Writing Consultation Appointments

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GWC in-Person Writing Appointments:

Mondays:Xochitl 12pm-3pm and Abraham 5pm-8pm
Tuesdays: Esther-Priscilla 9am-11am and Victoria 12pm-3pm and Brenda 3pm-8pm
Wednesdays:Kiana 9am-1pm
Thursdays:Karina 10am-12pm and 5pm-7pm
Fridays: Emma 9am-12pm

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About the Graduate Writing Consultants--Read First

All writing consultants have been trained to help graduate students with general writing issues in any field, but it can be helpful to work with someone in a field more similar to your own. We encourage you to review the consultant bios before making an appointment.

Foreign languages: a few of our writing consultants feel comfortable reading work in other languages. See bios for more information.

Abraham

Department: English
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Professional Writing, Humanities & Arts, Application Documents, Oral Presentations, Cultural Studies, Critical Race Theory, Writing Process, Revision Strategies, Style/Flow, Creative Writing, Narrative Writing
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Abraham is a Ph.D. candidate in English and is interested in comparative work between 20th century U.S. multi-ethnic literature and Latin American literature. He has two years experience working in the Graduate Writing Center. He can speak, read, and write in academic Spanish fluently and has done work in oral and written translation. He has conducted interviews for oral history projects archived in the UCLA Library. He has taught creative writing classes with a focus on revision strategies. He has written letters of recommendation for students applying to graduate school, internships, jobs, and scholarships. His favorite punctuation mark is one not typically used in academic writing but overused in the comic book genre: the excellent exclamation mark!

Adriana

Department: Psychology
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Fellowships/Grants, STEM, Social Sciences, Application Documents, Article Manuscripts, Quantitative Methods, Statistical Reporting, Statistics, Revision Strategies, Editing Strategies, Writing Process, Style/Flow, Master’s Thesis
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Adriana is a Developmental Psychology PhD candidate studying the impact of early life adversity on neurodevelopment. Over the course of her graduate career, she has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, an NICHD Brain and Behavioral Development during Adolescence (BBDA) T32 Doctoral Training Fellowship, a Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship, a UCLA Graduate Research Mentorship fellowship, and a UCLA Graduate Dean’s Scholar Award. She also received an Honorable Mention for the Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship. Prior to enrolling at UCLA, Adriana graduated from Harvard College with a degree in Neurobiology (Mind, Brain and Behavior) and a minor in Computer Science. Despite her reliance on parentheses (they can be so helpful!), her favorite punctuation mark is the comma.

Aidan

Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Writing Specialities: Academic Writing, Application Documents, Article Manuscripts, Fellowships/Grants, Lab Reports, Quantitative Methods, STEM, Style/Flow, Writing Process
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Aidan is a PhD student studying evolutionary developmental biology. His research focuses on the rules that govern how variation develops in animals. Aidan earned a BSc in Biology from McGill University, where he studied developmental biology and paleontology. As a graduate student, he has received the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP). Aidan’s ~favorite~ punctuation mark is the tilde, for its ability to add ~special emphasis~ with its squiggly arms.

Amelia

Department: Comparative Literature
Writing Specialties:English Language Learners, Academic Writing, Application Documents, Humanities & Arts, Cultural Studies, Writing Process, Revision, Editing, Grammar/Mechanics, Style/Flow, Master’s Thesis
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Amelia is a PhD student in Comparative Literature. Her research interests include Memory Studies, Turkish literature and culture, Latin American literature and culture, and interdisciplinary approaches to literary study. She has an MA in Comparative Literature from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies, where she studied critical theory and Turkish and Arabic literatures (in translation!). Before attending UCLA, Amelia worked as an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructor for university students and adult learners in Japan, Turkey, and Colorado. Her favorite punctuation mark is the em dash, because it can get her out of punctuation pickles and because it adds a little extra drama to her writing.

