Education:
B.A., Otto-Friedrich Universität Bamberg, Germany
M.A., Otto-Friedrich Universität Bamberg, Germany
Ph.D., Michigan Technological University
Contact:
Office: Cate 2, Room 436
Email: shfeltz@ou.edu
Silke’s educational roots started in her native Bavaria, Germany, where she double-majored in literature and linguistics and where she graduated with an MA and a graduate-level degree in pedagogy to her doctorate in Rhetoric, Theory & Culture from Michigan Technological University. Her first teaching experience was as a Fulbright Fellow and exchange student at the University of South Carolina, and she has since then lived and taught in Illinois, Florida, Texas, Michigan, and now here in Oklahoma. Silke began teaching first-year composition at OU in 2018 and considers Norman her Wahlheimat.
When she does not teach, Silke directs her humanitarian knitting charity, StreetKnits, and helps students, staff, and faculty alike discover the joys of fiber arts and meaningful crafting. Together with yarn-curious makers, Silke creates knitwear for the unhoused in the community and invites both novice and experienced yarnisans into her maker space on campus.
Besides teaching composition, Silke also has experience in teaching German, ESL, developmental writing, pedagogy, and technical communication. Her teaching interests very much focus on first-year writing and everything that comes with it.
Silke’s research interests are multi-layered. Her dissertation and several collaborations try to shed light on the rhetoric of veganism and food ethics. Silke has been working with lawyers from the Animal Legal Defense Fund on labeling issues and consumer confusion questions. Also, Silke enjoys action research and has worked with a number of partners on service-learning projects in the composition and technical communication classroom at OU and in Texas, Michigan, and Florida. Last, Silke writes poetry.
Teaching in FYC offers opportunities for meaningful service, and Silke has been an active member and chair of committees, such as the Online Teaching Committee, the Celebration of Writing Committee, or the Professional Development Committee. She also has been serving as an Assistant Director on the FYC administrative team where she supports instructors with teacher training, providing resources, and mentorship.
As an immigrant, Silke has always been deeply curious about the communities surrounding her and truly values service outside of academia, as well. Here in Oklahoma, she has been a volunteer for Poetic Justice, a nonprofit that facilitates poetry workshops to incarcerated women.
