Writing

Although I have always loved writing I did not pursue it as a career until recently. In college I followed my interest in psychology and received a B.S. with honors at the University of Oregon. Following graduation I worked for many years as a research coordinator in cognitive psychology research labs where my responsibilities often included writing and editing scientific articles and chapters, as evidenced by co-authorship of academic publications.

While employed as a researcher at Emory University I became a regular freelance writer for Emory Report, the faculty and staff newspaper, writing mostly science articles and profiles, and a few lecture reports.

After relocating to Washington I became a regular freelance writer for Skagit County Business Pulse, Skagit Valley Herald: Home Accent, and Northwest Business Monthly, writing industry features, business profiles, and area reports. I have also published articles in Atlanta Parent, The Northwest Horse Source, the Parent and Preschool Newsletter of the North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center in Roslyn Heights, NY, and Women's News and Narrative, the newsletter of the Emory Women's Center.

Currently, I'm in Corvallis, Oregon, where I have written for Extension Express, OSU's College of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, OSU's College of Engineering, OSU News and Communication,Oregon's Agricultural Progress, Momentum!, Powered by Orange, Terra Magazine, and Take Root Willamette Valley.

If you would like to browse the articles by type, they are divided by online publications, magazine publications, media releases, newsletters, newspaper articles, and academic publications.

Online Publications

OSU's College of Engineering

• Rachel Robertson, “Culture of Excellence,” College of Engineering Web site, posted December 2011.

Powered by Orange

• Rachel Robertson, “Following footsteps,” Powered by Orange, September 30, 2011.
• Rachel Robertson, “Optimizing energy,” Powered by Orange, April 14, 2011.
• Rachel Robertson, “Dynamic duo,” Powered by Orange, March 18, 2011.

Magazine Publications

Atlanta Parent

• Rachel Robertson, “My child loves reading,” Atlanta Parent, November 2004.

Momentum!

• Rachel Robertson, “Building a community of leaders-peer mentoring in EECS,” Momentum! March 2011.

North Cascades & Skagit Valley Traveler’s Guide

• Rachel Robertson, “Skagit Vineyards.” North Cascades & Skagit Valley Traveler’s Guide, 2007-2008, p. 38.
• Rachel Robertson, “North Cascades day trips, free canoe trips on Diablo Lake,” North Cascades & Skagit Valley Traveler’s Guide, 2007-2008, p. 24.

Northwest Business Monthly

• Rachel Robertson, "Startup Business of the Year nominee: Farm Power Northwest," Northwest Business Monthly, March 2009, Vol 34, No. 3.
• Rachel Robertson, "Business Person of the Year nominee: Lisa Janicki," Northwest Business Monthly, March 2009, Vol 34, No. 3.
• Rachel Robertson, "Business Person of the Year nominee: Patsy Martin," Northwest Business Monthly, March 2009, Vol 34, No. 3.
• Rachel Robertson, “Mixing work and family.” Northwest Business Monthly, July 2008, Vol. 33, No. 7.
• Rachel Robertson, “Turning cow pies into cash.” Northwest Business Monthly, June 2008, Vol. 33, No. 6.
• Rachel Robertson, “The race for Olympic opportunities begins.” Northwest Business Monthly, April 2008, Vol. 33, No. 4.
• Rachel Robertson, “Sedro-Woolley: Fresh face in 2008.” Northwest Business Monthly, January 2008, Vol. 33, No. 1.
• Rachel Robertson, “Lynden: A community with heart.” Northwest Business Monthly, December 2007, Vol. 32, No. 12.
• Rachel Robertson, “Alcoa: Teamwork promotes positive workplace.” (Cover story.) Northwest Business Monthly, November 2007, Vol. 32, No. 11.
• Rachel Robertson, “Burlington: Busting out.” Northwest Business Monthly, October 2007, Vol. 32, No. 10.
• Rachel Robertson, “River rage.” Northwest Business Monthly, September 2007, Vol. 32, No. 9.
• Rachel Robertson, “Wineries of Skagit Valley unite.” Northwest Business Monthly, August 2007, Vol. 32, No. 8.
• Rachel Robertson, “Riding the rise (and fall?) of real estate.” Northwest Business Monthly, June 2007, Vol. 32, No. 6.
• Rachel Robertson, “Business and living the island way,” Area Report: San Juan Islands, Northwest Business Monthly, May 2007, Vol. 32, No. 5.
• Rachel Robertson, “Growing waterfront community keeps small town charm,” Area Report: Anacortes, Northwest Business Monthly, April 2007, Vol. 32, No. 4.
• Rachel Robertson, “Challenges of a changing identity,” Area Report: Stanwood and Camano Island, Northwest Business Monthly, March 2007, Vol. 32, No. 3.

