BARBARA von DIETHER, M.Ed., Ed.D. Thesis & dissertation writing & defense consultant; scholarly writing & editing; academic, business, and technical writing.
Specialties
Scope: education administration, education technology, secondary education, curriculum development, needs assessment, distance education, education leadership, instructional design, instructional media, advertising, business administration, business management, leadership training and development, communications.
Academic Advising Graduate on time Dr. von Diether guides students through difficult advisor relationships and hazy research proposals.
Academic Writing Maximize the time and money invested towards obtaining a higher degree
Dr. von Diether helps students write theses and dissertations that connect with advisor, committee, and graduate school demands. Dr. von Diether helps organize research and content and prepares students for the final defense.
Graduate research and writing coordinator at Utah State University (12 years).
Counseled over 300 students a year who were seeking help with the graduate process.
Helped formulate the Publication Guide for Graduate Students (Utah State University Press, 1980).
Final editorial review (reader) for theses and dissertations from 54 departments.
As president of the American Association of University Professors (Utah Conference), met with the Board of Regents and college and university presidents to resolve faculty conflicts.
Wrote grants for research funding that supported graduate students.
Proven Success in Higher Education Administration
Dr. von Diether was a Dean at Utah Valley State College for 10 years, and instrumental in the funding and construction of the Wasatch Campus.
She conducted needs assessments and designed the curriculum, then hired and managed 46 instructors and professors, and 10 staff members.
Proven Experience in Business, Industry, and Government
Dr. von Diether was an international consultant for Shipley Associates (shipleywins.com) for 12 years working with such companies as Esso Oil in England, Continental Oil in Columbia, and IBM in Canada.
In addition, she had large contracts teaching technical writing for such companies as General Motors, At&T, Eastman Kodak, Hewlett Packard, and others.
She was a weapons systems consultant in the defense industry for such companies as General Dynamics, Northop Aviation, Rockwell International, and McDonnell Douglas.
In all, companies she worked with won $16 billion in contracts.
She has a SECRET clearance and worked for the FBI, the CIA, and companies doing classified work such as Loral Electronics, Hughes GRD Systems, and Ford Aerospace.
In addition, she worked extensively with government agencies writing environmental documents, such as the US Forest Service, the BLM, and the Corp of Engineers. She was a research report ghostwriter for the Environmental Protection Agency.
She authored "Righting Rotten Writing" in Training Magazine (April 1992), a summary of problems professionals encounter while writing at work, and solutions to those problems.
Professional Experience
Utah Valley State College, 1992 to 2002
Dean, and Assistant to the President for Special Projects
Created and operated the Wasatch Campus of the college in Heber City, Utah. Managed 46 instructors and 10 staff members, and a $2 million budget. Created a curriculum compatible with the area and student needs. Created a 50-acre campus by obtaining land donations from farmers, and raised $11 million from private donors and the state Legislature, with support from the college President and the community, to build a 57,000 sq. ft. building. Wrote numerous proposals. Raised awareness of the program in two counties through concentrated public relations and publicity.
The Summit Institute, 1993 to 2002
President
Created and developed a non-profit organization with an international Board of Directors to promote the internationalization of the drug approval process. Met with FDA in Washington, and drug companies on the eastern seaboard and in Europe. Wrote proposals to obtain funds.
Shipley Associate, 1979 to 1992
Senior Consultant
Consulted with business, industry, and government clients (see attached client list at end of resume) to research and solve writing problems among senior and professional staff. Traveled 48 of 52 weeks across the United States, and in Europe, South America, and Canada, to deliver two-to-five day workshops about writing in several specific subject areas, such as the design and writing of competitive proposals in the defense industry, environmental impact statement writing for government agencies and private companies, and technical writing for specific industries, such as oil companies. Helped design win strategies with senior management, and wrote executive summaries and parts of proposals for clients.
Utah State University, 1969 to 1979
Graduate Research and Writing Coordinator
Administered graduate research writing program, including grants for research funds, thesis and dissertation writing. Set publication policy and procedures and recommended changes to the Graduate Dean and Graduate Council. Managed print and archival program for School of Graduate Studies. Deeply engaged in higher education politics.
