Laura Lavergne - Assistant to the Director for Communications

Laura Lavergne graduated from the MATC program in December 2003. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) in 1979.

Laura had always wanted to earn a graduate degree and began taking steps in that direction once her children finished college and moved away from home. During her research for a graduate program she realized that the MATC program was directly connected to issues and skills that she could benefit from on a daily basis. She also had a strong foundation of writing and editing projects before enrolling in the program.

During her time in the MATC program, Laura worked as a communications specialist for Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation doing technical and corporate writing. She now works at the University of Texas as the Assistant to the Director for Communications where she supervises a team of writers and designers that create all of the communication projects that originate in the university admissions office. Projects include an annual book used in recruiting prospective student admission guide, newsletters, content for the "Be a Longhorn" website, brochures, posters, and any other targeted messages that originate from of the Office of Admissions.

Laura and her team work on an annual cycle completing many of the same projects each year. Laura is responsible for overseeing the multiple projects while working to improve them, maintain quality, and to plan for new projects. Some days she spends her time writing or editing content for publications or websites. She also works with designers to define direction for projects and to offer suggestions for improvements. Finally, she checks the accuracy of the information offered online and in print and the the language is precise and easy to understand. Her main goal is to make sure that the team does a good job of helping prospective students find the information they need as easily as possible.

Outside of work, Laura spends time with her family as well as cooking, reading, and traveling.

"Working at the university also “requires” me to watch lots of sports on TV," said Laura.

When asked about any advice she would offer to those in the program, Laura recommends that students become articulate about what good communication is, believe in the value of clear, simple, audience-focused communication and learn what you need to say to convince others of its value. She also suggests that students learn as much as they can about writing effectively and being comfortable with a wide range of media.

"Good communication is a combination of good writing and good design; really skilled writers are also good problem solvers. And that’s what the world needs," said Laura.

Sarah Wilson - Project Editor 

Sarah Wilson enrolled in the MATC program after graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies from Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas. She had always been interested in publishing and wanted to develop her writing, editing, and computer design skills so she could qualify for better jobs once she entered the workforce. 

As a project editor at Voyager, an educational publishing company located in Dallas that creates learning materials for school districts nationwide, Sarah works with a team of project and managing editors to develop curricula for educational programs. The materials that are developed are created in response to a particular need, such as developing a program to fit with Title 1 requirements for a certain state.

Engaging in graduate-level coursework, methodologies, and processes helped Sarah to get a better perspective on the Education field in general.    

"My team is often asked to read and review research materials, and so it has been an advantage to me to be familiar with quantitative and qualitative studies," said Sarah.

Outside of work, Sarah spends time doing home improvement projects as well as participating in activities such as running and yoga.