RACHEL SOMERSTEIN
215 University Place, Syracuse, NY 13244-2100 • resomers@syr.edu • (917) 538-4105
EDUCATION
Syracuse University, S.I. Newhouse School for Public Communications, Syracuse, NY
Ph.D. in Mass Communications, expected May 2014
Research interests: collective memory, photography, visual culture, mobile technologies and public space, the digital divide, and the
impact of mobile technologies on reading and writing
Dissertation: You Had to Be There: Secondary School Educators Teach 9/11
Traces the social processes of history, and the instruction of collective memory about 9/11, by looking at teachers and their use of the
mass media
New York University, Graduate School of Arts and Science, New York, NY
M.F.A. in Creative Writing, May 2009
Cornell University, College of Arts and Sciences, Ithaca, NY
B.A. in English and History, Cum Laude, with Distinction in All Subjects, May 2004. Columnist for the Cornell Daily Sun
Honors Thesis in History: Biennale as Battlefield: MoMA and the CIA at the Venice Biennale, 1948–1956
How the CIA and the Museum of Modern Art mounted shows at the Venice Biennale to fight the cultural front of the Cold War
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Syracuse University, Newhouse School for Public Communications, Syracuse, NY
September 2011 – May 2012
Adjunct Lecturer, Goldring Arts Journalism Master’s Program
Taught AJP 606, critical and feature writing, and AJP 611, the literature of art journalism, to 16 graduate students. Created syllabi,
grading criteria, writing exercises, and assignments.
New York University, Stern School of Business, New York, NY
January 2010 – May 2011
Adjunct Lecturer; Writing Coach Management Communication
Taught discourse section of Business & its Publics (C40.0125), part of NYU’s social impact core, to 20 undergraduates. Covered
critical thinking and writing skills as well as economic and environmental sustainability, globalization, and social entrepreneurship.
Created lessons for use across all 30 sections of the course, required of all Stern freshmen. Mentored students one-on-one to
improve their writing.
Lehman College, Bronx, NY
January 2009 – January 2010
Adjunct Lecturer, Department of English
Taught LEH 100, ENG 135,ENG 110, ENG 120, and ENW 210: basic and advanced freshman composition, introduction to literature,
creative writing, summer ACT reading/writing workshops, and freshman seminar. Supervised two assistant teachers; developed
intensive reading/writing course; advised freshmen on long term academic plans. Designed syllabi, writing exercises, grading
criteria, midterms, and final exams. Completed coursework in teaching English language learners.
New York University, New York, NY
September 2007 – December 2008
Adjunct Instructor, Department of Creative Writing
Taught introduction to creative writing seminar to 15 undergraduates; create syllabus, writing exercises, and grading criteria.
JOURNALISM EXPERIENCE
Next American City, Philadelphia, PA
December 2009 – January 2011
Staff Writer
Wrote features, city focus, and front-of-the-book stories about urban development and the relationship between cities and cultural
institutions; blogged about sustainability initiatives, housing, and public transportation. Live-blogged from urban planning,
women’s health, and real estate conferences.
Freelance Editor and Writer, Brooklyn and Syracuse, NY
August 2004 – Present
Book, magazine, and Web writing:

Articles appearing or forthcoming in AfterImage, ARTnews, Art + Auction, ARTINFO, Architectural Record, FlavorWire,
Guernica: A Magazine of Art & Politics, It’s Complicated: Feminist Writers on Misogynist Art They Love, McSweeney’s
Internet Tendency, n+1, PBS.org, RL Magazine, Syracuse University Magazine, Women’s Review of Books, and Wired.
Business and corporate writing:

Research, report, and write articles for the Department of Housing and Urban Development publications Breakthroughs,
Evidence Matters, The Edge, and ResearchWorks,

Develop, write, edit, and proofread mission statements, client-relations and promotional material for Web and print.
Clients include the Brooklyn Arts Council, BCMS Corporate, Dillon Thompson, FiveGates Healing, and Trickle Up.
Book editing:

Editor, American City X:Syracuse After the Master Plan and New Public Works (Princeton Architectural Press, 2013).

Development editor, The Art of Choosing (Twelve Publishing, 2010).