Andrew

Department: Sociology
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, Professional Writing, Social Sciences, Qualitative Methods, Writing Process, Style/Flow
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Andrew is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology. He studies social and political responses to climate change, with a current focus on adaptation to sea level rise in coastal areas. Andrew has an MSc in political sociology from the London School of Economics and a BA from McGill University. His professional background includes teaching English in Iksan, South Korea and providing one-on-one tutoring in English Composition. Before attending UCLA, Andrew worked in arts education, where he produced and edited a professional publication. He is the recipient of a Graduate Research Mentorship Award. His favorite punctuation mark—even though his many asides might indicate otherwise—is the period.

Brenda Wang

Department: English
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Professional Writing, Humanities & Arts, Application Documents, Oral Presentations, Conference Proposals/Papers, Cultural Studies, Critical Race Theory, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Critical Theory, Writing Process/Revision Strategies, Article Manuscripts, Fellowships/Grants
Pronouns:she/her
Bio:Brenda Wang is a PhD candidate in the English department at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her dissertation explores beauty as an embodied cultural project by which questions of desire, gender, and racial belonging are adjudicated. Her research interests include Asian diaspora studies, twentieth century transnational visual culture, critical race and ethnic studies, cinema and media studies, and feminist and queer of color critique. She received her BA in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing from the University of Pennsylvania and an MPhil in Modern and Contemporary Literature from the University of Cambridge. She is a Cota-Robles Fellow, and has been the recipient of the GRSM, the GRM, and the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Dissertation Year Award.

Brande

Department: Urban Schooling
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, Professional Writing, Report Writing, Critical Race Theory, Cultural Studies, Oral Presentations, Writing Process, Revision Strategies
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Brande is a Ph.D. candidate in Urban Schooling. She is primarily interested in social stratification in schools, disability, and anti-blackness in special education policy. She earned her B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior from the University of California, Irvine. Brande then spent time traveling across the United States before settling back in her hometown in Southern California. She pursued an M.A. and Ed.S. degree in Counseling and Educational Psychology and worked in Long Beach Unified School District as a School Psychologist. There, she learned about psychoeducational report writing, academic writing, and professional writing. She is a recent recipient of the Graduate Summer Research Mentorship award. Her personal interests include meditation, road trippin’, and rock climbing. Her favorite punctuation mark is the period. Period.

Cooper

Department: Neurobiology
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, STEM, Scientific Writing, Article Manuscripts, Application Documents, Grant Proposals, Fellowship Applications, Lab Reports, Computational Biology, Quantitative Methods, Statistical Reporting, Oral Presentations, English Language Learners, Revision and Editing Strategies, Style/Flow, Diction
Pronouns: he/him/his
Bio: Cooper is a Ph.D. student in the Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program (NSIDP). His early appreciation for the power of language was inspired by his mother—a Lebanese immigrant and AP English teacher. This passion was cultivated further by his own AP English teacher, who emphasized iterative inquiry and the selection of precise diction in the writing process—principles that continue to inform his writing. Following his undergraduate studies in Molecular Biology and Cognitive Neuroscience at UC San Diego, Cooper developed a talent for translating complex scientific findings into compelling narratives under the guidance of his first research mentor, who demonstrated the art of storytelling in academic writing. At UCSF's Institute for Human Genetics, he co-authored multiple manuscripts and facilitated workshops empowering English language learners to find their unique writing voice, while mastering the principles of effective scientific communication. Committed to helping students refine their scientific and expository writing, Cooper brings a keen eye for optimizing precision, coherence, and flow in articulating complex ideas. His favorite punctuation mark is the parentheses (emblematic of his penchant for providing nuance to enrich comprehension).

Dominique

Department: Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, STEM, Fellowships/Grants, Application Documents, Oral Presentations, Public Speaking, Quantitative Methods, Lab Reports
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Dominique is a PhD student in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences researching radiation belt dynamics. She uses a machine learning approach to establish a relationship between high and low orbit electron flux data to better predict space weather. Dominique earned her BS from UCLA in astrophysics and conducted undergraduate research in the EPSS department. Her work in undergrad was focused on planetary sedimentology, specifically dune formation on Mars. Before starting graduate school, Dominique worked for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Atmospheric Physics and Weather Group. Beyond research, Dominique enjoys crocheting blankets, hanging out with her 6 lb poodle, and cooking. Her favorite punctuation mark is the comma, especially the oxford comma!

