Denise Ruttan, 28, a native of Portland, Ore., is a 2004 graduate of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., with a BA in creative writing and minors in political science and literature. She taught English in Fukuoka, Japan for a year in 2005 and has traveled to several countries in Europe and Asia. 

Since November, 2005, Denise has worked as a reporter and photographer for community newspapers on the Oregon coast and the mid-Willamette Valley. Her work has appeared in Siuslaw News (Florence), The Stayton Mail, Silverton Appeal Tribune, Statesman Journal and a story of hers has been picked up by the AP. She won SPJ awards for her feature writing in 2006 and 2007. She now lives in Stayton, Ore.

Denise is an aspiring freelance writer, with specialties in business, science and development/land use beats. She also hopes to publish short fiction.