About Paul

Writer • Theater Artist • Multimodal Creative

Paul Halley is a writer, theater artist, and aspiring professor of writing from New York. Paul graduated from SUNY Potsdam in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in English and currently studies in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Manhattanville University where he works as a Teaching & Tutoring Fellow. Paul has written and directed two original one-act plays: ANA (2008, Elmwood Playhouse) and Supergiant (2009, Suffern High School). Paul has also published poetry and prose in Chameleon Literary-Art Magazine (Suffern High School), North Country Literary Magazine (SUNY Potsdam), and Blueline Literary Magazine (SUNY Potsdam). His poetry will be featured in a new anthology, Poems for a Wish, published by Hudson Valley Arts Collective, in partnership with Make-A-Wish Hudson Valley, in 2026. Additionally, Paul’s debut full-length audio drama, TURN, narrated and performed by the author himself, arrives on all major streaming platforms in 2026.

Education
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing, Manhattanville University
  • Purchase, NY | 2025-Present (current student)
  • GPA: 3.88 | Fellowship recipient with 75% total scholarship
 
Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Writing, SUNY Potsdam
  • Potsdam, NY | 2013-2017
  • Graduated in 2017 | Degree conferred in 2018
  • Completed General and Advanced Honors Requirements

 

Honors & Fellowships

Teaching and Tutoring Fellow, The Teaching Pathway | Academic Writing Program, Manhattanville University (2025-2028)

  • Awarded a highly competitive three-year fellowship within the MFA Program, providing a significant tuition waiver in exchange for teaching and tutoring service.
  • Two semesters of intensive pedagogical training and work as a Peer Tutor in the Academic Writing Center.
  • Serves as the Instructor of Record for undergraduate College Writing I and II courses for four consecutive semesters.

General & Advanced Honors Program | SUNY Potsdam (2016-2017)

  • Satisfied requirements for the General and Advanced Honors Programs, as reflected on final transcript.
  • General Honors Project: Original student film presented as part of SUNY Potsdam’s Bicentennial Celebrations (2016).
  • Advanced Honors Project: Feature-length oral history film on the experiences of racial (in)equality of college students in Northern New York (2017).

 

Teaching & Tutoring Writing

Writing Tutor @ The Andrew Bodenrader Center for Academic Writing and Composition, Manhattanville University

  • Purchase, NY • Spring 2026 to Spring 2028
  • Serve as an in-person tutor for 4 hours per week in the Academic Writing Center, providing writing support to Manhattanville University students and contributing to the center’s operations by attending monthly staff meetings and assisting the Director with administrative duties.

Embedded Tutor, College Writing I @ Manhattanville University (Academic Writing Program)

  • Purchase, NY • Spring 2026
  • Work as an embedded tutor for one section of College Writing I on a weekly basis, observing the instructor’s teaching methods while facilitating small group and individual class sessions to support student learning.

Academic Specialist, Pre-College Program • VISIONS-Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired

  • Purchase, NY • Summer 2025
  • Served as a full-time, temporary Academic Specialist for the VISIONS Pre-College Program, providing comprehensive academic writing support to over 20 students participating in the interdisciplinary Intro to College course. This involved observing and guiding students through the writing process—focusing on thesis writing, argument crafting, and citing sources—and drafting individualized feedback and revision recommendations.

 

Editorial, Content & Communications

Poetry Reader @ Inkwell Literary Magazine, Manhattanville University

  • Purchase, NY • Fall 2025 • Co-curricular
  • Reviewed, evaluated, and voted on approximately 30 poetry submissions, providing critical feedback to senior editors during the Fall ’25 open reading period.

Web Content Editor @ Elmwood Playhouse

  • Nyack, NY | Feb 2023 to October 2025
  • Managed and updated all web content using WordPress and WPBakery, including composing new event pages and ensuring best practices for image optimization across the site.

Content Production Specialist @ Mellon Foundation

  • New York, NY | December 2022 to April 2023
  • Oversaw the manual content migration for a multi-million-dollar website overhaul for Mellon Foundation (mellon.org), designed and developed by Work & Co., by building out the site on Contentful CMS and ensuring content accuracy based on wireframes and developer guides.

Project Assistant, Web Team @ NYS Dept. of Labor

  • Albany, NY | November 2020 to February 2022
  • Contributed to the redesign of the public-facing website (dol.ny.gov) by overhauling two major web sections in Drupal CMS, composing new pages, and managing both digital assets and public web inquiries.

 

Teacher Education Workshops
  • Child Abuse Identification and Reporting (Teachers College, Columbia University, Sept. 2024)
  • School Violence Prevention (Teachers College, Columbia University, Sept. 2024)
  • Dignity for All Students Act (Mercy University, Sept. 2024)
Portfolio