Meet the staff

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.

[Writing Center directors] - [Writing Center specialist mentors] - [Core Staff]
[Receptionists] - [New Fall 2008 receptionists]

[Meet our Writing Assistants] - [New Fall 2008 Undergraduate Writing Assistants]
[New Fall 2008 Graduate Writing Assistants]

Writing Center directors

Becca Yuan Title: Director, Connors Writing Center. Email: becca.yuan@unh.edu. Degree: MFA Fiction Writing. My favorite book: Robin McKinley’s Hero and the Crown. My best piece of advice: Go for big goals but little successes are important too. Something about me you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’ve worked cattle on a ranch in Oklahoma.

Jennifer Zamanski Title: Associate Director, Connors Writing Center Email: jenniezam@verizon.net. Degree: Masters in English Teaching My favorite book: The Lorax by Dr. Seuss My best piece of advice: "I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won’t have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren’t even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they’re doing it." – Anne Lamott (Bird by Bird) Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I can’t swim. Many have tried to teach me, but none have succeeded.

Writing Center specialist mentors

	Joleen Hanson Title: Science Writing mentor and Core Staff. Degree: Chemistry, PhD Composition. My favorite book: Corelli’s Mandolin, among others. My best piece of advice: Always find something to be thankful for. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’m a grad student.
	Alexa Steinberg Title: ESL mentor and Writing Assistant (ESL specialist). Degree: MFA Nonfiction. My favorite book: Slouching Toward Bethlehem by Didion. My best piece of advice: Write what you know. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: That I’m left handed.

Core Staff

	David Cataneo Title: Core Staff. Degree: Journalism (author of five nonfiction books). My favorite book: Cannery Row. My best piece of advice: Go in heavy. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I have a dial-up modem.
	Sara Erdmann Title: Core Staff. Degree: MFA Fiction. My favorite book: Manifesta. My best piece of advice: Bisexuality. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’m not a Republican.
	Kate Gillen Title: Core Staff and Early Academic Intervention Liaison. Degree: PhD Literature. My favorite book: The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing. My best piece of advice: Don’t follow my advice. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I once spent eleven hours in an English jail.
	Adam Michaud Title: Core Staff and Instructor of INCO 529 Writing Consultation. Degree: MA in Literature. My favorite book: Fahrenheit 451. My best piece of advice: Know your self best. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I build theatre sets part-time.
	Jessie Robie Title: Core Staff. Degree: MFA Fiction. My favorite book: Pride and Prejudice. My best piece of advice: Don’t dangle your modifiers. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’d rather see the movie.
	Leslie Schwartz Title: Core Staff. Degree: PhD History. My favorite book: The Bible. My best piece of advice: Always strive to be just. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’m American.
	Molly Tetrault Title: Core Staff and outreach presenter. Degree: MA Literature. My favorite book: Ulysses (just kidding, but I have read it!). My best piece of advice: Keep at it! Something about me you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I can walk on stilts.

Receptionists

	Laura Gallagher Degree: Communication.
	Cade Hardstedt Degree: English. My favorite book: High Fidelity. My best piece of advice: Don’t look back! Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I forget to cut my toenails sometimes.
	Casey Haynes Degree: Business Administration. My favorite book: The Wizard of Oz. My best piece of advice: Smile. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I get really homesick.
	Sara Hirschfeld Degree: Communication.

New Fall 2008 receptionists

Ashley Galicki, English / Elementary Education major
Nicole Dally, Recreation Management major

Meet our Writing Assistants

We have Writing Assistants in many different majors and we now train Science Writing Specialists and ESL Specialists to meet specific student needs.

