Connecting UI researchers with experts in academic publishing
This program connects University of Iowa faculty and graduate student researchers with university press editors. Every year, the Obermann Center brings an accomplished editor from a scholarly press to campus for a short residency that includes workshops and presentations.The workshops support faculty and graduate students from disciplines in which publishing a monograph is expected. The Editor-in-Residence program also aims to emphasize the crucial role that publishing professionals play in academia.
This program is funded by the Office of the Vice President for Research's Writing for the Public Good P3 initiative.
October 5–7, 2026
Fall 2026 Obermann Editor-in-Residence
Biggins is Editor-in-Chief at University of Pennsylvania Press, where he acquires titles in cultural studies, human rights, the intellectual and political history of the Americas, and Atlantic World and postcolonial studies. With Daniel Couch, he is the author of Bob Mould's Workbook (Bloomsbury, 2017). His work has been published in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; Feeding the Elephant: A Forum for Scholarly Communications; The Quarterly Conversation; RogerEbert.com; The Baseball Chronicle; and other periodicals. He lives in Philadelphia.
Schedule of Events
Ask Me Anything (AMA)
UI faculty, students, and staff are invited to attend group discussions with Biggins, who will answer questions from attendees. These might address finding an editor, pitching a book, writing a book proposal, how the publishing process works, etc.
There will be two back-to-back discussions; you may attend one or both.
Junior Faculty and Graduate Student Session
University of Iowa junior faculty and graduate students at all stages are invited to join Biggins for a light breakfast and a conversation about turning an article, thesis, or dissertation into a book. Please bring any questions you have about that process or about scholarly publishing in general.
Undergraduate Career Session
Interested in a career in publishing? This is an opportunity for students to hear directly from a distinguished professional about the realities of the field and to gain insight into how to prepare for a career in publishing. Pizza will be provided!
Public Lecture
"AI Is Not Your Friend: Cautions and Vents about Its Uses and Abuses in the Creation of Scholarly Publications"
Biggins will offer his perspective—as both a longtime acquiring editor and as a writer—on how the advent of AI affects the present and possible futures of scholarly publishing. In particular, he will discuss how the emerging technology creates concerns and unresolved tensions—ethical, legal, and otherwise—in publishing around intellectual property, peer review, the generation of text and art, as the value and reception of academic labor. Biggins will also address how AI affects the circulation and citation of texts, whether as books or scholarly journal articles.
Faculty Book Proposal Workshop
For this workshop, five UI faculty members will submit book proposal drafts for a collaborative feedback session led by the Editor-in-Residence. The session is designed to help authors write a compelling book proposal, with a focus on crafting a strong pitch, identifying target audiences, and outlining the project’s structure. The workshop’s goal is for participants to walk away with a strong and cohesive book proposal, increasing their chance of securing a book deal. A box lunch will be provided at the end of the session.
Apply by 5 p.m. Wednesday, September 9.
Applicants accepted into the workshop will be asked to email us their 10-page book proposals by September 23.
"I loved the writing exercises, stretch breaks, and clear information about what makes for an effective proposal. I especially appreciated learning more about what it's like to wade through proposals as an editor and how to make the communication between author and editor more effective. It was a special treat to connect with faculty of different disciplines and learn from their various examples (as well as to be exposed to their research!)"
Past Editors-in-Residence
Fall 2025: Sara Jo Cohen, Editorial Director, University of Michigan Press. Cohen acquires titles in music, theater and performance studies, and dance.
Spring 2025: Mark Simpson-Vos, Senior Executive Editor, University of North Carolina Press. Simpson-Vos acquires titles in American history, religion, education, African American studies, gender studies, American studies, and music.