Staff
Dr. Robert T. Koch Jr. is Director of the Center for Writing Excellence. He received his PhD in English Composition from Indiana University of Pennsylvania; before that, he received his MA in Literature from West Virginia University. He teaches liberal arts writing courses, and studies writing centers, writing across the curriculum, reflective writing, technology, and Composition Studies. He has many favorite books, so it’s easier to mention favorite authors: Neil Gaiman, Christopher Moore, Thomas Harris, and (of course) J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling. He began reading Stephen King novels at age 10, and has the distinction of possibly being the only person he knows to be scolded by a parent for reading too much. Of course, he was attempting to read his family’s entire set of Encyclopedia Britannica at the time.
Ms. Becky Brazeel received her AS degree from Jefferson State College. She has CPS Certification and has won awards including State of Alabama Support Person of the Year, the Chancellor's Award of Excellence, and Professional Secretaries International, Birmingham Chapter, Secretary of the Year.
Kalon Borden is a Secondary Education major
with a minor in English Arts. This is Kalon’s first semester
working at the Writing Center. He enjoys writing fictional short
stories, poetry, and editorials and he likes reading
suspense/thriller novels, horror novels, or anything that makes
him think. When Kalon is not writing for a class, he likes to
write poems and narratives about his family and past
experiences. He likes any class that he can take something from
and apply it to his life.
Tutoring philosophy statement: To me, there is
no such thing as a dumb question. I will help anybody on
anything. If I do not know the answer, I will not guess the
answer, but I will try my best to find the answer.
Cayla Buttram has a double major in
Secondary Education and English/Language Arts with a minor in
Essential Geography.
This is her first semester. She loves Creative Writing and she
likes the development of the material within an essay. The
writing process itself is immensely interesting to her.
Cayla loves to read. Everything from modern young adult
literature to Shakespeare holds her interest.
Tutoring philosophy statement: The purpose of
a tutoring session should be not only to provide necessary
feedback and information for a student but should also leave the
student with the knowledge necessary to perform the same task in
the future with less help. By building a positive and warm
relationship with each student, I plan to tailor my information
to the specific needs of the student so that with each session,
the student grows and learns. It is my hope that each session
enhances the knowledge base of the student to increase both
current and future academic success.
Katie Crum is a
Professional Writing major with a minor in Marketing. She has
worked for the Writing Center since the Spring of 2008 and is
also currently working as a writing intern. Her
specific areas of writing expertise and interest include
academic writing, (i.e. research papers), technical writing, and
essays. Katie likes to read all genres of fiction and some
creative non-fiction and enjoys writing short stories. She
prefers literature and history classes, but also likes classes
where in-depth research is required because she likes learning
about new things.
Tutoring philosophy statement:
“Tell
me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and
I'll understand.”- Chinese
Proverb
.
Matt George is an English major with a minor in Professional
Writing. He has worked for the Writing Center for three
semesters. His three specific areas of writing
expertise/interest include
creative writing, technical/professional writing, and English
Composition. He likes to read science fiction and fantasy, and
also graphic novels like the
Watchmen.
Matt also likes stories that take what is expected and do
the exact opposite. He enjoys creative writing, like short
stories, and poetry and hopes to branch out into full length
novel writing eventually. He enjoys all writing courses in
general and classes where he can learn about something through
writing about it.
Tutoring
philosophy statement:
Anyone can be a good writer.
It is our responsibility as writing tutors to show them.
Amy Goodman has a B.A. in English with a minor
in history and is currently pursuing her M.A. She has worked for
the Writing Center for a year. Amy enjoys poetry, short fiction,
and literary analysis. Her favorite types of literature include
fantasy, science fiction, and mystery novels. She also loves
short stories, Southern Gothic writers, and most things old and
British. Amy writes short fiction, poetry, and some academic
works. She enjoys classes that have an element of discussion in
them, and also likes literature and history classes.
Tutoring philosophy statement: As a tutor, my
duty to writers is to help them learn to better express
themselves in their writing, no matter what kind of writing it
is.
