Rachel Mahan

Rachel Mahan

Greater Indianapolis
777 followers 500+ connections

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About

I am an enthusiastic technical writer with over 11 years of experience in technical…

Activity

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Experience

  • Salesforce Graphic

    Salesforce

    Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

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    Indianapolis, Indiana Area

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    Indianapolis, Indiana Area

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    Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

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    Greater Atlanta Area

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    Greater Atlanta Area

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    Greater St. Louis Area

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    Greater New York City Area

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    Greater New York City Area

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    Greater New York City Area

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    Columbia, Missouri Area

Education

  • New York University Graphic

    New York University

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    Reporter for Scienceline, a graduate-student-run publication; Editorial Intern specializing in science journalism at Scientific American, Psychology Today, and LiveScience.com

  • Completed 5 graduate-level UX courses while working full-time

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    Managed multi-year wildlife ecology study and 20+ occasional volunteers, President of the Warnell Graduate Student Association, Member of the National Science Teachers Association, Associate Member of Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society, Mentor to undergraduate and master's students in research

  • Activities and Societies: Phi Beta Kappa honor society, Missouri Review literary magazine intern, Marching Mizzou marching band

    As a full-time undergraduate student, I designed my own research studies in applied ecology, wrote proposals, collected and analyzed data, and presented the results at regional and national conferences to inform conservation managers about wetland recommendations. I applied for and received $10,000 in research scholarships and travel awards. Research institutions: Univ. of Missouri, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, and University of…

    As a full-time undergraduate student, I designed my own research studies in applied ecology, wrote proposals, collected and analyzed data, and presented the results at regional and national conferences to inform conservation managers about wetland recommendations. I applied for and received $10,000 in research scholarships and travel awards. Research institutions: Univ. of Missouri, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, and University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

    Publications:
    http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1670/0022-1511%282007%2941%5B16:DOTGTH%5D2.0.CO%3B2
    http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.1655/07-064.1

Licenses & Certifications

Volunteer Experience

  • Salesforce Graphic

    Faithforce Global Writing Team Lead and Writer

    Salesforce

    - 4 years

    Human Rights

    I managed a team of writers for Salesforce's global interfaith equality group, Faithforce. I also wrote employee blog posts and newsletters, edited public blog posts, and managed holiday information and contributors.

    "Faithforce is the Interfaith employee resource group at Salesforce focused on celebrating, supporting and fostering understanding of our global faith and spiritual diversity through inclusive and educational events and initiatives. We champion faith diversity & inclusion…

    I managed a team of writers for Salesforce's global interfaith equality group, Faithforce. I also wrote employee blog posts and newsletters, edited public blog posts, and managed holiday information and contributors.

    "Faithforce is the Interfaith employee resource group at Salesforce focused on celebrating, supporting and fostering understanding of our global faith and spiritual diversity through inclusive and educational events and initiatives. We champion faith diversity & inclusion, interfaith & intersectional collaboration and allyship across the company. Our goal is to cultivate a culture of empathy, respect and belonging at Salesforce for people from all faiths, backgrounds, traditions and worldviews. All are welcome."

    From: https://www.salesforce.com/company/equality/equality-groups/

  • Write the Docs Graphic

    Co-Organizer of Write the Docs Indy

    Write the Docs

    - 3 years 2 months

    Science and Technology

    https://www.writethedocs.org

  • User Experience (UX) Lead and Co-Founder

    Open Indy Brigade (Code for America)

    - 2 years 2 months

    Science and Technology

    I co-founded Open Indy Brigade, a volunteer group of citizens and technologists who used open data and technology to solve complex government and community problems. I was promoted to UX Lead and led the Civic UX project, whose aim was to improve the user experience of Indianapolis and state government websites.

  • Innovations For Learning/TutorMate Graphic

    Literacy Tutor

    Innovations For Learning/TutorMate

    - 7 months

    Education

    During the 2016-17 school year, I worked weekly with elementary students to help them improve their reading skills.

  • American Red Cross Graphic

    Information and Planning Team Member for Disaster Cycle Services

    American Red Cross

    - 7 months

    Disaster and Humanitarian Relief

  • Southern Polytechnic State University Graphic

    Mentor, Technical Communication Senior Undergraduates (TCOM 4800)

    Southern Polytechnic State University

    - 1 year

    Education

    Mentored senior undergraduate students in technical communication and business writing (TCOM 4800) at Southern Polytechnic State University. Reviewed portfolios; offered advice about career development, finding and applying for jobs, etc.; attended meetings and events in person.

  • Chair, Summit Promotions Committee

    Society for Technical Communication, Atlanta Chapter

    - 9 months

    Science and Technology

    Coordinated the 2013 Summit (international conference) publicity efforts of the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication. Managed a group of writers and bloggers. Edited and wrote blog posts and magazine articles published on the Society for Technical Communication's blog and in Intercom magazine.

    Blog: http://summit.stc.org/category/summit-news/
    Intercom magazine: http://intercom.stc.org/

  • Social Media Manager and Council Member

    Society for Technical Communication, Atlanta Chapter

    - 1 year 3 months

    Science and Technology

    Managed the social media accounts of the Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication. Increased followers, likes, and members through posts and interactions. Promoted STC-Atlanta events and meetings. Won Newcomer of the Year award, 2012.

  • Salesforce Graphic

    Faithforce Global Comms Writer

    Salesforce

    - Present 3 months

    Human Rights

Courses

  • Git Fundamentals

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  • JavaScript Fundamentals

    101

Projects

  • Design Research Consultant | UX Research - Freelance projects

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    I was a freelance design research consultant on two short-term projects for Studio Science and Scholastic Magazine's websites. I formulated a tailored research plan by first gaining a deep understanding of the client and their goals, their competitors, and industry trends. I then conducted qualitative research, such as interviews and card-sorting exercises, in which I didn't simply record what people said and did; I asked follow-up questions to uncover insights: Why did you use that card? Why…

    I was a freelance design research consultant on two short-term projects for Studio Science and Scholastic Magazine's websites. I formulated a tailored research plan by first gaining a deep understanding of the client and their goals, their competitors, and industry trends. I then conducted qualitative research, such as interviews and card-sorting exercises, in which I didn't simply record what people said and did; I asked follow-up questions to uncover insights: Why did you use that card? Why didn’t you mention that earlier? Then, I clearly communicated research findings to help guide business decisions.

  • Adjunct Professor, Technical Communication | Purdue University School of Engineering

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    I taught students who were not necessarily excited about technical writing (i.e., not writing majors) to communicate effectively in the workplace. I planned and moderated discussion sessions and provided usable feedback on their writing. After taking my course, students extolled the benefits of getting their peers to review their emails, proposals, etc. before sending them out (hallelujah!).

  • Science Journalist | Science Writer - Freelance projects

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    I was a translator, helping the general public understand scientific discoveries. I pitched, wrote, researched, conducted interviews for, created, recorded, edited, and fact-checked articles, audio podcasts, videos, and infographics. My work has appeared in some of the leading science magazines and websites in the country: Psychology Today, ScientificAmerican.com, Scientific American Mind, LiveScience.com, and Scholastic’s ScienceWorld magazine, to name a few.

Honors & Awards

  • Merit Award - Instructional Materials

    Society for Technical Communication (STC)

    For the Marketing Cloud Developer Basics Trailhead, with two co-authors

  • Merit Award - Technical Communication

    Society for Technical Communication (STC)

    For one of the flip book job aids that I designed and created

  • Phi Beta Kappa - Early inductee and scholarship winner

    Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society

  • Summa Cum Laude

    University of Missouri-Columbia

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