Copyeditor, Brooklyn Modern (Rizzoli, 2008).
Research: Independent research for the Brooklyn Arts Council; in-house research for ARTnews.
D.E. Shaw and Company, New York, NY
Researcher, Resource Development
December 2007 – February 2009
Redesigned, reorganized, and rewrote materials for department’s online newsletter. Researched banks, private equity firms, and
rival hedge funds; synthesized research into one-page snapshots for internal use; researched and designed organizational maps of
competitor firms. Executed search algorithms to identify and recruit high-level (C-suite) talent.
Carnegie-Knight Initiative on the Future of Journalism Education, New York, NY
Summer 2006; Summer 2007
News21 Production Manager
Copyedited, fact-checked, and proofread print and multimedia features. Produced stories in content management system.
ARTnews, New York, NY
August 2004 – June 2006
Editorial Assistant
Wrote national and international news stories, book and exhibition reviews, and artist profiles. Supervised three interns. Translated
newspaper stories, press releases, and other documents to English from French. Managed contributor payments. Tracked flow of
galleys through editorial department; proofread each after every stage of production. Assisted with photo research.
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Somerstein, R. Forthcoming. Review of Margaret Olin’s Touching Photographs. Visual Anthropology.
Jung, J., Somerstein, R., & Kwon, E. (2012). Should I Scan or Should I Go? Young consumers’ motivations for scanning QR Code
advertising. International Journal of Mobile Marketing, 7(3), 25-37.
PEER-REVIEWED CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Somerstein, R. “Newspapers Commemorate September 11th: A Cross-Cultural Investigation.” Paper to be presented at the Popular
Culture Association, Washington, D.C., Mar. 2013.
Somerstein, R. “The Fractured Media Landscape: Photography and the future of collective memory.” Paper presented at the
National Communication Association, Orlando, Nov. 2012.
Somerstein, R., Wright, A., & Kalan, M. “The Digital Divide on the Move: Demographic influences on patterns of mobile phone use.”
Scholar to scholar session at the National Communication Association, Orlando, Nov. 2012.
Somerstein, R., & Kinsey, D. “The Taste Test.” Paper presented at the International Society for the Scientific Study of Subjectivity
Conference, Pittsburgh, Sept. 2012.
Jung, J., Somerstein, R., & Kwon, E. “Should I Scan or Should I Go? Young consumers’ motivations for scanning QR Code
advertising.” Poster session at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Chicago, Aug. 2012.
Somerstein, R. “The Image, Written: Using Photography and Mixed Media to Teach Nonfiction Writing.” Organized and chaired
panel; presented paper at the Association for Writing Programs National Conference, Chicago, Mar. 2012.
Somerstein, R. “The Image, Written: Using Photography to Teach Writing.” Organized and chaired panel; presented paper at the
Society for Photographic Education Northeast Conference, Providence, Nov. 2010
INVITED TALKS
Race, Gender, and the Media: presentation on stereotypes of Jews in the media. Syracuse University, 2011, 2012.
New York Foundation for the Arts: Artist’s Roundtable. Panelist, Brooklyn, Nov. 2010
Visiting Critic, Syracuse University Graduate School of Visual and Performing Arts, Dec. 2010
HONORS
Top research paper in mass communications, Syracuse University 2013 • Feinberg Dissertation Award Syracuse University Graduate
Fellowship • Society for Photographic Education Scholarship • Finalist for Glimmer Train’s April 2011 “Family Matters” Award •
New York University Professional Development Grant • Friend of SEEK for outstanding contributions to Lehman College’s SEEK
Department • Finalist for Glimmer Train’s August 2008 Very Short Fiction Award • Lang Prize for Best Thesis in History or
American Studies departments • Einhorn Discovery Grant
SKILLS
Proficient in Adobe Suite, Content Management Systems, MSOffice, Photoshop, Quark, Sharepoint, Visio, and Wordpress; familiar
with HTML. Proficient in French, Hebrew, and Spanish.
SERVICE WORK
Salt City DISHES, Syracuse, NY
Oct. 2010 - Jan. 2013
Founder and c0-organizer
Founded and co-organized DISHES, a nonprofit community organization that hosts a community dinner, charges $10 for
admission, and donates the funds to a public art project chosen by the audience. Solicited project proposals, organized four dinners
for 200 people each, secured donations of food and beverages from local businesses, and raised more than $4,000 for community
art projects. Secured a $2,740 What-If Neighborhood Mini Grant from the Gifford Foundation to pay for space rental, graphic
design, and food. Wrote press releases and led the organization’s social media presence. Managed one public-relations intern.
Editor, Democracy in Action, Syracuse University
Member, Alexia chair search committee, Syracuse University
Member, Syracuse Public Arts Task Force, Syracuse, NY
2012
2012-2013
2010-2012