Dr. Gary Mills
Reading & Writing Enhancement Faculty, Associate Professor of English
Bio
Dr. Gary Mills (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF, retired) is a member of the U.S. Air Force Academy Reading Enhancement faculty under the Director of Student Academic Affairs. He also teaches for the Department of English and Fine Arts. Dr. Mills has taught at USAFA both as an active duty and civilian assistant professor. He has studied and taught reading enhancement for five years; public speaking for seven years; and writing enhancement for almost thirteen years. He is currently serving as U.S. Air Force Academy's writing center coordinator.
As a reading instructor, he has organized and led reading assessments of entering students over the past four summers; steered revision of online reading enhancement software to enhance cadet and instructor engagement; and spearheaded the first-ever study of entering cadet reading rate trends. As an instructor and summer course director, Dr. Mills has initiated course-level research of cadet revision practices sparked by cadets’ review of videos of their own public speaking performances. As a former English 111 (freshman writing) course director, he led 14 military and civilian instructors in support of 1,100 cadets in U.S. Air Force Academy’s foundational writing experience.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Mills has worked with USAFA’s communication outcome team. Running parallel with his academic engagement, he has focused on real-world applications of clear communication. At the DoD and federal levels, Dr. Mills served as the director of the Academy’s professional writing program, teaching military and civilian personnel how to write with clarity, strength, and precision. He has served as a technical writer on the Air Force’s Scientific Advisory Board, helping to effectively project its members’ vision of the next-generation of remotely piloted aircraft for our nation’s senior leadership.
Education
PhD, Communication and Rhetoric, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), New York
Master of Arts, Technical and Expository Writing, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Bachelor of Science, English (minor French), U.S. Air Force Academy
Professional Experience
Instructor, ASC Evening Writing Center Consultant Coordinator, Daytime Writing Tutor, Summer Reading Assessment Director, Department of English and Fine Arts, U.S. Air Force Academy (2017-present)
Acting Director of U.S. Air Force Academy’s Reading Enhancement Program, U.S. Air Force Academy (2016 & 2017)
Instructor, Writing Center Faculty Volunteer Coordinator, Summer Reading Assessment Director, Department of English and Fine Arts, U.S. Air Force Academy (2015-2016)
Reading Enhancement, Instructor, ASC Writing Center Faculty Volunteer Coordinator, Summer Reading Assessment Director, U.S. Air Force Academy (2014-2015)
Competitively selected Assistant Professor, Instructor, Reading Enhancement Instructor (RS103/103X), Writing Center Volunteer Tutor, Office of Student Academic Affairs and Academy Registrar, U.S. Air Force Academy (2013-2014)
Civilian Adjunct Instructor of English, Department of English and Fine Arts, U.S. Air Force Academy (2013)
UCCS graduate student in advanced literacy pedagogy (2012-2013)
Director, U.S. Air Force Academy Professional Writing Program & Director of Assessment, Department of English and Fine Arts, U.S. Air Force Academy (2011-2012)
Deputy Department Head, Department of English and Fine Arts, U.S. Air Force Academy (2009-2011)
Deputy for Operations and Course Director, Department of English and Fine Arts, U.S. Air Force Academy (2008-2009)
Course Director, Department of English and Fine Arts, U.S. Air Force Academy (2008-2009)
Instructor, Department of English and Fine Arts (2007-2008)
Doctoral candidate, RPI (2004-2007)
Chief, Transnational Analysis Team (Terrorism/Criminal Activity), J2, SHAPE (2003-2004)
Chief, Russian Analysis Section, Assessments Branch, J2, SHAPE (2002-2003)
Course Director, Department of English and Fine Arts (1999-2002)
