Gary Tessmer

Gary Tessmer serves as Assistant Professor of Composition in the Division of Communication and the Arts at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, where he has taught continuously since 1993. His instructional portfolio spans foundational to advanced writing courses with specialized expertise in ESL/L2 pedagogy.

His academic credentials include:

• B.A. in English from The Pennsylvania State University
• M.A. in English from the University of Pittsburgh
• M.S. in Library Science from Clarion University

Professor Tessmer's scholarly focus centers on Composition and Rhetoric, with distinctive emphasis on ESL/L2 writing instruction and the History of the English Language. His Peace Corps background and experience teaching in South Korea inform his cross-cultural approach to writing education, particularly benefiting non-native English speakers through dedicated consultation services. Annual collaborations with Yokohama College of Commerce students further demonstrate his commitment to internationalized composition pedagogy.

Through Pitt-Bradford's sister-college partnership, he hosts Japanese students each summer while maintaining core responsibilities in Composition I/II, Basic Writing, and Advanced Rhetoric courses. His Library Science training complements his writing instruction methodology, though no formal research grants or publications are documented in available materials.