The Connors Writing Center is composed of undergraduates, graduate students and professionals from all different majors and backgrounds. We are a group of unique individuals who are committed to helping people in the university community improve their writing. While we collectively know lots of things about writing, we bring more than just a love of words to the Writing Center. We understand that writing can be tough, and we’re glad to be here to help.
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Patricia Portanova
Title: Coordinator, ESL Mentor Group
Degree: 3rd Year PhD, Composition Studies
Favorite book: Malcolm Gladwell's What The Dog Saw
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Patty Wilde
Title: Coordinator, Writing in the Disciplines Mentor Group
Year in School: 3rd Year Ph.D, Composition Studies
Educational Background: BA in Literature, Creative Writing, and Mass Communication; MA in English Literature; PhD Rhetoric and Composition in progress.
Birthday: November 9th, 1978
Hometown: Portland, OR
Favorite Book: Most recently, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Something you would not know by looking at me: I love manatees and ketchup.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: At home or in the classroom.
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Jennifer Zamansky
Title: Core Staff.
Year in School: Post-Grad
Educational Background: BA in English, Minor in Psychology; MAT in English Teaching
Birthday : February 26th
Hometown: New London, NH
Favorite Book: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Something you would not know by looking at me: I can’t swim.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Begging for iced coffee money for Breaking New Grounds. |
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Sarah Franco
Year in School: 2st year Grad
Educational Background: BA in English and Psychology; MA Literature; MAT English; Ph.D Composition in progress
Birthday: May 18th
Favorite Book: This week: Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg and Song of Myself by Walt Whitman
Something you would not know by looking at me: I love skydiving and have eaten kangaroo.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Ocean side |
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Megan Leonard
Year in School: 2nd Year Grad
Degrees attained: BA in English Literature; minor in African Studies; certificate in Adult ESOL Education; MFA Poetry in progress.
Birthday: February 27th
Hometown: Hollis, NH
Favorite Book: As if I could choose one….!
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have a pet rabbit named Tyler, who might be the softest being on earth.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Kayaking, hiking or birdwatching. |
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Rose Whitmore
Title: Outreach Coordinator
Year in School: 2nd Year Grad
Educational Background: BA in Neuropsychology; MFA Fiction in progress
Birthday: February 14th, 1982
Hometown: San Francisco, California
Favorite Book: ”Cannery Row” by John Steinbeck
Something you would not know by looking at me: I was a three time All-American Rugby player in college, and played for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: At the gym or on my scooter. |
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Kim Beidleman
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English Teaching major, History minor
Birthday: October 18, 1989
Hometown: Londonderry, NH
Favorite Book: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have two nieces and two nephews (all under age five), and I love spending time with them!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Studying or babysitting.l. |
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Michael D'Angelo
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: Classics major
Birthday: November 16th, 1990
Hometown: Derry, NH
Favorite Book: Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
Something you would not know by looking at me: I enjoy cooking!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Down by Oyster River. |
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Kristiana Furtado
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: BA English, BS Outdoor Education, minor in history
Birthday: August 3rd, 1990
Hometown: Boston, MA
Favorite Book: Anything written by Nick Hornby, Frank McCourt, Dennis Lehane… I can’t pick just one author let alone one book!
Something you would not know by looking at me: I relearned how to ride a bike my freshman year of college.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: At CFAR or drinking smoothies in Union Court. |
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Shauna Harris
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: Linguistics and Justice Studies Major
Birthday: October 29th
Hometown: Brentwood, NH
Favorite Book: Road to Science Fiction Anthology
Something you would not know by looking at me: I was a Weapons Instructor in the IDF!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Tooling around in my hot car! |
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Emily Hoyt
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: English/Journalism major
Birthday: January 19, 1991
Hometown: Sandown, NH
Favorite Book: A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Something you would not know by looking at me: I love to swing dance and I collect guitar picks.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Rehearsing with my a cappella group, Maiden Harmony! |
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Kelly Juster
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: English Teaching Major, Education minor
Birthday: October 25th, 1990
Hometown: Londonderry, NH
Favorite Book: Hate Mail from Cheerleaders by Rick Reilly
Something you would not know by looking at me: I am a natural blonde (though a quick conversation with me clears that right up).
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Hopefully doing something fun like chilling out on T-Hall lawn or playing waffle ball, though in reality I would probably be doing homework. |
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Christopher Keane
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English Teaching Major, minors in Writing and Sports Studies
Birthday: December 1st, 1989
Hometown: Woburn, MA
Favorite Book: Beloved by Toni Morrison
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’m incredibly scared of horror movies.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Golfing or playing PS3 |
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Peter Kispert
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English major, minors in Linguistics and Theater
Birthday: April 18th, 1990
Hometown: Hanover, NH
Favorite Book: Modern Life by Mathea Harvey
Something you would not know by looking at me: I do not like ketchup.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In the library! |
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Alyssa Marinelli
Year in School: 1st Year Grad
Educational Background: BA in Business Administration (marketing focus) and minor in Education; M.Ed. in progress.
Birthday: January 9th
Hometown: Derry, NH
Favorite Book: The Harry Potter Series
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have 3 kidneys!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Running outside or at the beach! |
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Renee Poisson
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English Literature major, French, Writing, and Education minors.