Chief, Intelligence Flight, Weapons Instructor Course, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas (1997-1999)
Chief, Analysis Section, Test & Evaluation Division, Little Rock AFB, Arkansas (1995-1997)
Chief, Intelligence Flight, 19th Air Refueling Wing, Robins AFB, Georgia (1991-1995)
Honors & Awards
Recipient of Superintendent’s coin for service excellence (2017)
Outstanding Academy Educator, DF Staff, U.S. Air Force Academy (2016)
National Engaged Leader Award, National Society of Leadership & Success (2016)
Inductee, The National Society of Leadership & Success, UCCS Chapter (2015)
Nationally recognized “Notable” writer in The Best American Essays (2010)
“Senior Military Faculty” for academic and professional excellence, U.S. Air Force Academy (2010)
2x Field Grade Officer of the Quarter, Department of English and Fine Arts & Department of Humanities, U.S. Air Force Academy (2010 & 2008)
Department of English and Fine Arts nominee, Boyer Award for Innovative Excellence in Teaching & Tech (2010)
RPI’s nominee, “Computers & Composition Hugh Burns Best Dissertation Award” (2008)
Doctoral fellowship, Air Force Institute of Technology/Civilian Institutions (2004-2007)
J2’s (Intelligence Ops Division) nominee for SHAPE “Chief-of-Staff Commendation for Exceptional Service” (2004)
Outstanding Academy Educator, Department of English and Fine Arts, U.S. Air Force Academy (2002)
Academic Promotion (Assistant Professor as AF officer), Department of English and Fine Arts, U.S. Air Force Academy (2001)
Top Writer, Flight-level, Squadron Officer School, Air University (1997)
ACC “Superior Performance Team,” Intelligence Team, Little Rock AFB (1996)
Research and Scholarly Interests
Reading and writing enhancement
Digital & visual rhetoric
War & rhetoric
Visual design & document design
Creative nonfiction
Publications
2018 Book Chapters:
Practicum & Theory Sections in book edited by Dr. Hart-Davidson and Dr. Ridolfo—accepted for publication by the University of Pittsburgh Press; manuscripts submitted for external review, due out in late 2018 /early 2019:
– Collins, Jeffrey and Gary Mills, “Digital Age Education—Preparing Future Officers for Hybrid Conflict at CyberWorx”
– Mills, Gary, “‘Soldier’s Guide to Rhetorical Theory’—Impacts and Implications.”
2017 Scholarly Commentary:
– Mills, Gary. “Vietnam Memoir as Satire.” War, Literature & the Arts, Vol. 29, 2017
2009-2000 Creative Nonfiction & Poetry:
– “Up-Armored,” War, Literature & the Arts, Vol. 21, 2009
* Nationally-recognized “Notable” in The Best American Essays 2010
– “The Waltz,” War, Literature & the Arts, Vol. 16, 2004
– “Horizon,” War, Literature & the Arts, Vol. 16, 2004
– “Drink with the Ball Turret Gunner,” War, Literature & the Arts, Fall/Winter 2000
2007 Book Chapter:
– Karatsolis, A. and Mills, G. “Tablets as Writing Canvases and Construction Sites”
(co-authored with Dr. Karatsolis) The Impact of Tablet PCs and Pen-based Technology on Education: Beyond the Tipping Point. (eds.) Berque, Prey, and Reed, West Lafayette, IN: Purdue University Press, 2007, pp. 67-78
2007 Conference Proceedings:
– “How Users Process Procedural Illustrations: Evidence from Qualitative and Quantitative Data,” Krull, Evans, Mills, Rowe, Society for Technical Communication (STC), 2007
2003 Air University Fairchild Paper Publication:
– Mills, Gary. “The Role of Rhetorical Theory in Military Intelligence Analysis: A Soldier’s Guide to Rhetorical Theory,” Air University Press, August 2003
2002-2001 Design Director:
– Cover design, The American Society of Eighteenth Century Studies, 33rd Annual Meeting, 2002
– Design director and cover designer, Andre Dubus: Tributes, Xavier Review Press, 2001
Work in Progress:
– “Horror at the Heart of War Story Orientation”
Feeding off of two papers presented at the American Comparative Literature Association annual conferences in 2015 and 2016, this article is a significant work examining war literature and the role of horror plays as a lens for literary and rhetorical analysis. This project represents three years of scholarly engagement with academic peers and digital archives.