Drew

Department: Comparative Literature
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Non-Academic Writing, Legal Writing, Professional Writing, Application Documents, Critical Race Theory, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Cultural Studies, Humanities & Arts, Oral Presentations, Article Manuscript, Writing Process, Revision Strategies, Editing Strategies, Grammar/Mechanics, Style/Flow, Creative Writing, Narrative Writing, Master’s Thesis, English Language Learners
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Drew is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature. His research focuses on philosophy, critical theory, literary & film theory, and digital media studies. He received his BA in Philosophy and English from UCLA in 2009 before going on to obtain his MA in Humanities (with an emphasis in Continental Philosophy) from the University of Chicago in 2011. Before returning to UCLA, he acquired his JD from the University of California Hastings College of the Law, where he worked as a tutor and a Senior Supervising Editor for UC Hasting’s Constitutional Law Quarterly. He currently serves on the editorial board for Press Start, an academic journal of video games studies. His favorite punctuation mark is the § (‘section sign’) because of the §ylistic §ophistication it lends to the organization of one’s writing."

Ebony

Department: Gender Studies
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, Writing Process, Humanities, Qualitative Methods, Style/Flow, Cultural Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, and Black Studies
Pronouns: they/them, she/her
Bio: Ebony is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Gender Studies. Their research areas broadly include black feminisms, black studies, fat studies, disability studies, and visual culture. They received their BA in Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon in 2012 before obtaining their MA in Educational Leadership and Policy from Portland State University in 2018. At UCLA, Ebony is a recipient of the Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Fellowship Program, is a Eugene V. Cota Robles Fellow and a member of the Black Feminism Initiative here at UCLA. Outside of graduate school, Ebony enjoys experimenting with art and fashion. Her favorite punctuation mark is the colon.

Emma

Department: Biological Anthropology
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Social Sciences, Fellowships/Grants, Style/Flow, Revision Strategies, Mixed Methods, Writing Process, Application Documents
Pronouns:she/her
Bio: Emma is a PhD student in Biological Anthropology. Her research interests include human evolutionary adaptations to extreme climate and characterizing genotype-environmental interactions. She has a B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Kansas. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP) and the intramural Genomic Analysis Training Program Fellowship (GATP). In her spare time, she enjoys drawing and painting.

Esther-Priscilla

Department: Community Health Sciences
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Professional Writing, Non-Academic Writing, Social Sciences, STEM, Quantitative Methods, Qualitative Methods, Medical Writing, Policy Writing, Fellowships/Grants, Application Documents, Article Manuscripts, Oral Presentations, Public Speaking, Writing Process, Revision, Editing, Grammar/Mechanics, Style/Flow
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Esther Priscilla Ebuehi is a PhD Student in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Her research interests include sexual and reproductive healthcare delivery, access, and decision-making across the life course. She is passionate about using decolonized, community-based approaches to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes at the population level. Esther Priscilla earned her BS in Human Development from UC Davis and her MS in Health and the Public Interest from Georgetown University. As a doctoral student, she has been awarded the UCLA Graduate Dean’s Scholar Award, Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Fellowship, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development T32 Training Fellowship. Her favorite punctuation mark is – let’s be real – the em-dash, because it adds a sweet tempo to the rhythm of a text.

Harmeet

Department: Education
Writing Specialties: Social Sciences, Oral Presentations, Public Speaking, Cultural Studies, Critical Race Theory, Academic Writing, Professional Writing, Fellowships/Grants, Application Documents, Academic Writing, Writing Process, Style/Flow, Revision Strategies, Quantitative Methods, Qualitative Methods, Creative Writing.
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Bio: Harmeet (she/her/hers) is a fourth-year mixed methods scholar in the Higher Education and Organizational Change Ph.D. program. She is a first-generation community college transfer student who earned a BA in Sociology from UC Merced and an MA in Education from UCLA. She has mentored students and reviewed their professional and academic documents (which ranged from resumes, CVs, graduate school, scholarship, fellowship, and job applications). She also has experience supporting students when they are planning, preparing, and perfecting their oral presentations (including research presentations, professional interviews, and conferences). Harmeet is researching the resilience of Punjabi Women’s educational trajectories during three moments of historical oppression through qualitative and historical methods and the use of asset-based critical theories. Outside of research, Harmeet loves music, creative writing, traveling outside of the U.S., and exploring local LA events and activities. Her favorite punctuation mark is “?” because it allows her to learn more about someone’s personality, perspectives, and narratives.

