Biography
Fred DeVries loves words and politics. So in 1984, he enrolled in the School of Journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa. By pounding out news copy on a typewriter in his reporting classes, he learned to write economically and creatively for print, radio and television. As well, he learned the value of telling stories of people and places - which served him well when he worked at a weekly newspaper chain in Ontario.
At Carleton, he also majored in political science, and gained an appreciation for Canadian politics and international relations. This led him to attend graduate school at the University of Guelph to complete a Master of Arts in political studies in 1991. In his research, he focused on international development issues, particularly food security and non-governmental organizations.
While in graduate school, he spent a summer teaching English in China. He then worked with the English Language Institute for three years. From there, he served as staff writer and senior editor in the corporate communications department at Campus Crusade for Christ, Canada - writing and producing materials of all shapes and sizes.
Since 2001, he has been teaching in the professional writing stream of the Department of Communications at Trinity Western University. As a sessional instructor, he teaches courses on magazine and academic writing, journalism and public relations - as well as specialized classes in p.r. writing and website development.
He also operates a writing and editing agency, offering his communication skills to a variety of corporate and non-profit clients. His writing has won national awards and recognition through The Word Guild, an association of Christian writers in Canada. He is a member of the International Association of Business Communicators.
Education
Bachelor of Journalism 1988, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario
Masters of Arts 1991, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario
Areas of Expertise
Writing and producing marketing and corporate pieces; developing public relations campaigns and materials; consulting on effective writing and communication strategies.
Scholarship Interests & Involvements
Changes and challenges within traditional forms of journalism; effects of online and digital techology on communication.
Memberships & Affiliations
International Association of Business Communicators
Courses Taught at TWU
COMM 110 Research & Writing Communications
COMM 212 Writing for Publication
COMM 213 Introduction to Public Relations
COMM 214 Organizational Communications
COMM 270 Introduction to Journalism
COMM 372 Online Journalism
COMM 413 Public Relations Writing