Birthday: October 6th, 1989
Hometown: Laconia, NH
Favorite Book: There are too many good ones out there to choose just one!
Something you would not know by looking at me: I love to hike.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Playing with magnetic poetry words. |
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Travis Pynenburg
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English Literature major; minors in Asian Studies; Race, Culture, and Power; Writing.
Birthday: October 15th, 1989
Hometown: Auburn, NH
Favorite Book: “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’m an Eagle Scout, and I’m a Safe Zones Student Coordinator at UNH.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. |
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Rebecca Tabares
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: Studio Art & Art History major, Nutrition minor
Birthday: April 13, 1990
Hometown: Elizabeth, New Jersey
Favorite Book: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Something you would not know by looking at me: Bollywood movies are my guily pleasure.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Slaving away in the PCAC or guzzling lattes in a coffee shop. |
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Alice Tilton
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: History major, Education minor
Birthday: November 6th, 1989
Hometown: Exeter, NH
Favorite Book: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’ve been a vegan for almost 7 years.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Taking a walk in the woods. |
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Jade Wilcox
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English Teaching major, Writing minor
Birthday: April 14th
Hometown: Strafford, NH
Favorite Book: Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Something you would not know by looking at me: I started my first ever garden plot this past summer in Newmarket’s Community Garden!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: At the Dimond library looking for a new volume of poetry to try, or at home playing with my cat, River. |
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Courtney Williams
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: Biology major, English minor
Birthday: October 1st, 1991
Hometown: Concord, NH
Favorite Book: Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs & Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Something you would not know by looking at me: I can play about six instruments including the accordion, and I occasionally play local shows in my free time.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Exploring on grand adventures in college woods, hanging out with my pals in the dorms, or playing around on the piano somewhere. |
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Duncan Campbell
Year in School: 2nd Year Masters Candidate
Educational Background: BA in English, Philosophy minor; MFA in Writing in progress.
Birthday: November 8th
Hometown: Coventry, CT
Favorite Book: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, A Handful of Dust by Evelyn Waugh, My Life in Heavy Metal by Steve Almond, The Light the Dead See by Frank Stanford
Something you would not know by looking at me: I am left-handed and my personality type is INFJ.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In the library or in Ham-Smith. |
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Ambre Earp
Year in School: 2nd Year Grad
Educational Background: BA English; MFA Nonfiction in progress
Birthday: February 2nd
Hometown: Concord, NH
Favorite Book: It’s easier to name writers: Anne Lamott, Joan Didion, James Wright, Toni Morrison and the list goes on…
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have a four-year-old daughter, Ada.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Hopefully, at the beach with my daughter. |
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Emily Lepkowski
Year in School: 2nd Year Grad
Educational Background: BA in English, minor in Sociology; MA Literature in progress
Birthday: April 2nd, 1987
Hometown: Rochester, NH
Favorite Book: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Something you would not know by looking at me: I love to travel.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: At a coffee shop. |
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Aaron Marquis
Year in School: Post-Grad
Educational Background: BA English; BS Outdoor Education, history minor
Birthday: April 17th
Hometown: Deerfield, New Hampshire. Home of the Deerfield Fair!
Favorite Book: Some favorite authors include Bill Bryson, Clive Cussler, Colin Fletcher, John Grisham, Sebastian Junger, Jon Krakauer, and Robert B. Parker.
Something you would not know by looking at me: I taught myself how to juggle.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Watching the Red Sox in the MUB or sprawled on a couch in the New Hampshire Outing Club office. |
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Alan Schulte
Year in School: 3rd Year Grad
Educational Background: BA in English, Communications; MFA Nonfiction in progress
Birthday: December 30th
Favorite Book: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’m a competitive eater.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Somewhere else. |
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Deborah Vernon
Year in School: 2nd Year Grad
Educational Background: BA in English and Art; MA in Literature in progress.
Birthday: September 3rd, 1985
Hometown: New London, NH
Favorite Book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Persuasion by Jane Austen, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Everything is Illuminated by Jonathon Safran Foer, and many more!
Something you would not know by looking at me: I love to bake, play Frisbee, and watch BBC mysteries.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Hiking, reading, grabbing a drink with friends or baking cookies. |
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Wendy Van Dellon
Year in School: 2nd Year Ph.D. student
Educational Background: AA in General Studies/Liberal Arts; BA in English, minor in Communication; MA in English Rhetoric and Composition; PhD Composition in progress.
Birthday: October 30th
Hometown: Webster, NY
Favorite Book: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold; anything by Brandon Sanderson
Something you would not know by looking at me: I tend to remember obscure facts and I know a lot about popular culture.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: If I am not teaching or working on my own degree, you would probably find me relaxing or spending time with friends. |
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Craig West
Year in School: 1st Year Ph.D. Candidate in Literacy Education
Educational Background: B.Phil – Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in the Rhetoric of Young Adult Literature and Literacy (Miami University, Oxford, Ohio - 2007); M.Ed. – Secondary English Education (UNH - 2009); Ph.D. Literacy Education in progress.
Birthday: May 10th, 1985
Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio
Favorite Book: God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian by Kurt Vonnegut
Something you would not know by looking at me: I love dry, British comedy.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Playing music in my band or in my basement. |