Jackie

Department: World Arts and Cultures/Dance
Writing Specialties:Humanities & Arts, Academic Writing, Fellowships/Grants, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Cultural Studies, Non-academic Writing, Writing Process, Style/Flow, Application Documents, Oral presentations, Revision Strategies
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Jackie is a Ph.D. candidate in the World Arts and Cultures/Dance department. Her research focuses on avant-garde German/Jewish modern dancer Valeska Gert (1892-1978), her performance spaces both in Germany and the United States, and the forms of sociality (and non-sociality) that she cultivated through her artistic practices. Overall, Jackie’s research evaluates dance and the production of subversive body politics. Jackie has received extramural awards from the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD), Leo Baeck Institute, and the University for Music and Dance Cologne. She was also awarded intramural fellowships from UCLA's Graduate Division (GSRM and Graduate Dean’s Scholar Award), the Center for the Study of Women, the Center for European and Russian Studies, Leve Center, and Luskin Institute on Inequality and Democracy. Jackie had a previous life as an experimental filmmaker and visual artist. Her work has been screened internationally and she has published a number of artist books. Jackie holds B.A. degrees in Dance and History as well as an M.A. in Culture and Performance. Her favorite punctuation mark is the period because she values momentary completion.

Janel

Department: Chicana/o and Central American Studies
Writing Specialties: Fellowships/Grants, Creative Writing, Revision Strategies, Cultural Studies, Critical Race Theory, Humanities & Arts, Professional Writing, Style/Flow
Pronouns: she/her/ella
Bio: Janel is a poet, educator, and scholar of U.S. Central American Literature. Her research analyzes contemporary works by diasporic Central American poets and investigates the ways that poetry can be used to counteract narrative silencing and to reclaim familial and cultural (hi)stories. Prior to joining UCLA, she earned a BA in English from Dickinson College, and received a Marshall Scholarship to pursue graduate study in the UK. She holds dual master’s degrees in Latin American Studies from the University of Cambridge, and in Creative Writing and Education from Goldsmiths, University of London. As a graduate writing consultant, she specializes in supporting students with competitive fellowship applications, with a particular focus on working with first-generation students. She has extensive training in academic writing tutoring and in pedagogical strategies for strengthening creative writing. Janel has received grants and fellowships from the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans, UCLA’s Graduate Summer Research Mentorship, the Eugene V. Cota Robles fellowship, the California Arts Council, the National Association for Latino Arts and Culture, and more. Her favorite punctuation mark is the em dash—quite simply because it’s just so good.

Jeanette

Department: History
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Research/Grants/Fellowships, Job Application Documents, Oral Presentations, Humanities, Cultural Studies, Critical Race Theory, Writing Process, Revision and Editing Strategies, Style/Flow, Master’s Thesis, Dissertation Prospectus
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Jeanette is a doctoral candidate in the History department specializing in the Afro-Atlantic World. Her research focuses on the African Diaspora, social movements, popular religions, and political economies in Latin America and the Caribbean. After earning her BA in Latin American and Caribbean Studies at Scripps College, Jeanette has worked as a community organizer, language interpreter, life coach, and independent mediamaker. Jeanette has received grants and fellowships from the Eugene V. Cota Robles fellowship, Ludwig Lauerhass Endowed Graduate Student Fellowship in Brazilian History, History Department, Center for the Study of Religion, Latin American Institute, CLAH James R. Scobie Award, UC-Cuba Research Fellowship, Black Feminism Initiative Mariame Kaba Graduate Fellowship, Davis Putter Scholar-Activist Fellowship, and received an honorable mention from the Ford. One of her favorite punctuation marks is the em dash (—) largely for the stylistic splash!