The Northwest Horse Source

• Rachel Robertson, “Youth horse camps: A summer experience that lasts a lifetime, The Northwest Horse Source, April 2007, Vol. 12, No. 4.

Oregon's Agricultural Progress

• Rachel Robertson, “The age of cheese,” Oregon's Agricultural Progress , Fall 2009, Vol. 55, No, 2 .
• Rachel Robertson, “Nutrition education reaches people where they live,” Oregon's Agricultural Progress , Fall 2009, Vol. 55, No, 2 .
• Rachel Robertson, “Understanding hunger in Oregon,” Oregon's Agricultural Progress , Fall 2009, Vol. 55, No, 2 .

Skagit County Business Pulse

• Rachel Robertson, “A time for telecommuting.” Skagit County Business Pulse, August 2008, Vol. 26, No. 8, p. 8-9.
• Rachel Robertson, “Gentle healing.” Skagit County Business Pulse, July 2008, Vol. 26, No. 7, p. 8-9.
• Rachel Robertson, “Saying goodbye to paper records.” Skagit County Business Pulse, July 2008, Vol. 26, No. 7, p. 14-16.
• Rachel Robertson, “The business of paddling.” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, June 2008, Vol. 26, No. 6, p. 10-12.
• Rachel Robertson, “The Majestic Inn and Spa.” Skagit County Business Pulse, June 2008, Vol. 26, No. 6, p. 4-5.
• Rachel Robertson, “Creating a healthier workplace.” Skagit County Business Pulse, May 2008, Vol. 26, No. 5, p. 8-10, 24.
• Rachel Robertson, “Simple solutions for improving business.” Skagit County Business Pulse, May 2008, Vol. 26, No. 5, p. 6.
• Rachel Robertson, “Staying small in a corporate industry.” Skagit County Business Pulse, April 2008, Vol. 26, No. 4, p. 8-10.
• Rachel Robertson, “The Edison Cafe.” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, April 2008, Vol. 26, No. 4, p. 2-3.
• Rachel Robertson, “Extreme air ride.” Skagit County Business Pulse, March 2008, Vol. 26, No. 3, p. 4-5.
• Rachel Robertson, “Cleaning up: Rising demand spurs growth for housecleaning services.” Skagit County Business Pulse, March 2008, Vol. 26, No. 3, p. 6-8.
• Rachel Robertson, “Common Ground: Church-owned Burlington coffeehouse finds its niche.” Skagit County Business Pulse, February 2008, Vol. 26, No. 2.
• Rachel Robertson, “Following his heart.” Skagit County Business Pulse, February 2008, Vol. 26, No. 2.
• Rachel Robertson, “A fit New Year.” Skagit County Business Pulse, January 2008, Vol. 26, No. 1.
• Rachel Robertson, “Holiday retail rush.” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, December 2007, Vol. 25, No. 12.
• Rachel Robertson, “Slow Food movement.” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, November 2007, Vol. 25, No. 11.
• Rachel Robertson, “Livestock with grace: Raising alpacas.” Skagit County Business Pulse, October 2007, Vol. 25, No. 10.
• Rachel Robertson, “A diamond in the rough.” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, September 2007, Vol. 25, No. 9.
• Rachel Robertson, “Second-hand clothing stores.” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, August 2007, Vol. 25, No. 8.
• Rachel Robertson, “It’s knot all about the boats.” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, July 2007, Vol. 25, No. 7.
• Rachel Robertson, “Think Local, Buy Local, Be Local.” Skagit County Business Pulse, July 2007, Vol. 25, No. 7.
• Rachel Robertson, “Full speed on the boulevard.” Skagit County Business Pulse, June 2007, Vol. 25, No. 6.
• Rachel Robertson, “Rulers of the roast.” Skagit County Business Pulse, June 2007, Vol. 25, No. 6.
• Rachel Robertson, “Holistic healers.” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, April 2007, Vol. 25, No. 3.
• Rachel Robertson, “The wine industry is blossoming.” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, March 2007, Vol. 25, No. 3.
• Rachel Robertson, “The benefits of green building,” Skagit County Business Pulse, February 2007, Vol. 25, No. 2.
• Rachel Robertson, “A growing business,” (Cover story.) Skagit County Business Pulse, January 2007, Vol. 25, No. 1.
• Rachel Robertson, “Business and pleasure,” Skagit Business County Pulse, December 2006, Vol. 24, No. 9.
• Rachel Robertson, “Butler Creek Horse Farm,” Skagit County Business Pulse, October 2006, Vol. 24, No. 7.

