bit better. In a way, through this piece I feel like I have been able to give back to him what he has been able to give to me throughout my past three years at UNE.
As an editor, I learned a lot about myself and how I approach critiques. Especially since this new online format was a challenge, I found that many of the critiques I received were variable and sometimes completely contrasting between reviewers. It was difficult to distill this information at first, but I found one method to work the best. After listing all feedback, I handled repeat comments first since these were easiest to draw a consensus from. When handling comments that were completely contrasting (for example, many reviewers loved my lead, while a few thought it was totally not the right move), I tried to find a middle ground. Even though I wasn’t able to take the full advice from some critiques, I tried to edit my paper while still addressing all concerns, but maybe in a different way than always suggested.
As a workshopper, the biggest lesson I learned was probably about the purpose of a profile piece. I found that largely, a profile is defined by its quotes and sources. While a feature did not necessarily require many quotes, I found that the profile pieces did in order to capture the person’s voice. It was interesting having to workshop two different style at the same time, because I was able to really compare and contrast their different needs and purposes.
