Our faculty and graduate student consultants are trained to assist writers in any discipline, but you may want to choose a consultant based on their specific interests.
Alexandra is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at UMD. She earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from Bowling Green State University and B.A. in English Literature and Psychology from UC Berkeley. Much of her writing is scientific writing within the field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology, although she tries to pursue the writing of poetry in her spare time. She enjoys all things literary and is obsessed with cross-country skiing.
Anna is an Assistant Professor in the Academic Writing and Learning Center at UMD. She earned Master's degrees in both English and Liberal Studies from UMD and a PhD in TESOL Writing (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia. Anna taught ESL classes for over 20 years and now teaches SSP five-week courses focusing on academic reading, active learning, and time and stress management, which are also her research interests. Anna welcomes appointments with those wanting to develop either their academic reading or writing skills.
Emily is a faculty member in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies and serves as the Lead Consultant for the Writers’ Workshop. Emily completed a Ph.D. in English Studies from Illinois State University in 2013 and an M.A. in English from UMD in 2008. She has experience teaching a variety of both upper- and lower-division writing courses, literature, and other general education English courses. Emily also taught English as a Second Language and tutored writing in a range of subjects for both traditional and non-traditional students at 2- and 4-year colleges. In addition to consulting with writers from across campus, she works with the Director of the Academic Writing and Learning Center, Jill Jenson, to offer writing-focused workshops. Emily’s research and publishing interests include the author L.M. Montgomery, women’s life writing, and children's and adolescent literature.
Faith is a Writing Instructor in UMD’s English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies Department. She earned an M.A. in English with a Writing Studies Emphasis from UMD in 2019. Faith enjoys research, as well as writing poetry and short fiction. She worked
on a grant writing team that received multiple grants to support the work of the Downtown Duluth Arts Collective. In her spare time, she loves being down by the water, sketching, writing almost-complete pieces, and hanging out with friends and family.
Jade is an Assistant Professor in the Academic Writing Learning Center and serves as a Co-Coordinator for the Tutoring Center. Jade earned his Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from Pennsylvania State University and his M.A. in English from North Dakota State University. He has taught a variety of writing and ESL courses as well as worked as a writing and language tutor for undergrads, grads, and visiting scholars. His research interests include English language learning in informal contexts and intercultural communication. In his free time, Jade enjoys reading, traveling, and meeting people from diverse backgrounds.
Jenna is an instructor in the Academic Writing and Learning Center at UMD. She earned an MA in English from UMD in 2016 and also received a BAS in Teaching Communication Arts and Literature from UMD in 2011. She has worked at a number of other higher education institutions, most recently at Lake Superior College. In her spare time, Jenna reads, curls (poorly), macrames, and enjoys taking on house projects. As a consultant, Jenna enjoys learning about new topics by working with writers from various disciplines.
Jess is a Writing Instructor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies. She teaches both College Writing and Advanced Writing and has attended, presented, and even helped organize various writing conferences throughout the state. She received both her Bachelor and Master of Arts in English at UMD, with an emphasis on Language, Literature, and Culture. Jessica's main interests fall under history, culture, and social justice, but she also loves learning about all sorts of different topics and disciplines. She spends her (limited) free time with her two dogs and loves reading, hiking, and the outdoors in general (in reasonable temps, of course).
Julie is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at UMD. Julie completed a Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis in 2008 and an M.A. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology at Western Michigan University in 2006, as well as a B.A. in Psychology and Organizational Communication at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire in 2003. She has experience teaching writing-intensive research methods courses at the undergraduate level, supervising and providing guidance to students writing their honor’s theses, master’s theses, and dissertations, as well as providing consultation and feedback to scholars seeking to publish their research. Julie’s research and publishing interests include issues relevant to worker well-being, including self-care, burnout, psychological safety, and sustained employment of those with invisible and episodic chronic health conditions. When she’s not working, Julie enjoys staying active (strength training, cycling, yoga), spending time outdoors hiking with her dog, Hurricane, working on home remodeling projects, and catching up with friends and family. Julie is on leave in Fall 2023.
Kristina is an instructor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies. She teaches writing courses, including a course designed for non-native English speakers. Her professional background and research interests include topics in TESOL, writing studies, rhetoric, and linguistics. If not working, Kristina will most likely be outside mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, snowshoeing, snorkeling, kayaking, or seeking some other type of adventure.
Jill taught writing at UMD for over 25 years in the Department of Writing Studies before becoming Director of the Academic Writing and Learning Center. Courses most often taught included first-year writing, writing for the fine arts, and writing for business, but she also regularly taught graduate courses in composition theory and pedagogy. Her research interests lie in the scholarship of teaching and learning, with articles having been published in College Teaching, Business Communication Quarterly, Change: The Magazine of Higher Education, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, and the International Journal of ePortfolio. Jill primarily consults by request, both with individual faculty members and with academic departments.
Lindsey is an instructor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies. She teaches both College Writing and Advanced Writing and currently serves as the Associate Writing Program Administrator. Lindsey received her B.A. in English from Iowa State University in 2005 and taught high-school English for six years--two years in the Iowa public schools and four years at the American School of Yaoundé in Cameroon, West Africa. A love of the outdoors drew her to Duluth, where she completed her Master's in English at UMD in the spring of 2014. Lindsey’s strengths lie in the Humanities, but she enjoys working with students on all topics in any discipline.
Patti is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies, focusing on College Writing. She earned an M.A. in English from Arizona State University and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Nebraska Omaha. She is also actively working on an M.A. in Communication. She has taught courses in English, communication, literature, technical writing, public speaking, and advanced writing at universities and community colleges. She has also taught creative writing courses in fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and dramatic writing. Before teaching at the college level, she taught high school theatre and directed, stage managed, and designed for several theaters in Arizona. Her publishing history includes short stories in online and print literary magazines. She is actively working on research in communication, ancient Celts, the Civil War, and the impact of modern YA fiction on American classrooms.
Patrick is an instructor in the Academic Writing and Learning Center. He teaches courses in reading and writing, as well as tutor and peer-leader pedagogy. He completed his MA in English from UMD in 2011, and he loves medieval history, camping in his pop-up camper, and walking his golden retriever. His favorite writing instrument is an electric typewriter because he cannot edit as he writes, and its loudness leads him to believe he is making progress.
Seeley is a UMD alumni with a B.A. in General History and a minor in Writing Studies. His areas of interest include 20th century US and global history, Holocaust Studies, LGBTQ issues, and rhetoric. While Seeley's experience is primarily in Humanities subjects, he enjoys problem-solving and brainstorming creative solutions in any field. In his free time, Seeley enjoys creative writing, finding fun new places to eat, and watching movies.