Meet the Staff
Writing assistants are undergraduate and graduate students at UNH who come from a variety of different majors and academic backgrounds. They are passionate about writing and love talking about writing with their fellow students.
Writing assistants continually work on their practice as writing assistants, attending staff training and development meetings throughout the semester. Undergraduate writing assistants complete a semester-long course, INCO 529: Writing Consultation, in order to learn about writing center conferencing. Graduate Writing Assistants complete a semester-long training during their first semester in the writing center.
The writing center also employs a wonderful group of undergraduate student receptionists who will welcome you to the Center during your visit. They keep the CWC running smoothly!
Interested in joining the staff?
Undergraduate Writing Assistants
Andrea Engen
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English Teaching Major, Philosophy Minor
Favorite Book: Marley & Me by John Grogan
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’m vegan.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Studying at home or in the library.
Connor Mullins
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English, Education with a German emphasis
Favorite Book: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’m a huge fan of anything comic book related.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: On the 4th floor of the library.
Lilah Cherim
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English, French minor
Favorite Book: Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’m in the U.S. Marine Corps.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Doing homework in the MUB or at the gym.
Marissa Parker-Bair
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: Political Science and International Affairs, Minor Music
Favorite Book: Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Something you would not know by looking at me: I love cats!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: on T-Hall lawn.
Rachelle McKeown
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English, Ecogastronomy
Favorite Book: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexander Dumas
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’m a vegetarian.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In my room.
Tali Cherim
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: English and Women’s Studies double major, minor in French
Favorite Book: Too many favorites! But I really love the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have a twin sister.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In the MUB.
Taylor McAnney
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: Business Marketing
Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’m an avid wake boarder.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: library basement.
Sarah Bizzotto
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: English Literature and Theater double major
Favorite Book: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Something you would not know by looking at me: I can rap the entire Hamilton soundtrack.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In the APO office.
Abigail Downer
Year in School: Sophomore
Educational Background: English major
Favorite Book: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (at the moment)
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have three goats.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Out and about, reading, writing, or running.
Matthew Ciccarello
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: Political Science and International Affairs
Favorite Book: Dance of Dragons by George R. R. Martin
Something you would not know by looking at me: I own a HUGE Lego collection.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Sitting in a café drinking coffee.
Kate Heaney
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: English and Spanish double major
Favorite Book: The Circle by Dave Eggers and Looking for Alaska by John Green
Something you would not know by looking at me: I met Jimmy Fallon when I was 7.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Watching Netflix or reading.
Katie Fabiano
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: English and Sociology double major
Favorite Book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Something you would not know by looking at me: My favorite food is strawberry ice cream.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: At the MUB (in the Outing Club office!).
Gates MacPherson
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: AA in Liberal Arts, English/Journalism major, minor in Political Science
Favorite Book: The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
Something you would not know by looking at me: I played the violin for 10 years.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In the library!
Maria Yost
Year in School: Sophomore
Educational Background: Biomedical Science major
Favorite Book: Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have five siblings!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Sitting somewhere outside or walking in between classes.
Emily Zieg
Year in School: Junior
Educational Background: Linguistics major
Favorite Book: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Something you would not know by looking at me: I also paint!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Looking for unusual languages in the stacks.
Kat Nguyen
Year in School: Sophomore
Educational Background: Psychology
Favorite Book: the Harry Potter series
Something you would not know by looking at me: I'm an introvert.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Library, my room, swimming pool.
Graduate Writing Assistants
Katie Corbett
Katie Corbett Year in School: Master’s student in Museum Studies
Educational Background: BA in History, English minor
Favorite Book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Something you would not know by looking at me: I love to travel and go new places.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Reading a historical fiction novel.
Cory Chamberlain
Year in School: PhD Student in Rhetoric and Composition
Educational Background: BA English, MA English with Rhetoric Composition Specification
Favorite Book: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
Something you would not know by looking at me: I play a lot of soccer.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: hanging out with my dog.
Scott Lasley
Year in School: PhD Student in Rhetoric and Composition
Educational Background: BA in English, MA in English
Favorite Book: The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner
Something you would not know by looking at me: I’m a big fan of B-movies and bad movies.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Working on the 4th floor of Dimond.