Skagit Valley Herald: Home Accent

• Rachel Robertson, "Natural hospitality." (Cover story.) Skagit Valley Herald: Home Accent, June 2008, p. 2-9.
• Rachel Robertson, "The art of living." (Cover story.) Skagit Valley Herald: Home Accent, May 2008, p. 2-8.
• Rachel Robertson, "The greenest thumbs." (Cover story.) Skagit Valley Herald: Home Accent, April 2008, p. 2-6.
• Rachel Robertson, "A style of their own." Skagit Valley Herald: Home Accent, March 2008, p. 10-15.

Terra Magazine

• Rachel Robertson, "Optimizing energy." Terra Magazine (reprinted from Powered by Orange), April 26, 2011.

Take Root Willamette Valley

• Rachel Robertson, "Local cheese, anyone?" Take Root Willamette Valley, Fall 2011, p. 4-5.
• Rachel Robertson, "Spirits with character, characters with spirit," Take Root Willamette Valley, Winter 2012, p. 36-39.

Media Releases

OSU News and Communication Services

• Rachel Robertson, "OSU students build innovative tracking device ," Media release, August 8, 2011.
• Rachel Robertson, "OSU wind, wave researcher named Outstanding Young Engineer," Media release, May 10, 2011.
• Rachel Robertson, "OSU, Intel expand open source education," Media release, April 5, 2011. Reprinted in TMC News.
• Rachel Robertson, "OSU leadership training program expands with funds from Tektronix," Media release, April 6, 2011.
• Rachel Robertson, "OSU faculty receive “Early Career Development” awards," Media release, March 25, 2011.
• Rachel Robertson, "Agricultural foundation funds 33 new ideas for OSU research," Media release, October 14, 2010.
• Rachel Robertson, " New research on environmental health in homes offered in workshops," Media release, March 19, 2010.
• Rachel Robertson, "Award honors years of work by OSU Extension," Media release, March 23, 2010.
• Rachel Robertson, "OSU multicultural scholars get a boost from the USDA," Media release, February 26, 2010.
• Rachel Robertson, "First coordinator hired for Oregon State University Master Naturalist Program," Media release, July 9,2009
• Rachel Robertson, “OSU students earn top awards at national," Media release, May 15, 2009.
• Rachel Robertson, “First coordinator hired for OSU Master Naturalist program ," Media release, July 9, 2009.

Newsletters

Extension Express

• Rachel Robertson, “Bike/walk for better living,” Extension Express , January/February 2012.

Parent and Preschooler Newsletter

• Rachel Robertson, “Food Allergies,” Parent and Preschooler Newsletter (North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center), May 2006, Vol. 21, No. 5.
• Rachel Robertson, “Family narratives: The stories we tell our children,” Parent and Preschooler Newsletter (North Shore Child & Family Guidance Center), July/August2003, Vol. 18, No. 7.

Women’s News and Narrative

• Rachel Robertson, “All that matters,” Women’s News and Narrative (Center for Women at Emory University), Fall 2004.

