Appointment-Based Writing Tutor Bios
Learn about our appointment-based writing tutors and their specialties.
Lecturers
Christine Alfano
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Literature, history, digital rhetoric, rhetoric of gaming, visual rhetoric, gender and technology, writing program administration
Writing expertise:
Undergraduate essays and research presentation scripting, multimedia arguments
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, narrowing research topics, time management, and revision
Mutallip Anwar
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Rhetoric and composition studies, language education, discourse analysis, and translation
Shay Brawn
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Rhetoric of science and technology, science communication, publishing as process and institution, social science, literature
Enjoys coaching:
Revision strategies
Nissa Cannon
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
American Literature, Periodical Studies, Modernist Literature
Writing expertise:
Argumentative essays, arts reviews, research proposals
Enjoys:
sharing techniques for drafting and revising!
Tara Diener
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Anthropology, History, Bioethics, Nursing
Writing expertise:
Creative non-fiction, storytelling, academic (humanities and social sciences), PR
Enjoys:
helping students achieve the goals they set for themselves
Kevin DiPirro
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Theater and creative writing
Writing expertise:
Grant applications and personal statements
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, argument revision, introductions and conclusions
Erik Ellis
Lecturer & Digital Media Consultant
Academic specialties:
Multimodal composition, visual rhetoric, the essay, style, picture books, creative writing, journalism, rhetoric and composition
Writing expertise:
Applications, personal statements, and multimodal composition
Enjoys coaching:
Writing productivity, brainstorming, and revision strategies
Norah Fahim
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Rhetoric and composition, TESOL, second language writing
Writing expertise:
Conference proposal abstracts, scholarly articles, cover letters, personal statements
Enjoys coaching:
Qualitative research methods, brainstorming, organization, revision, reading for writing
Lindsey Felt
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Literature, science and technology studies, cultural studies
Writing expertise:
Research articles and dissertations, personal statements, cover letters, grant and fellowship applications, journalism
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, analysis, organization, revision
Megan Formato
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Humanities, history, science and technology studies
Writing expertise:
Personal statements for graduate school applications, grant and fellowship applications
Enjoys coaching:
Strategies for overcoming writer's block, brainstorming, revision
Mark Gardiner
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Anthropology, social sciences, science and technology studies, environmental studies, politics and organizations
Writing expertise:
Research papers, essays, personal statements, grant proposals, ethnographic writing
Enjoys:
Getting to know students and working outside my subject areas. Brainstorming, getting past writer's block, revising overall structure and coherence, building narrative, fine-tuning sentences
Arturo Heredia
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Literature, ethnic studies, music and social sciences
Writing expertise:
Lab reports, personal statements, grant applications
Enjoys:
Brainstorming and revision
Shannon Hervey
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Humanities
Writing expertise:
Personal statements, grant applications, dissertation chapters
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming and organization
Harriett Jernigan
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Humanities, second language acquisition, English as a foreign language (EFL), public speaking, project-based instruction, creative writing
Writing expertise:
Literature, sciences, translation, creative non-fiction, storytelling
Enjoys:
Brainstorming with people, helping people create a research and writing plan that works for them
Jennifer Johnson
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Social sciences, cultural studies and qualitative research methodologies
Writing expertise:
Abstracts, proposals, personal statements, and honors theses and social science dissertations
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, argument development and revision strategies
Chris Kamrath
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Political Science/International Relations, history, literature and communications
Writing expertise:
Personal statements, grant applications, and writing for publication
Enjoys coaching:
argument development and style
Hayden Kantor
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Humanities, social sciences, anthropology, history
Writing expertise:
Research essays, personal statements, proposals and grant applications, cover letters & resumes, ethnographic writing and creative non-fiction, articles and presentations for non-academic audiences
Enjoys:
developing arguments, organization, revision, and style
Valerie Kinsey
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Humanities, creative writing
Writing expertise:
Personal statements, proposals
Enjoys coaching:
Getting started and idea development
Raechel Lee
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Literature, cultural studies
Writing expertise:
Personal statements, dissertation, creative writing, translation
Enjoys coaching:
Idea generation, revision, style
Sangeeta Mediratta
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Rhetoric, Writing, Literature, Cinema
Writing expertise:
Rhetorical Analysis, Close Reading, Comparative essay, Texts in Conversatoon, Research Based Argument
Enjoys:
The opportunity to have focused dialogue around a piece of writing and help see it grow.
Kevin Moore
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Rhetoric, STEM Professional Writing, and American Literature
Writing expertise:
Research papers, rhetorical analysis, as well as personal statements and resumes
Enjoys coaching:
Everything! In particular, helping students see what is already amazing about their writing and thinking.
