Marc Abernathy

I am a developmental academic text editor and writing coach with 14 years of experience helping PhD students, postdocs, and junior professors from European universities get published in peer-reviewed journals and secure funding from agencies like the ERC and DFG. I help researchers by developing their articles, coaching them individually, and leading group workshops. Contact me at mail@marcabernathy.com to enhance your academic career.

Over two days, I led a five-module workshop and individual writing-review sessions designed to elevate researchers' academic writing skills for peer-reviewed journal articles and research funding applications. Seven PhD students and postdoctoral researchers came together to get personalized guidance and expert advice to improve their writing output and academic publications and funding applications.

I was a workshop trainer for the fourth year in a row at the six-day Winter School workshop and retreat, sponsored by the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft Career Center. I led five intensive training sessions focused on enhancing academic writing and peer-review skills among researchers. I co-moderated a Fireside Chat, led a session on realistic planning & goal-setting and another on giving and receiving effective feedback, and held individual writing-feedback session with all 14 participants.

I had the honor of being asked to be an expert speaker for the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft Career Center's Expert Talk series. My talk, titled “Inside tips from an academic editor— How to avoid common pitfalls in scientific writing,” was attended by a near-record number of participants. The session focused on common challenges researchers encounter in academic writing, specifically when preparing journal articles and grant applications.

As a dedicated workshop trainer at the week-long Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft (LBG) Career Center Winter School 2023, I led three plenary sessions and held personalized writing coaching sessions for 14 incredibly talented early-career researchers from diverse fields in medicine and the social and natural sciences. My primary role was to help them uncover and articulate the most-compelling aspects of their research findings and communicate the significance of their research results.

As Lead Academic Writing Instructor and Workshop Facilitator, I conducted intensive four-day outcomes-oriented workshops twice a semester, supporting professors, lecturers, and academic staff enhance their academic writing skills. Using participants' own work and other published articles as training materials, along with my developmental editing experience, I trained participants to write compelling research articles for their target journals.

During a week-long retreat for 14 selected academic researchers, I led plenary and 1:1 sessions designed to enhance participants’ writing capabilities. I developed workshop content based on my experience as a developmental academic publications editor, and each session was tailored to the unique needs of academic researchers who need to increase the quality and quantity of their academic publications.

As a developmental editor and writing coach, I was invited to contribute my insights on academic writing and share my experience during the first-ever Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft 2021 Winter School. For the 13 talented PhDs and postdocs from the medical, social, and natural sciences that participated in this week-long online workshop held during the COVID-19 lockdown. I led three impactful virtual exchanges and personalized writing-coaching sessions.

In this intensive four-hour online workshop tailored for faculty members and researchers from the History and Theatre Arts faculties at LMU, I worked with 11 participants to advance their writing with in-depth workshop modules and personalized coaching. In the group sessions, we focused on subjects such as character development in academic writing, narrative structure, and the strategic use of voice. During the course of this workshop, we delved into five pivotal writing concepts.

In my role as a contributing writer for Smart Business English, I honed my writing and editing skills by producing 25 articles and accompanying podcasts. My work ranged from business case studies to advice on effective networking and innovation strategies. This experience has been instrumental in my current role, where I assist academic researchers in crafting and refining their articles for peer-reviewed journals and writing successful grant and funding proposals.

As a seasoned workshop developer and moderator, I have a proven track record of empowering individuals to effectively communicate their ideas across various formats and outlets. A workshop I developed for TH Wildau, “Read the Room: Adapting Your Pitch, Argument, and Other Business Communication,” was a testament to this. This workshop focused on mastering the art of tailoring communications across various mediums and audiences to maximize impact and understanding.

I developed, authored, and navigated the publication of eight e-learning modules for a university of applied sciences, integrating language skills with business topics. These modules blended language skills with practical business insights. Each module was meticulously crafted to integrate grammar, vocabulary, and writing exercises with deep dives into business topics and skills, enhancing both academic and practical understanding for students.

Over several years, I led a series of specialized workshops and coaching sessions designed to enhance the writing, presentation, and communication skills of university researchers, staff, and administrators across multiple disciplines. My focus was on increasing academic and professional English proficiency to foster clearer, more effective communication. The highlights of this work were as workshop trainer and presentation coach and editor.

Over five semesters of university teaching, I delivered 31 courses across multiple disciplines to over 300 students, focusing on enhancing their business communication and analytical skills. This role sharpened my ability to coach a diverse range of individuals in effective communication, critical thinking, and structured writing—skills that are pivotal in my current work as a developmental academic editor and writing coach.

I was appointed to newly-created position to conduct regulatory project work in the clinical research field. I researched and drafted memoranda and white papers for Institutional Review Board (IRB) policy positions and guidelines for several research areas, including safety reporting and ethical, legal, and regulatory aspects of testing stored samples. I also investigated and drafted human subjects research policies and requirements for several United States federal agencies.