Jessie

Department: Anthropology
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Editing/Revision Strategies, Application Documents, Social Sciences, Humanities/Arts, Fellowships/Grants, Article Manuscripts, Oral Presentations, Critical Race Theory, Qualitative Methods, Master’s Thesis, Style/Flow, English Language Learners, Grammar/Mechanics, Writing Process
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Jessie is a Ph.D. candidate in the department of Anthropology, specializing in sociocultural anthropology. Her research focuses on historic entanglements between Black and Jewish communities in North Africa. Specifically, she examines how different elements within the archival landscape in Morocco resist and construct notions of difference between Black and Jewish Moroccans. She holds a B.A. in Middle Eastern and North African Studies as well as Romance Languages and Literature (Spanish) from the University of Michigan in addition to a M.A. in Anthropology from UCLA. Jessie has worked (and aspires to continue working) in the publishing industry as a content and copy editor as well as a translator (Arabic, North African Judeo-Arabic, French, and Spanish.) Jessie has received a Fulbright Student Researcher grant, an Andrew Mellon Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship, the GRM, the GSRM, and the Keck fellowship. Parentheses are her favorite punctuation mark(s) because they are so versatile (and look like a whisper on the page!)

Jesslyn

Department: English
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Humanities, Humanities & Arts, Arts, Application Documents, Article Manuscripts, Oral Presentations, Public Speaking, Cultural Studies, Critical Race Theory, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Writing Process, Revision Strategies, Editing Strategies, Grammar/Mechanics, Style/ flow, Creative Writing, Narrative Writing
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Jesslyn is a Ph.D. candidate in English. She studies poetics, with a split focus on Romanticism and 21st-century texts. Her research interests include the relationship between computer science and literary form (not digital humanities but algorithmic logic, abstraction, statistics, and data). Her recent projects have engaged works by William Blake, Anna Moschovakis, Douglas Kearney, Morgan Parker, and P.B. Shelley. She earned her B.A. from UC Berkeley in English and Computer Science. Her favorite punctuation mark is the em-dash, especially when it’s used to unsettle a poem's formal conceits.

Karina

Department: Neuroscience
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Professional Writing, Application Documents, Oral Presentations, Writing Process, Style/Flow, Fellowships/Grants, STEM, Article Manuscripts, Editing Strategies, Grammar/Mechanics, Research, Conference Presentations/Posters
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Karina is a PhD student in the Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program (NSIDP). Her research interests include developing research tools for fluorescence microscopy in order to image neural activity in different animal models. As a doctoral student at UCLA, Karina has been awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRF) and the UCLA T32 Training in Neurotechnology Translation Fellowship. With cumulative experience in five research labs, Karina has authored seven conference posters, co-authored an additional three posters, and co-authored two peer-reviewed manuscripts. Prior to her doctoral work, Karina graduated from UCLA with a BS in Neuroscience, where she was awarded UCLA fellowship positions in I2URP, CARE Scholars, and PEERS Scholars, with summer internships at UCLA (CARE SEM SPUR) and Dartmouth College (MD-PhD Summer Research Program). In the past, Karina served as a newspaper copy editor and managing editor for the UCLA Undergraduate Science Journal. In defiance of the New York Times style guide, Karina’s favorite punctuation mark is the Oxford comma.

Kiana

Department: Education
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, Social Sciences, Article Manuscripts, Qualitative Methods, Fellowships, Writing Process, Revision Strategies, Style/Flow, Editing Strategies
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Kiana is a PhD candidate in the School of Education and Information Studies focusing on post-secondary institutions. Prior to this, she received a B.A. at Colgate University where she double majored in Behavioral Neuroscience and Educational Studies. She has published in science and social science academic journals, and presented at national and international conferences. She has received intramural fellowships including the Graduate Summer Research Mentorship and Bunche Fellows Program Summer Funding. Kiana also helps high school students with their college applications, and particularly their personal statement. Her favorite punctuation mark is the classic period because sometimes, simple is just better.

Kim W.

Department: Law
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Fellowships/Grants, Article Manuscripts, Humanities & Arts, Application Documents, Cultural Studies, Critical Race Theory, Editing
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Kim is a J.D. candidate in the School of Law. She also has her Ph.D. in Theater and Performance Studies. Her research focuses on the intersections of performance, homelessness, incarceration, and law. Prior to starting law school, Kim was an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has taught courses on African diasporic literature and performance, queer theory, black feminist theory, and world literature. Her favorite punctuation mark is the em dash – academics love adding in their two cents!