EDUCATION
EdD - Educational Administration, 1977, Brigham Young University
MEd - Education Technology, 1971, Utah State University
BS - English, Speech, and Drama, 1969, Southern Utah University
Secondary Teaching Credential, State of Utah, 1969-2002
BA - English, University of California at Berkeley, 1954
Security Clearance SECRET, granted February 12, 1987 by DISCO
Feedback
"When I got back last night, I had a message from dear ol' NCU.
The IRB for my research has been accepted and I have permission to
proceed! I have already been gathering research of course, and will
begin working on Chap. 4. I want to thank you for all your help and
encouragement so far!" -- (On file with coordinator)
"I passed my oral defense and earned my Master's degree. I couldn't have done it without you." —Scott Webb
"Everything has been closed off and I have formally graduated. No real changes that needed your attention. I just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help and support over this journey. I very much appreciated your help and encouragement. I found your insights invaluable not only in editing my paper but in helping me navigate the complexities of the process." —Peter Charlton
"I can't tell you how great this experience has been or how much I appreciate the time and personal attention you have shown to me. You happened to come along at a lull in my self confidence, confidence I truly need in order to go out there and keep plugging away. I could feel that you genuinely cared and wished me well. I feel that I have not only gained an editor, but a mentor, teacher, and partner in my future writing success. I never planned on that, but sometimes the best things to come along are the ones we don't plan. I fully intend on working with you again and would highly recommend you and your services to anyone." —Laura Bramble
"My proposal has been on hold because the research committee chair wanted to push the IRB once more with my proposal as it was. He did it! The IRB chair's response was: 'There are certainly no IRB issues at this time.' Hurray!" —Jennie (contact information on request)
"I am walking on the clouds. Thanks to you, I have been granted the title, Doctor of Education by Oklahoma State University. Thanks for your wonderful assistance." —Ken Kilgore
"Barbara has been extremely supportive and amazing. I can't imagine life without her. She has saved me so much time and worry. She is a God-send, and I am so appreciative for her support and commitment! She is truly one-of-a-kind!" —(Contact info on request)
"Dr. Von Diether is an exceptional scholar. Her writing and presentation skills are among the very best I have worked with in over 30 years of college and university teaching and administration. She knows and understands scholarly writing." —Kerry Romesburg, president, Jacksonville University, 2008
"My advisor turned down my research proposal for over a year! Then I hired Barbara to edit and advise. The fantastic bonus was the advice about how to manage my advisor! It smoothed a bad relationship, he passed my proposal, and I am now collecting my data!" —Edward Gomez, 2007
"You were absolutely correct!! My advisor accepted my proposal after I incorporated your changes and recommendations and it is now in the hands of my committee. When I finish Chapters 4 and 5, I will contact you – I very much appreciate your guidance and counsel. It changed a frustrating situation into a success!" —Peter Charles, 2008
"There are a few things in life that elicit the most awesome and overwhelming feelings in a person. Please allow me to share with you a moment in my life worth sharing: Last Monday morning I successfully defended my dissertation and, for the first time, heard those words I’ve been longing to hear: 'Congratulations Dr. Gomez.' Barb, I want to thank you for all you did; your expertise, professionalism, and wisdom were instrumental in my achieving this goal." —DR!! Gomez, 2008
"Hey Barb, I just successfully defended my dissertation. I want to thank you for being a bright light for me at a point when I was down in the dumps and wanting to throw in the towel. You really motivated me with your guidance and great attitude and now that I am done, I just wanted you to be the first person I thanked because your encouragement had a profound impact on me. Thank you for being you...Nick : )" 2008
"Looks good to me! Again, I am so grateful for your time. You are one-of-a-kind, and a lot more than just an 'editor!'" —Sandra Smith, 2008
"I can't begin to tell you how long I have been stuck in this phase. My time is now running out. I have the utmost respect for my committee, but I strongly feel as though I have received little guidance and it has been very discouraging. I decided to seek outside assistance after speaking to classmates – they informed me that this is what they had to do to get through their programs." —Shelley Wilson, 2008
"Can you come to my graduation? I'll send you plane tickets!" —Samuel Elliott, 2007
"Dr. Von Diether was one of our most valued consultants for 12 years because of her ability to teach and the art of writing in business, industry, and government. Her ability to write and/or edit business documents of all kinds for clients was unparalleled among 60 consultants." —Steve Shipley, President and CEO, Shipley Associates, 2007
"Barbara provided an excellent service. I felt that the service was in the form of a partnership with Barbara who offered continuous support and expertise to ensure that we ended up with the best document possible. Her interest and encouragement helped me move through a difficult process in an easy and enjoyable way. She contacted me throughout the process and asked for additional input were she felt it was needed. I have used other service providers before and have found that you send the document to them and it disappears into a black hole later to emerge in a format that clearly shows that the editor had no interest in what they were reading and full of errors."