	Amber Bocko Title: Writing Assistant and outreach presenter. Major: Journalism. My favorite book: On the Road. My best piece of advice: Never take anything for granted. Something about me you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I have a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
	Katie Brym Title: Writing Assistant. Major: Technical Theatre. My favorite book: Keeping You a Secret. My best piece of advice: Sleep is key. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I was born 2.5 months early.
	Bobby Cann Title: Writing Assistant. Major: English Journalism and International Affairs. My favorite book: A Gesture Life. My best piece of advice: Don’t eat fried food in the dining halls. Ever. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’m not an idiot.
	Ian Cormier Title: Writing Assistant and Science Writing Specialist. Major: Microbiology.
	Ken Daynard Title: Writing Assistant (graduate level). Major: English Teaching. My favorite book: Who knows. My best piece of advice: Try hard! Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: My middle name is Alan.
	Lindsey Dupont Title: Writing Assistant and ESL specialist. Major: Political Science and Sociology. My favorite book: A Thousand Splendid Suns. My best piece of advice: "Go big or go home" – Johnny Tsunami Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’m fierce at intramural sports.
	Sarah Gormady Title: Writing Assistant. Major: International Affairs and Political Science. My Favorite Book: Skinny Legs and All. My best piece of advice: Don’t touch things that are on fire. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I can touch my elbows behind my back.
	Mark Gosztyla Title: Writing Assistant (graduate level). Major: MFA Poetry. My favorite book: A Prayer for Owen Meany. My best piece of advice: If you don’t make dust, you eat it. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’m good looking.
	Dan Hoffman Title: Writing Assistant. Major: Undeclared. My favorite book: The Outsiders. My best piece of advice: Think before you speak. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’m a sucker for a black and white movie.
	Liz Holden Title: Writing Assistant. Major: English and Environmental Conservation. My favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird. My best piece of advice: Laugh all the time. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I did gymnastics for ten years.
	Kristin Lamy Title: Writing Assistant. Major: English Journalism. My favorite book: Tied between Love in the Time of Cholera and Jane Eyre. My best piece of advice: Take time to get through the American Film Institutes 100 greatest movies: so worth it.
	Ashley Lord Title: Writing Assistant and receptionist. Major: French and Classics. My favorite book: The Iliad. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I don’t like being in the dark.
	Aaron Marquis Title: Writing Assistant (graduate level). Major: Outdoor Education and English. My favorite book: Bill Bryson is really funny! My best piece of advice: "Never be afraid to try something new. Remember a lone amateur built the ark. A large group of professionals built the Titanic." – Anonymous Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I taught myself how to juggle.
	Andrew McKernan Title: Writing Assistant and outreach presenter. Major: Russian and Linguistics. My favorite book: Catch-22. My best piece of advice: Live long and prosper and/or don’t buy into Milo’s schemes. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: Anything you can’t see immediately you can ask.
	Kirstin Striker Title: Writing Assistant, outreach presenter and ESL specialist. Major: English/Anthropology. My favorite book: Harry Potter and Franny and Zooey by my man J.D. Salinger. My best piece of advice: Have fun! Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I’m half Caribbean.
	Margaret Wickham Title: Writing Assistant and outreach presenter. Major: English. My best piece of advice: Be honest. Something you wouldn’t know by looking at me: I can moonwalk.

New Fall 2008 Undergraduate Writing Assistants

Emma Aldrich, English, Journalism, and European Cultural Studies / ESL specialist in training
Ashley Chamberlain, English / ESL specialist in training
Brooke Clarkson, English and Psychology
Sarah Crossman, English and Justice Studies
Lejla Kadic, Biology / Science Writing specialist
Kristin Lamy, English Journalism
Beth Ligouri, English
Tom Parisi, Political Science
Monica Plante, Civil Engineering / Science Writing specialist
Robert Tarushka, English Major
Sarah Vandeventer, Biology/ Science Writing specialist
Caylee Verdun, European Cultural Studies and International Affairs / ESL specialist in training
Justine Whitney, Biology – Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior / Science Writing Specialist
Amanda Whitten, Zoology / Science Writing Specialist

New Fall 2008 Graduate Writing Assistants

Mathew Kingston, MA in Literature and MFA in Fiction
Tanya Nading, MA in Science Writing and MFA in Fiction
Johanna Pittman, MA in Literature
Kristina Reardon, MFA in Fiction
Sarah Villard, MA in Linguistics / ESL specialist

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