Kimberly M.

Department: Chicana/o and Central American Studies
Writing Specialties: Critical Race Theory, Writing Process, Revision strategies, Style/Flow, Article Manuscripts, Social Sciences
Pronouns: they/them
Bio: Kim is a PhD candidate in Chicana/o and Central American Studies. They are a non-traditional student and received their A.A. in Art History at East Los Angeles Community College and transferred to UCLA where they received their B.A. in Chicana/o Studies and minor in African American Studies. They study race, space, and placemaking in Los Angeles and are specifically interested in housing justice movements and how rent burdened Latinas navigate landlord harassment and state violence when undergoing eviction. Kim is also involved in popular education efforts and facilitating support groups that address restorative justice. Kim is a recipient of the Eugene V. Cota Robles fellowship, the Ford Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, Graduate Research Mentorship fellowship and the Graduate Council Diversity Fellowship. Their favorite punctuation mark is the exclamation mark!.

Leezet

Department: Psychology
Writing Specialties: Fellowships/Grants, Academic Writing, Social Sciences, STEM, Statistics, Statistical Reporting, Quantitative Methods, Critical Race Theory, Application Documents, Oral Presentations, Writing Process, Style/Flow, Revision Strategies, Editing Strategies, Master’sThesis
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Leezet is a third-year Psychology PhD student who specializes in social cognitive neuroscience. Her current research investigates how people from dominant and marginalized racial groups understand and experience our racialized social world, using both social neuroscience and computational linguistics approaches. Over the course of her graduate career, she has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a UCLA Graduate Research Mentorship Fellowship, a UCLA Graduate Summer Research Fellowship, a Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship, and a UCLA Alumni Fellowship. Leezet graduated from Princeton University with a BA degree in Neuroscience and a strong background in African American Studies, Critical Race Theory, and Science, Technology, and Society (STS) Studies. Before pursuing her PhD, she gained experience in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) development while working as a data scientist for a technology start-up. Her favorite punctuation mark—which she admittedly overuses—is the em dash.

Lika

Department: Comparative Literature
Writing Specialties: Academic writing, Non-academic writing, Application Documents, Humanities & Arts, Fellowships/Grants, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Cultural Studies, Critical Race Theory, Oral presentations, Writing Process, Editing Strategies, Style/Flow, Grammar/mechanics.
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Lika is a PhD candidate in comparative literature. Her research interests include representations of gender and sexuality and space/environment in 20th century and contemporary literature and film, French and Francophone literatures, and notions of space, confinement and movement within French and English-language contexts. Most recently she has written about Albert Camus, space, and gender; national allegory and metonymy; and 20th century re-imaginings of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Lika holds B.A. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in English and French literature and an M.A. in comparative literature from UCLA. In addition to research and teaching, Lika copyedits for an independent press that publishes work on politics, art, and philosophy and volunteers with small nonprofits on their grant writing efforts. Prior to grad. school she worked as a writer in a behavioral psychology lab, in academic administration and in continuing education. Her favorite punctuation = the ( ) and the …

Marie

Department: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, STEM, Fellowships/Grants, Article Manuscripts, Oral/Conference Presentations, Quantitative Methods, Statistical Reporting, Dissertation, Writing Process, Revision & Editing Strategies
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Marie is a (Bio)Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. candidate who studies the effects of mechanical and physiological stimulation on 3D stem cell and cancer tissues. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP), has presented her work at national conferences, and has published peer-reviewed journal articles as both a first and co-author. Prior to UCLA, she earned her B.S. from Stanford University in Civil & Environmental Engineering. Her favorite punctuation mark is the comma since it is both simple and effective.

Marilyn

Graduate Writing Center Director
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Marilyn Gray is the director of the UCLA Graduate Writing Center. She has a PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures from UCLA. Her dissertation examines Mikhail Bakhtin’s thought and narrative theory from the perspective of Russian theological anthropology. After completing her BA in Slavic Languages and Literatures at Stanford University, she lived and worked in Moscow for four years. During her graduate work at UCLA, she worked for the Center for Digital Humanities assisting faculty with instructional technology and taught Russian language and English composition. She is a big fan of the em-dash and semi-colon when used judiciously.