"Barbara clearly understands the needs of the distance-learning student and the problems of working on dissertations with such institutions. She was also willing to work with the requirements of my specific school in relation to the differences in APA format and the schools requirements. I will certainly continue to use her throughout the rest of my dissertation process." —(Contact info on request)
"Barbara's help was incredible! Her guidance and expertise were a major help in this process!" —(Contact info on request)
"I have been absolutely thrilled with Barbara. She has become a tremendous resources for me. I will recommend her and continue to use her!" —Darryl Rosen, president, grslamresults.com
"I did it! I passed! It was an unconditional pass from all faculty members! The head of my department said it was one of the top 3 defenses he has ever seen and probably one of the most professional presentations ever... and he has been doing this for over 20 years!!! Talk about feeling good!!!! I am so very happy!!!" —(Contact information on request)
"I spoke to one individual from the Internet yesterday who professed to be a qualitative expert, but when I began to discuss my potential qualitative methodology with him on the telephone and mentioned 'phenomenology', he said 'What's that?' I received a 'U' grade for the first concept paper course. I was very impressed that you'd made these very astute observations with only an initial scan for which I'd not paid. I was also very pleased that they were spot-on! You've already done more to improve my paper than my dissertation chair has done in six months."
—(E-mail on file. Student requests anonymity for posting.)
"Thank you again for you help and, most importantly, patience. Juggling work, traveling, studies and a personal life is challenging at best and this does mean, at times, that giving complete focus to one area is just not possible. Your understanding with this was greatly appreciated. Despite having quite categorically said that would never study again, am considering applying for some PhD programs and will probably, if possible, consult you again for the initial research proposal. Thanks again, Barbara!" (On file with network coordinator)
REQUEST FOR ESTIMATE/CONSULTATION
Cut and paste the text that follows into your e-mail editor (e.g., Outlook, Word) and answer each question.
A sample is required to receive an estimate for editing services
6. Describe your project: (e.g., book, business document, dissertation)
7. Describe the level of writing or editing required: (e.g., copyediting, proofreading, content editing, fact-checking, ghostwriting, formatting)
8. Current word count of document:
9. Your deadline date:
10. Required manual of style, if any: (e.g., Chicago Manual, APA, MLA, AP, AAA, CBE/CSE)
11. Number of charts, tables, and pictures:
12. Do you need charts, tables, pictures edited/formatted?
13. Do you have a budget for the project? (Please be specific.)
14. Number of footnotes and entries in reference list:
15. Do you want to contact a particular writer/editor?
16. How did you learn about our service?
16. Attach a sample chapter/section or other important documents related to your project. Please zip large files (max 1MB)
YOUR NAME MUST BE IN YOUR SAMPLE DOCUMENT OR IT CAN BE THE FILE NAME (e.g., johnsmith.doc).
The network coordinator will forward your submission (plus any attached files) to the consultant(s) you select. If no selection is made, your submission will be forwarded to several consultants who might be a good match. Final choice of consultant is yours.
If you do not get a response within 3 hours (M-F) of submission, send a follow-up e-mail to:
Coordinator @ Airmail.net
and/or
EditingNetwork @ gmail.com
You may also use the chat button and/or leave voice mail for the network coordinator: 469-789-3030.
Allow a longer response time if you sent your submission during the weekend or after U.S. business hours.
All of the consultants listed on this site are freelance. They are located throughout the U.S. The coordinator cannot answer cost/timeframe questions for each consultant. You must go through the submission process to receive direct responses from the consultants listed on this site.