Newspaper Articles

Emory Report

• Rachel Robertson, “Final ‘Conversation’ examines problems of developing nations,” Emory Report, May 8 2006.
• Rachel Robertson, “Talk to the hand: Cienki observes thought in gesture,” Emory Report, May 1 2006.
• Rachel Robertson & Chanmi Kim, “Clark, Ashcroft deliver left-right combination,” Emory Report, April 17 2006.
• Rachel Robertson, “Divisions of language,” Emory Report, March 27 2006.
• Rachel Robertson, “MARIAL study focuses on Barbados middle class,” Emory Report, February 13 2006.
• Rachel Robertson, “Gordon: ‘Familylects’ help households define identity,” Emory Report, February 6 2006.
• Rachel Robertson, “The power of words,” Emory Report, February 6 2006.
• Rachel Robertson, “A political departure,” Emory Report, January 17 2006.
• Rachel Robertson, “A question of fairness,” Emory Report, January 23 2006.
• Rachel Robertson, “What’s the pitcher thinking? Seminar seeks the answer,” Emory Report, December 12 2005.
• Rachel Robertson, “Well of questions,” Emory Report, November 7 2005.
• Rachel Robertson, “Zupko book studies 14th century philosopher,” Emory Report, May 10 2004.
• Rachel Robertson, “Songbird research nets Maney NSF award,” Emory Report, March 22 2004.
• Rachel Robertson, “Rochat helps students write down the bones,” Emory Report, March 15 2004.
• Rachel Robertson, “Edwards seminar explores psychology of love,” Emory Report, February 9 2004.
• Rachel Robertson, “Museum forges unique partnerships,” Emory Report, September 15 2003.
• Rachel Robertson, “Seminar makes neuroscience ‘real’ for freshmen,” Emory Report, March 24 2003.
• Rachel Robertson, “Freides looks to tame migraine pain,” Emory Report, February 24 2003.
• Rachel Robertson, “Des Chene teaches philosophy of social spaces," Emory Report, February 10 2003.
• Rachel Robertson, “Seminar traces primate roots of human behavior,” Emory Report, December 2 2002.
• Rachel Robertson, “Full Partners,” Emory Report, October 21 2002.
• Rachel Robertson, “Pair keeps ears open for vocal accommodation,” Emory Report, August 26 2002.
• Rachel Robertson, “Stein examines old objects with new technology,” Emory Report, May 6 2002.
• Rachel Robertson, “New course combines public health, human rights,” Emory Report, March 4 2002.
• Rachel Robertson, “Mills continues investigation of Williams syndrome,” Emory Report, November 12 2001.
• Rachel Robertson, “Team measures brain response to visual sexual stimuli,” Emory Report, October 22 2001.
• Rachel Robertson, “Lilienfeld spots big problems in Rorschach tests,” Emory Report, May 7 2002.
• Rachel Robertson, “Fivush focuses on family communication techniques,” Emory Report, March 26 2001.

Academic Publications

• Fivush, R., Bohanek, J., Robertson, R., & Duke, M. (2004). Family narratives and the development of children’s well-being. In M. W. Pratt & B.E. Fiese (Eds.). Family stories and the lifecourse: Across time and generations, (pp. 55-76). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
• Gernsbacher, M. A., Robertson, R. R. W., Palladino, P., & Werner, N. K. (2004). Managing mental representations during narrative comprehension: The role of suppression.  Discourse Processes, 37, 145-164.
• Linderholm, T., Gernsbacher, M.A., van den Broek, P., Nenide, L., Robertson, R.R.W, Sundermier, B. (2004). Enhancement and suppression of story character goals during reading. Discourse Processes, 37, 67-78.
• Gernsbacher, M. A., & Robertson, R. R. W. (2002).  The definite article 'the' as a cue to map thematic information. In W. v. Peer, & M. Louwerse (Eds.), Thematics: Interdisciplinary Studies, (pp. 119-136). Amsterdam, Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing Company.
• Gernsbacher, M. A., Keysar, B., Robertson, R. R. W., & Werner, N.K.  (2001).  The role of suppression and enhancement in understanding metaphors.  Journal of Memory and Language,45, 433-450.
• Gernsbacher, M. A.,  Robertson, R. R. W., & Werner, N. K. (2001).  The costs and benefits of meaning. In D. S. Gorfein's (Ed.) On the consequences of meaning selection (pp. 119-137). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
• Robertson, D. A., Gernsbacher, M. A., Guidotti, S. J., Robertson, R. R. W., Irwin, W., Mock, B. J., & Campana, M. E. (2000). Functional neuroanatomy of the cognitive process of mapping during discourse comprehension. Psychological Science,11, 1-8.
• Saffran, J.R., Loman, M.M., & Robertson, R.R.W. (2000). Infant memory for musical experiences. Cognition, 77, 15-23.
• Gernsbacher, M. A., & Robertson, R. R. W. (1999).  The role of suppression in figurative language comprehension.  Journal of Pragmatics, 31, 1619-1630.
• Gernsbacher, M. A., Hallada, B. M., & Robertson, R. R. W. (1998). How automatically do readers infer fictional characters' emotional states? Scientific Study of Reading (Special Issue), 2, 271-300.
• Gernsbacher, M. A., & Robertson, R. R. W. (1995). Reading skill and suppression revisited. Psychological Science, 6, 165-169.
• Gernsbacher, M. A., Goldsmith, H. H., & Robertson, R. R. W. (1992). Do readers mentally represent characters' emotional states? Cognition and Emotion, 6, 89-111.
• Gernsbacher, M. A., & Robertson, R. R. W. (1992). Knowledge activation versus sentence mapping when representing fictional characters' emotional states. Language and Cognitive Processes, 7, 353-371.