McKenna

Department:Fellowships/Grants, STEM, Academic Writing, Application Documents, Quantitative Methods, Writing Process, Revision Strategies, Editing, Lab Reports, Oral Presentations, Public Speaking, Post-Graduate Opportunities
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: McKenna is a fifth-year PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering. She develops novel software to improve the performance and lifetime of electrospray thrusters for spacecraft propulsion in partnership with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and multiple Air Force Research Laboratories (AFRLs). Prior to pursuing her PhD, McKenna graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN with Bachelor of Science degrees in Physics and Mathematics and a minor in Business. McKenna is a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellow and has also been awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, a Goldwater Scholarship, a NASA Space Grant, and a Woman in Engineering award. She has authored journal and conference publications, reviewed journal articles, and presented her research internationally.

Michael

Department: Political Science
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Professional Writing , Humanities, Social Sciences, Application Documents, Oral Presentations, Public Speaking, Cultural Studies, Critical Race Theory, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Writing Process, Revision, Editing, Grammar/Mechanics, Style/ flow, English Language Learners, Master’s Thesis, Creative Writing, Narrative Writing
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Michael is a PhD student in political science focusing on political theory. His circuitous academic career has led him to get degrees in English, Philosophy, Education and Gender Studies. He has been tutoring writing since college and enjoys the challenge of reading across disciplines. Beside his academic work, he is a sporadic book reviewer and writer for publications such as Jewish Currents and Public Books. His favorite punctuation mark is the em-dash because of its variety of uses and because it makes long sentences readable.

Tom

Department: Education (Social Research Methodology)
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, STEM, Social Sciences, Policy Writing, Article Manuscripts, Oral Presentations, Public Speaking, Quantitative Methods, Qualitative Methods, Statistics, Statistical Reporting, Writing Process, Revision, Editing, Grammar/Mechanics, Style/Flow, English Language Learners, Master's Thesis, Dissertation
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Tom is a PhD candidate in the School of Education. Most of his training has been in quantitative research methods, with an emphasis on multilevel models and causal inference in nonexperimental settings. He is especially interested in research around multi-year, multi-site, multi-faceted educational programs as well as other lines of inquiry where qualitative and quantitative approaches can speak to---and with---each other. Tom holds BA degrees from USC in English and Spanish, a master's in public policy from UCLA, and an MS in statistics from UCLA. His critics might accuse him of meandering in too many different directions academically and professionally. Nevertheless, he finds that following an indirect path often has its advantages. Tom's favorite form of punctuation is ubiquitously implied in academic writing though sparingly employed: the wonderful question mark.

Victoria

Department: Sociology
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Professional Writing, Social Sciences, Policy Writing, Fellowships/Grants, Application Documents, Article Manuscripts, Oral Presentations, Qualitative Methods, Critical Race Theory, Writing Process, Revision, Master’s Thesis, Style/Flow
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Victoria is a PhD candidate in the Sociology department. She studies urban governance, redevelopment, policing, and race. She holds a B.A. in Leadership and Public Policy from the University of Virginia. Before UCLA, Victoria worked at a social policy research institution, where she produced policy reports and memos. She has received intramural fellowships including the Graduate Research Mentorship Award and Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Awards, and extramural fellowships from the Russell Sage Foundation and the Haynes Lindley Foundation. Her favorite punctuation mark is the semicolon.

Xochitl

Department: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, STEM,Fellowships/Grants, Article Manuscripts, Oral Presentations, Quantitative Methods, Revision, Editing
Pronouns: she/they
Bio: Xochitl is a Ph.D. candidate studying behavioral ecology. Her research focuses on the long-term survival consequences of early-life adversity in a wild population of yellow-bellied marmots. Xochitl earned a BA in “human ecology” with a focus on wildlife ecology and evolution from the College of the Atlantic—a small, liberal arts college in Maine. Xochitl was born in Nicaragua, but grew up in Italy and England, where she earned the International Baccalaureate Diploma. As a graduate student Xochitl has received the NSF GRF, honorable mentions for the Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Fellowship, the UCLA Graduate Council Diversity Fellowship, and several small research grants. She has also published and reviewed a few scientific journal articles and presented her research at academic conferences. Xochitl loves to be outdoors, hiking and photographing wildlife, unless she’s indoors crocheting. Her favorite punctuation is the em dash—the most dramatic pause. However, when it comes to emails and more casual writing, she can’t help but overuse parentheses (because there is always an extra idea waiting to burst forth) in a sort of whisper-like tone.