Gabrielle Moyer
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Literature, art history, philosophy and comparative literature
Writing expertise:
Journal articles, dissertation and thesis chapters
Enjoys coaching:
Writer's block, revision strategies, organization and style
Eldon Pei
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Film and Media Studies, Art and Art History, East Asian Studies, Asian-American Studies, Literary Studies, Creative Writing
Writing expertise:
Critical Essay, Research Paper, Graduate Thesis, Fiction
Enjoys coaching:
rhetorical invention and arrangement
John Peterson
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Cultural criticism, social sciences, literature, interdisciplinary studies
Writing expertise:
Personal statements, dissertations, articles for publication
Enjoys coaching:
Getting started, analysis, and revision strategies
Sarah Pittock
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Humanities and education
Writing expertise:
Research statements, personal statements, abstracts, honors theses and dissertations
Enjoys coaching:
Invention, argument, style
Emily Polk
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Social science; journalism; creative writing; earth, energy, and environmental sciences
Writing expertise:
All genres
Enjoys coaching:
Goal setting, brainstorming, revision strategies, writing for publication
Becky Richardson
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Literature, creative writing
Writing expertise:
Abstracts, cover letters, personal statements
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, organization, revision strategies
Katherine Rothschild
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
STEM writing; feminist rhetorics, writerly identity
Writing expertise:
Academic, research, fiction (novels) poetry, novels in verse, academic science writing
Enjoys:
Seeing what other teachers are teaching and how students approach their identities as writers in their fields!
Tesla Schaeffer
Lecturer & Associate Director of the Hume Center
Academic specialties:
Humanities
Writing expertise:
Oral presentations, articles for publication
Enjoys coaching:
Idea generation, organization, and grammar
Ruth Starkman
Lecturer & Digital Media Consultant
Academic specialties:
Ethics, classical rhetoric, computer science, biomedical education, women, first gens, minorities in higher education and STEM fields, machine learning, logic, political philosophy
Writing expertise:
Academic journal articles, webtexts, and personal narratives
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, organization, revision
Jennifer Stonaker
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Biology, genetics
Writing expertise:
Lab reports, personal statements, and dissertations
Enjoys coaching:
Writing productivity, brainstorming, and revision strategies
Kathleen Tarr
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Law, media advocacy, performing arts, genetics, math
Writing expertise:
Legal writing, grant applications, personal statements, cover letters, creative non-fiction, press releases
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, time management, revision strategies
Roberta Wolfson
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Literature, ethnic studies, critical mixed race studies, cultural studies
Writing expertise:
Close reading, literary analysis, research papers, argumentative essays, resumes, personal statements, dissertations, scholarly articles
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, outlining, thesis creation, argument development, revision
Cassie Wright
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Writing studies, international policy, sociology
Writing expertise:
Literature reviews, personal statements
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, revision
Irena Yamboliev
Lecturer
Academic specialties:
Literature and science
Writing expertise:
Literary essays, scientific journal articles, abstracts, conference papers, poster presentations, personal essay, public criticism, writing about visual art, dissertations
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, organization, revision strategies, oral presentation
Students
Caroline Bailey
Graduate Writing Tutor
Academic specialties:
Humanities
Writing expertise:
Personal statements, creative writing
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, structure
Chloé Brault
Graduate Writing Tutor
Academic specialties:
Humanities, literature, and proficiency-based learning
Writing expertise:
Research essays, dissertations, and grant and fellowship applications
Enjoys coaching:
Revision strategies, and writing for introductions, conclusions, and abstracts
Can also tutor in French
Phoebus Cotsapas
Graduate Writing Tutor
Academic specialties:
Humanities
Writing expertise:
Journal articles, term papers, dissertation chapters, job application material
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, revising
Can also tutor in French
Sariel Golomb
Graduate Writing Tutor
Academic specialties:
Humanities; Theater & Performance Studies; Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies; English Literature
Writing expertise:
Applications, resumes, personal statements, grant proposals, artist statements
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, honing arguments, revision techniques, writing for publication
Isabel Salovaara
Graduate Writing Tutor
Adin Walker
Graduate Writing Tutor
Academic specialties:
Humanities; Performance Studies; Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; Literature, Film, and Art History
Writing expertise:
Research Papers focusing on literature and art, Close Reading, Personal Statements, Grant and Fellowship Applications, Artist Statements
Enjoys coaching:
Brainstorming, Organizing/Outlining, Determining next steps after the first draft, Exploring processes and writing rituals
Xuanyu Zhou
Graduate Writing Tutor
Academic specialties:
Writing expertise:
Enjoys coaching: