Our Staff
Our tutors are trained to see themselves as reflective and intelligent readers who, by asking questions and reporting accurately their reading reactions, can help you discover what you have said, what you might want to say, and how your readers are likely to understand you. Though they are trained to be able to help you develop organizational and editing skills, they are not correctors or editors. Everything about the transactions between tutor and writer supports the center's central goal of helping you achieve autonomy in your learning and writing.
In the Odegaard Writing & Research Center, our staff can also help you find the appropriate information for supporting an argument or laying the foundation for a claim; and, also help you understand the nature of information, its relationship to writing, thinking, and learning, and the role it plays in successful scholarship.
DINARA ABILOVA
Dinara is a business major with an emphasis on marketing and communication. Winner of the 2007 Library Research Award, she enjoys exploring writing and research across the disciplines and believes that having ideas are the key to good writing. An international student from Kazakhstan, she also understands how difficult it can be adapting to another culture, has a strong grasp of grammar, and particularly enjoys working with ESL students. When she is not at school, Dinara enjoys dancing and spending time with her close friends.
DAPHNE CHU
Daphne is a senior writing consultant and art coordinator for the center. Currently, Daphne is a double major in Digital Arts/Experimental Media (DXARTS) and Women Studies. She has extensive experience in writing for art, art history, and/or papers associated with issues of race, class, and gender (as well as other social aspects). Daphne believes that writing—much like voice—works as a process, and that itself is a reflection of our own being. She strives to bridge the gap between art and the societal in all creative endeavors.
CLAIRE CONNELL
Claire Connell is a graduate writing consultant and ethnomusicology Ph.D. student. She has experience writing across a wide range of disciplines but particularly enjoys writing papers in ethnomusicology/anthropology and history. Having spent a number of quarters as an instructor at the UW, Claire has discovered that, above all, she enjoys interacting with students on a one-on-one basis. Her ultimate goal is to empower students to take ownership of their research and writing skills. When she’s not in school, she can be found singing cheesy Irish songs, eating delicious food, and going to music gigs.
KATIE CORCORAN
New graduate tutor. Bio coming soon!
AUTUMN CUTTER
New tutor. Bio coming soon!
KILEY DHATT
Kiley is a senior writing consultant majoring in English with a Spanish minor here at the UW. She takes a decidedly nerdy amount of pleasure reading and analyzing literature, but beyond this, truly enjoys developing discussions, especially as they relate to contextualizing literature in terms of its cultural-historical background. Her greatest area of knowledge deals with postmodern literary theory, but she has a solid background in many other literary frameworks as well. As an interdisciplinary student herself, Kiley has tutored in math and Spanish and she both welcomes and relishes the opportunity to work with papers outside her major. In what little spare time she has, she loves hanging out with her friends and roommates, watching movies, playing the piano, and snuggling her recently-tailless cat.
JANICE GOH
Janice is a senior writing consultant and International Studies and Psychology major. In addition to performing tutorial work for Dr. Stephanie Carlson on campus, she has tutored at Student Athlete Academic Services for the past year. The 2006 Library Research Award winner for her paper on Chairman Mao, Janice loves to write research and international studies papers and can often be found amidst a group of people discussing and sharing ideas. In her free time, Janice loves to travel, watch movies with friends, go running, and of course, drink good coffee!
MARK FORMAN
New tutor. Bio coming soon!
BRIAN HUTCHINSON
Brian is an English and Political Science major at UW. Initially interested in studying late 19th century literature and the Fin de siècle period, he soon found himself immersed in a range of subject areas—from Political Science and Marine Biology to Anthropology and the Italian language. As a double major with diverse academic interests, Brian is particularly adept at recognizing what is required of essays in differing fields of study. He is eager to help at any stage of the writing process: from thesis formation and brainstorming to organization and the refinement of one’s ideas. When he is not studying at the law library, Brian can often be found engaged in an overly-competitive game of Mario Kart, hanging out at the gym, or seeking some fun adventure with friends.
TABITHA HART
Tabitha is a graduate writing consultant and Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication with over 10 years of experience in language and communication tutoring and training. She enjoys working on all types of writing, but especially that related to anthropology, argumentation, business, communication, culture, sociology, and technology. Having lived and worked in Asia and Europe as an ESL teacher, she knows about the challenges of writing in a second (or third or fourth!) language. She finds the writing process highly satisfying, and aims to help others enjoy it as well. Outside of academia she enjoys lounging in Seattle’s many excellent cafes.
JOHN HOLMES
John is a reference librarian at Odegaard. His specialties include writing, teaching, and information literacy (the ability to interact effectively with information from defining needs and finding relevant sources through evaluation, use, and management of sources.) He has a strong understanding of the ways in which thinking, reading, conversation, research, and writing converge in the process of learning and enjoys helping students develop a strong understanding of their own uses of these abilities as writers. He has taught a research strategies course in International Studies and a thousand information workshops for UW courses. A Michigan native, he has a B.A. in English from Michigan State University and an M.S. in Information Science from Wayne State University. While he is an experienced and published writer, John is new to tutoring; but he is finding it just as satisfying as his librarian gig at the reference desk. Away from his job, John is a movie, theater, and popular music fan. He's also a lifelong Detroit Tigers fan who has reluctantly transferred a few ounces of his loyalty to the Mariners.
CALEB KNOX
New tutor. Bio coming soon!
KAYE KOVACS
Kaye is a graduate student in Information Management with a B.A. in English and Political Science. Most of her academic writing is centered on political or literary theory, but Kaye finds it refreshing to explore other areas of study, and always enjoys a good bit of creative writing. In high school, Kaye worked privately and as a volunteer with the National Honor Society to tutor a variety of students, from those in advanced placement programs to those with learning disabilities. As a tutor, Kaye focuses on a strong thesis, and believes that solid structure and good organization is the key to an awesome paper. In her spare time, Kaye plays the piano and the violin, trains in Shudokan Karate, and hangs out with her cat, Snap, and her pet crayfish, Valerie. Her favorite musical artists are Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and Black Sabbath.
MICHELLE LAFRANCE
An eighth year graduate student in English, Michelle's own work focuses on Critical Pedagogies (especially the gap between how academics conceive of their work and how academic work is actually practiced,) Critical Theories of Race and Ethnicity (as these ways of thinking assist readers to make sense of "Multi-Cultural Literature,") and the role of the "Public" University (especially making academic communities more responsive and responsible to the world off-campus.) Michelle is multiply published in academic, business, and creative writing and was notably the Feature Poet for two issues of Scarlet Letters (a web-based journal) in 2000. As a tutor, Michelle is most able to help you strategize a highly personal approach to writing assignments and goals; helping you to unpack and translate theory into comfortable and familiar language, she focuses not on argument, but on inquiry--pursuing your questions towards direct and concise language that meets the criteria of an assignment or project.
JING LEE
Jing graduated with a double-major in International Studies and Political Science. Growing up in a diverse community, she understands the importance of language in both written and oral forms and works with the Language Exchange Program on campus to help ESL students with colloquial English. In high school, she was a debate captain and speech coach, placing third at Nationals. Jing is an International Leadership Foundation Fellow, recipient of a 2006 Mortar Board Scholarship, and winner of the 2007 and 2008 Library Research Award winner. She enjoys reading in her spare time, watching movies, shopping, dancing, travel and most of all, good conversation!
FRANCES LI
Frances Li is a Chinese Literature major at UW. As an avid academic in the areas of French, Japanese, and Chinese, her interest in writing stems from a fascination with words and languages. As a tutor, Frances enjoys helping students understand the finer points of rhetoric and composition through interactive discussion and by providing them with the support and encouragement they need to become stronger writers. A self-proclaimed Francophile, Frances loves French cinema, music and fashion (she devotes an embarrassingly large amount of time scrutinizing each major designer’s collection during Paris Fashion Week each season). During her free time, Frances enjoys reading, watching movies, good conversation and belting out Chinese and Japanese pop songs with her friends at karaoke.
JENS LLOYD
When Jens pursued a minor in Geography, he hoped it would sufficiently distract him from the daily grind of being an English major. This has failed beautifully, as he is now overly invested in combining his two areas of academic interest. Currently, aspirations of becoming a professor have guided him towards tutoring. He thinks that talking through the ideas and arguments behind a paper is the best way to improve it. While the mechanics of writing still matter, a well-reasoned and well-argued thesis will always be his top priority. Jens spends too much time reading comic books, listening to NPR, and watching football. He is now a senior writing consultant at the OWRC and supports all efforts to colonize Mars.
TISH LOPEZ
Tish is the director of the Odegaard Writing & Research Center. As a scholar passionate about the field of composition & rhetoric, Tish aims to help students become confident, autonomous writers by helping them decode the writing process and develop their unique writing and research abilities. When Tish is not at the center, she can be found teaching film and composition classes at EdCC as well as leading writing workshops for faculty and students on campus. In her free time, Tish likes to work on local film projects, walk her one-eyed dog, and shamelessly feed her blog and movie addiction.
KARAN MAHNA
Karan is a graduate student in the Education Program. As an individual who likes to express himself creatively, Karan takes great pleasure writing creative pieces, working on persuasive papers, and helping students draft personal statements. A native of India, Karan is fluent in Hindi, Punjabi and English; consequently, he enjoys learning new things about different cultures and educating people about his own. In the past, Karan has worked as a Writing Consultant at Highline Community College, ran writing workshops, and tutored at an after-school program at Tyee High School. When Karan is not at the OWRC, you can often find him watching sports on TV, cooking Indian food, or cleaning his apartment. His future goal is to work as a High School Math teacher.
PAMELA SAUNDERS
Pamela Saunders is the center's lead tutor (the first ever!) and a double major in English and Music with emphasis in Flute Performance. She has played flute for 10 years, and writes for The Daily newspaper on campus. In high school, Pamela volunteered with a mentoring program at her school to help underachieving or unmotivated students. She is skilled at writing literary analysis and research papers, and also speeches and scholarship essays. She has a laid-back approach to writing, believes in the economy of words, and encourages “baby steps” towards improving one’s writing technique. Born and raised in San Diego, California, Pamela's hobbies include riding her Univega Gran Rally road bike, performing in local music gigs and recitals, reading trashy celebrity gossip magazines, and watching Grey’s Anatomy. Pamela’s musical taste runs the gamut from Brahms to Beyonce, and she has never heard a Michael Jackson song she didn’t like.
CONNOR SHIVELY
Connor is a new law student and recent graduate in the field of English and Economics. Passionate about reading and writing, Connor has explored a wide range of topics at UW from Bolivia’s economic reaction to the Tequila Crisis to the sexuality of elephants. As a student with a diverse educational and personal background, Connor loves exploring new topics and ideas, brainstorming, and developing and strengthening argumentative claims. While Connor understands that every writer, even himself, has a lot to gain from revision, he truly believes that it isn’t a one-way process and enjoys every part of the tutoring process—from opening up a genuine discussion on a wide-range of topics to learning something new about the people that make this university great. Outside of school, Connor enjoys reading, biking, watching movies, hanging out with friends and of course going to Husky football games.
COLIN STERLING
New tutor. Bio coming soon!
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