Civil Engineering Technical Writer

Dear Sirs:

My background and experience in editing, technical communications, and design may be

of interest to your firm.

For the past 18 years I have served as the marketing and technical writer for Columbus Engineering Consultants, Inc., (CEC) a civil engineering firm in Columbus, Ohio, now closed. My responsibilities include the development, editing, proofreading, layout, and implementa- tion of all our technical, business and marketing communications, such as Letters of Interest, technical proposals, advertising materials, e-mail, and company newsletters. I work with the major professional programs, such as MS Office, and other typical desktop publishing soft- ware from Adobe. All of my work involves close collaboration with management and profes- sional staff, most of whom are non-native speakers of English. Prior to this, I served as the Acting Editor and Assistant Editor for Materials Evaluation, the technical and news journal of the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), editing all journal copy, including technical papers and non-technical matter for the journal. I also prepared electronic copy for the ASNT Web site. We used the Chicago Manual of Style. At ASNT, I streamlined and upgraded many of the procedures used for processing, edit- ing, and typesetting the papers and other matter. I instituted enhanced standards for readabil- ity and comprehensibility of the technical material, and worked closely with many technical authors located around the world to help them meet these publication standards. Prior to this position I served as the marketing, proposal, and technical writer for Barr Engineering, a civil engineering firm specializing in the transportation field. At Barr Engi- neering, my writing and editing experience came into play in creating, revising, and polish- ing Letters of Interest, technical proposals, project capsules, company brochures, and cover let- ters. All of this helped to increase project awards. Working independently, I have published two critical articles in the journal Semiotica con- cerning the treatment of ambiguity in the translation of old German texts. These demanded extensive research and attention to details overlooked by many scholars. Outside of my regular employment, at the request of a Nietzsche scholar, I prepared new translations of several books by Friedrich Nietzsche into English. The translations have been published by a large international publisher based in Great Britain. Reviewers have cited the unprecedented accuracy, clarity, and elegance of the English texts, and their superiority to the work of predecessors.

I have worked professionally in the commercial photographic field and reportage photog- raphy, and have a command of advanced photographic techniques. Such skills and experience, I trust, are of value to your organization. I would be glad to meet with you soon to help you in assessing my qualifications and credentials. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely Yours,

Michael A. Scarpitti

E-mail: *************@*****.***

Phone: 614-***-****

Michael A. Scarpitti

COMMUNICATIONS DESIGN

Specialized-Market & Technical Communications

• Writing: Technical/Scientific/Critical/Persuasive/Creative

• Editing: Textual Analysis/Adaptation/Proofreading

• Research: Statistical Data/Comparative Reduction/Cross-Reference

• Desktop Publishing/Typographic Design/Typography

• Translation: German–English

• Photography: Multi-Media/Documentary/Location

• Training/Lecturing: Have lectured college classes regarding advanced photographic techniques. Have also written “how-to” papers on translation for the benefit of scholars. Independent Scholarly Work

• Prepared new English translations of The Will to Power and On the Genealogy of Morals

(from the German of Friedrich Nietzsche) for a large international publisher based in Great Britain. (2009–2012)

• Published two articles regarding translation theory in the journal Semiotica (1996; 1998). Recent Related Employment

Columbus Engineering Consultants, Columbus, Ohio (Defunct) 1999–2018

Marketing, Proposal, Advertising, and Technical Report Writer/Editor:

• Write and edit proposal body text and cover letters.

• Design and prepare proposals, including covers, photographs, and maps.

• Design and create advertising campaign for proprietary CAD software.

• Establish marketing document format, layout, and contents.

• Prepare and maintain an electronic library of company information, including staff résumés, project capsules, and company brochures. American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), Columbus, Ohio 1997–1999

Acting Editor, Assistant Editor, Materials Evaluation (Society journal):

• Edit, prepare, and proofread all journal copy, both technical and non-technical.

• Assist members with employment referral services and notices.

• Solicit technical papers from authors and track throughout peer review process.

• Prepare copy for Website.

• Consult with authors regarding revisions for publication.

— Enhanced standards for readability and comprehensibility of technical papers.

— Streamlined paper processing and peer-review process.

— Secured additional reviewers to assist non-native English speaking authors. Barr Engineering, Columbus, Ohio 1996–1997

Marketing, Proposal, and Technical Report Writer:

• Established document format, layout, and contents.

• Wrote proposal body text and cover letters.

• Designed and prepared graphics, including covers, photographs, and maps.

• Prepared and maintained an electronic library of company information. Scholarly Publications & Related Independent Work:

• Published two critical essays in a major journal (Semiotica) on translation methods and analyses of texts. (1996–1998). Available online at:

https://www.academia.edu/6030428/Adventures_in_translation

https://www.academia.edu/6030425/Verschlimmbesserung_Correcting_the_corrections _in_translations_of_Kant

• Prepared new translations of texts by Friedrich Nietzsche for Penguin Classics:

https://tinyurl.com/y7hp4ydx

• Created computer typographic fonts based on ancient Roman sources. 1997–1999

(See: http://www.fontcraft.com/fontcraft/roman-inscriptory-fonts/)

• Applied advanced photographic techniques and processes. Education

• Bachelor of Arts, Philosophy

The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio

Summary

• Expertise in Photography

• Strong analytical skills

• Ability to find new and better ways to do things

• Proven ability to tailor abstract, complex, and technical concepts to specific audiences, while eliminating wordiness, triteness, and jargon, and ensuring smooth transitions, an appropriate pace, a uniform tone, and a clear focus.

• Demonstrated mastery of various communications media

• Exceptional creativity, resourcefulness, and adaptability Professional Recommendations and Reviews

“I’m not able to comment on the accuracy of this translation, but I can say that it is the clearest and most beautiful of the three I have read (Scarpitti’s being the third after Smith’s and Clark & Swenson’s). Holub’s introduction is substantial enough. Make this your first choice, but perhaps supplement it with something ugly and literal if you’re suspicious of translations that read just a little too nicely.”

Amazon.com review of my translation of On the Genealogy of Morals by Friedrich Nietzsche

“I was extremely impressed by this selection because it shows that Mr. Scarpitti has a truly unusual gift for rendering Kant into an accurate and readable form I believe that Mr. Scarpitti is much more attentive to and at home with the nuances of language than philosophers usually are He not only understands the relevant philosophical issues, he sees the special effort that is needed and he is willing to spend the time and energy to come up with a simultaneously exact and smooth rendering.” Karl Ameriks, Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame

“Mike, Although it would have been more convenient to me to stick with my marked version of Kaufmann, I spent some time reading passages in contrast with one another (Kaufmann, DelCaro, and you) a couple of weeks ago, and yours reads by far the most beautifully, so I ordered your Genealogy for myself and my fall students. Congratulations!” Mark W. Roche, Professor of Germanic Languages and Philosophy, University of Notre Dame

“It was very nice to see that you and Prof. Jack Duke conducted a proficient review on my recent paper to ASNT. The comments and the editing are excellent. I highly praise you for the good communication and professionalism you have given to the editing work.” Mike C. Tsao, Electric Boat Corporation. 860-***-****

“Mike demonstrated a mastery of photography. He produced some of the finest images we’ve seen anywhere.”

Steve Puffenberger, Owner, Advent Media. 614-***-****

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