Allison Giannotti
Year in School: PhD student in Composition
Educational Background: BA in English Writing and Communication and Rhetoric, MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing
Favorite Book: Oh my heavens, my favorite book changes monthly! But right now it’s Brian Greene’s The Elegant Universe.
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have a twin (yes, there are two of me)!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Looking for dogs to pet.
Carly Husick
Year in School: MFA in Fiction
Educational Background: BA in Creative Writing and Philosophy
Favorite Book: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine
Something you would not know by looking at me: I danced for 19 years.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: At home writing or watching Netflix.
Samantha Riley
Year in School: PhD student in Composition
Educational Background: BA in English, MA in Writing
Favorite Book: It constantly changes but for now it is The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.
Something you would not know by looking at me: I know all the lyrics to the song “Friday” by Rebecca Black.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Hiding in corners of UNH buildings and catching up on reading.
Kelly Sennott
Year in School: MFA in Fiction
Educational Background: BA in Journalism
Favorite Book: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
Something you would not know by looking at me: I used to be a competitive figure skater.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Running in College Woods.
Lyana Sun Han Chang
Year in School: Master’s student in Language and Linguistics
Educational Background: BA in Modern Languages (French)
Favorite Book: Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Something you would not know by looking at me: I don’t know how to swim.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In my office drinking all the coffee.
Core Staff
Danielle Lavendier
Year in School: PhD Student
Educational Background: BA English Literature, MA English Literature
Favorite Book: The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Something you would not know by looking at me: I play the clarinet!
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In the library, drinking coffee
Lauren Short
Year in School: PhD Student
Educational Background: BA in English and Humanities, minor in Spanish; MA in English; PhD in Composition in progress
Favorite Book: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have an irrational fear of insects that buzz.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Tucked away in some library corner making detailed to-do lists.
Meaghan Elliott Dittrich
Year in School: Ph.D. Candidate in Composition and Rhetoric
Educational Background: BA in Theater & Writing, MFA in Creative Writing, MA in English Lit
Favorite Book: There are too many! I do really like The Shipping News by Annie Proulx or nearly any British "who-done-it"
Something you wouldn't know by looking at me: I have Canadian citizenship
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: baking or cooking, reading, or finding a really good cup of coffee or seafood chowder
Holly Fosher
Year in School: Masters Student
Educational Background: Recreation Management & Policy Major, Art minor
Favorite Book: Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Something you would not know by looking at me: I broke both my arms once.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In my room, binge watching The Office.
Courtney Landi
Year in School: MFA in Fiction
Educational Background: BA in Literature and Communication
Favorite Book: The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, and Nobody Is Ever Missing by Catherine Lacey.
Something you would not know by looking at me: I collect souvenir pressed pennies.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: At a coffee shop or traveling.
Morgan Plessner
Year in School: MFA in Poetry
Educational Background: English, Arts (Photography)
Favorite Book: White Noise by Don Delillo
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Running, at the gym, reading.
Receptionists
Abigail LaPorte
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: Occupational Therapy, Nutrition minor
Favorite Book: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Something you would not know by looking at me: I lived in Nebraska until I was 10.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In the library or at the gym.
Brooke Kealey
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: Nutrition: Dietetics
Favorite Book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Something you would not know by looking at me: I am a cat lover.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Outside enjoying the weather.
Jacqueline Melius
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: Psychology/Justice Studies
Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Something you would not know by looking at me: I'm a transfer student from James Madison University
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In the MUB!
Kim Ip
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: History and Political Science
Favorite Book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Catching up with friends at Breaking New Grounds
Olivia Scobie
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: Communication Sciences and Disorders, Spanish minor
Favorite Book: The Help or Eleanor and Park
Something you would not know by looking at me: I had my tonsils out when I was 17.
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: In the library anyways :) or at the gym.
Erin Roche
Year in School: Senior
Educational Background: Psychology major; minor in English
Favorite Book: Perks of Being a Wallflower
Something you would not know by looking at me: I have been to live tapings of SNL
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: at the gym
Director
Molly Tetreault
Educational Background: BA English and Political Science; M.A. English Literature; M. Ed Teaching Writing
Favorite Book: E.B. White One Man’s Meat
If I were not at the writing center, you would find me: Sampling all the good eats in Newmarket