Meet the Staff
The Center for Writing Excellence is staffed by student writing consultants who are highly trained and come from majors across the campus, including education, English, history, and more. All writing consultants are required to attend a semester-length training course that teaches writing and research processes, writing across the disciplines, interpersonal communication skills, and office policies and protocols.
If you are interested in applying for a job at the Center, and if you have completed the General Education writing sequence (EN 111-112 or EN 111H - 112H) with at least a 3.0 average or above, log in to LionJobs and look for an opening.
Current Center for Writing Excellence Staff
- Alyssa McFall
- Corey Roden
- Dani Whisonant
- James Trentham
- Megan Parris
- Wesley Hopkins
- Dr. Kathleen Richards
Alyssa McFall
| Major: Professional Writing and Sociology |
| Role: Writing Consultant (Certified Tutor) |
| Writing Strengths: Grammar, Creative Writing, and Organization |
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Biography: Alyssa has always been fond of writing. Since she was in the fifth grade, it has been nearly impossible for her to put her pen down. When she is not writing, she is usually working or studying. She also loves to read, spend time with friends, and watch YouTube videos in her spare time. After she receives her bachelor's degree, she plans on entering graduate school to obtain a M.A. in creative writing with hopes of publishing a novel. |
Corey Roden
| Major: Secondary Education/English |
| Role: Writing Consultant (Certified Tutor) |
| Writing Strengths: Content Development, Creative Writing, and Sentence Structure |
| Biography: Ever since he was in elementary school, Corey has been writing short stories. He dreams of writing a novel some day in the future. For now, he is focusing on his path to becoming a secondary education English teacher. Besides writing, Corey enjoys playing the drums and dabbling in art. |
Dani Whisonant
| Major: English Literature |
| Minor: Spanish |
| Role: Writing Consultant (Certified Tutor) |
| Writing Strengths: Grammar/Mechanics, Academic Writing, Organization, and Sentence Structure |
| Biography: Dani is senior at UNA, and she wears many hats. She is currently a member of Alpha Delta Chi and also works as a Resident Advisor on campus. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching Netflix, and spending time with friends and family. She is studying English in hopes of one day becoming a college professor. |
James Trentham
| Major: Geography/Outdoor Recreation |
| Role: Writing Consultant (Certified Tutor) |
| Writing Strengths: Outlining, Content Development, Grammar, and Organization |
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Biography: James is from Sulligent, Alabama and is working on his B.S. degree in geography. James is a junior and is involved with the Student Government Association (SGA), Honors College, and the UNA Men's Rugby Club. When not studying or working, he enjoys fishing, hiking, weightlifting, writing, and watching sports. |
Megan Parris
| Major: Collaborative Education |
| Role: Writing Consultant (Certified Tutor) |
| Writing Strengths: Content Development, Grammar, Outlining, and Organization |
| Biography: Megan is a junior at UNA. She is currently the president of the Elementary Education Undergraduate Research Team, a COEHS ambassador, and a member in Alpha Delta Pi. She plans on getting her master's in either Instructional Leadership or Library Media. When Megan is not studying, she enjoys watching scary movies on Netflix and spending time with friends. |
| Major: Writing |
| Role: Graduate Student Writing Consultant (Certified) |
| Writing Strengths: Clarity, Conciseness, Style, Grammar, and Mechanics |
| Biography: Wesley is a freelance writer and a graduate research assistant at the University of North Alabama. At the moment, he is pursuing his master's degree in writing with a track in rhetoric and composition. |
Dr. Kathleen Richards
| Role: Director |
| Biography: Dr. Richards has a master's degree in English literature from UNA and a doctorate degree in English composition and TESOL (Teaching English to Students of Other Languages) from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Richards has been teaching at UNA for approximately sixteen years. For the first couple of years as an adjunct English composition instructor, she often volunteered to work in writing centers as a tutor. While tutoring and teaching students in English composition, she became fascinated with writing centers and the support they provide for students. Dr. Richards has been directing the UNA Center for Writing Excellence (CWE) for eight years. In order for the writing consultants at UNA to be the very best, she initiated the International Tutor Training Program Certification (ITTPC), sponsored by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA). Students at UNA can be assured that the writing consultants in the CWE have gone through extensive tutor training to assist students in writing across the disciplines. |