Brittany Griffin is an English-Professional
Writing major with a minor in Journalism. She has tutored at the
Writing Center for three semesters and is “incredibly awesome,”
according to Juliann. Brittany’s three specific areas of writing
expertise/interest are in composition, creative writing, and
fiction writing. She enjoys reading fiction, especially
Harry Potter. She also
enjoys writing creative works, poetry, and non-fiction. Brittany
enjoys classes that don’t make her fall asleep, especially if
the teacher is excited about teaching the subject.
Tutoring philosophy statement:
“The act of writing is an act of optimism. You would not take
the trouble to do it if you felt it didn't matter.” Edward
Albee
“You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get
started to be great.”
Les
Brown
David Gunnels is a Geography major who has
been working at the Writing Center since Spring of 2009. David’s
specific areas of writing interest/expertise include Geography,
formatting, eliminating awkward wording. He enjoys reading
science fiction, fantasy, and manga and he likes to write
reviews and creative writing works. David enjoys classes that
make him think.
Tutoring philosophy statement: One must first
understand in order to learn.
Chad Lancaster is a Master of
Business Administration major with a concentration in
International Business. He has worked for the Writing Center
since the Fall of 2007 and is also currently working as the
office management intern. His three areas of writing expertise and
interest include Strategic Management, Business Policy, and
Marketing Research. Chad enjoys reading historical biographies,
agricultural trade publications, and international business
affairs. He primarily writes academic based works, but also
writes some business proposals. Chad enjoys classes with
interactive discussions.
Tutoring philosophy statement: I believe that
we have been given the ability to create great works of art to
help make the world a better place.
Jessica Lanier is an Elementary Education
major and has been tutoring at the Writing Center for 2+ years.
Her writing expertise/interest is in educational-oriented
materials, (i.e. professional development plans, lesson plans,
classroom management plans), personal writing, (i.e. memoirs),
and short essays/papers up to 5 pages with a specific focus
area. Jessica enjoys romantic fiction, historical fiction, and
non-fiction, and other various non-fictional pieces such as
biographies, specifically associated with figures in European
History. She mostly does writing associated with education,
lesson plans, article critiques, reflective works, and plan
developments. She also likes to write personal narrative
entries, (i.e. blogs). Jessica loves rhetoric-based English
classes, Psychology courses, and Education classes.
Tutoring philosophy statement: I strive to
answer all the questions any student has. My most important
thing during any tutoring session is just to make the writer
feel more comfortable trying something new and challenging
without feeling over-whelmed.
Juliann Losey is an Art major who has worked
for the Center for Writing Excellence since the Summer of 2008.
She works with the online tutoring program and has taken a
special interest in research based papers such as the ones
assigned to NU400 students. She is exploring a variety of facets
through which to help them. Juliann is a memoir junkie who loves
reading and writing poetry. She tries to incorporate poetic
language into whatever she is writing, be it a script or a
research paper. Juliann enjoys argument based literature courses
because she enjoys the discussion and analysis way of doing
things. She also enjoys most art classes.
Tutoring philosophy statement: If you write a
student’s paper, they might get an A that day. If you teach a
student how to write a paper, they might get a 4.0 GPA. I’m
shooting for the latter. Also, Questions make perfect.
Heather Robertson is a Computer Information
Systems major. She has worked at the Writing Center for one
semester. Heather enjoys reading fiction, behavioral research
writing, and technical writing. She adores grammar and
punctuation. Heather enjoys Computer, Sociology, and Psychology
classes.
Tutoring philosophy statement: The ability to write well is
becoming a lost art. Learning to write is a liberating
experience, allowing the writer to express himself/herself in a
creative way. It is not a difficult task; just about anyone can
do it. Students, when given some time and guidance, gain so much
academically and personally when they learn ways to develop
their writing skills.
Joshua Shuffield is a Theater major who has
just started working for the Writing Center this semester. His
specific areas of writing expertise and interest include
fiction, persuasive, and informative writing. He enjoys reading
British literature, science fiction, and fantasy. Joshua enjoys
writing reports, creative works, and APA style papers. He likes
literature, music and stage design classes.
Tutoring philosophy statement: Sometimes the
biggest worries are settled with just a willing ear.