Support for Fellowships and Grants

The GWC is not currently offering fellowship drop-in hours, but we are offering a full schedule of regular appointments. If you would like to know which consultants have received a particular workshop, please read the consultant bios.

If you would like to request access to examples of successful fellowship essays, please click here.

If you have any questions about fellowship support, please email gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu.

For more information about GWC fellowship support, go to: https://gwc.gsrc.ucla.edu/fellowship-support

Activating Your Handshake Account

Every UCLA student already has a Handshake account. To activate your account, go to ucla.joinhandshake.com and click the blue button labeled “University of California, Los Angeles Sign On”.

From there, you'll be taken to the UCLA Sign-in page, where you should enter your UCLA Login ID and password.

If you are signing in to Handshake for the first time, you'll be prompted to activate your account. At this screen, you will also be able to choose whether you'd like your Handshake profile to be public.

Note that you do not need to make your profile public in order to make an appointment at the Graduate Writing Center.

Once you activate, you'll be prompted to fill out your profile. If your profile is empty, you may see a message like this:

Again, this step is not necessary in order to make an appointment. You can simply close the window and go directly to the appointment system. (You can always modify your profile at a later date if you'd like.)

For additional help, visit the Handshake Help Center.

Using Handshake to Make a Graduate Writing Center Appointment

Once you are logged in to Handshake, go to the “Career Center” menu at the top of the page. In that menu, you will see an “Appointments” option. Click that to make an appointment with a Graduate Writing Consultant. (You can also make appointments here with Career Center staff.)

You'll then be taken to the Appointments page, which will have a link to make a new appointment, as well as show any upcoming and previous appointments.

If you click the "Schedule a New Appointment" link, you'll be taken to a screen where you will choose the type of appointment you would like. Because Handshake is also used by the Career Center, you may see additional options, such as career advising appointments. To make a writing appointment, however, click on "Graduate Writing Appointments."

Once you select the type of appointment, you'll be taken to a screen showing the dates and times available. Choose your preferred date, and then click on the appointment you'd like to take.

After signing up for your appointment, you will be asked to respond to some questions about yourself and your project. You will also be asked to specify your preferred appointment medium (Face-to-Face or Skype). If you choose a Skype appointment, please see our Skype instructions here. Please remember to bring two copies of your project to the appointment (or, if meeting remotely, e-mail the file to gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu.)

Appointment Medium

In-Person Appointments

We are offering some in-person appointments, which are designated in the appointment medium as "face-to-face." For in-person appointments, please bring a printed copy (preferably two) of your draft to the appointment. Free printing is available in the Graduate Student Resource Center. Please contact gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu if you need assistance with in-person appointments.

Zoom Appointments

We offer Zoom appointments if you provide the Zoom link in your Handshake registration form. We designate our Zoom appointments as "Audio Zoom" because we don't require video (and sometimes video is an issue for bandwidth). Here are key tips for Zoom appointments:

• Please provide a Zoom link that does not require an additional password.
• Please use your UCLA professional Zoom account (access here: https://ucla.zoom.us/). If you are not using your pro account, you might have your appointment cut off after 40 minutes.
• Please email your project document to gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu right before the appointment. (UCLA Zoom does not allow document sharing in chat.) Alternatively, it is possible to share a Google doc link in the chat.

Skype Appointments

We have discontinued the use of Skype for remote appointments beginning in summer 2024.

Please email the GWC if you have any questions: gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu

Scheduling and Cancellation Policies

Scheduling and cancellation policies: You may schedule one appointment per week (Monday - Friday) in advance. If you must cancel your appointment, please do so by midnight the night before your appointment date. Late cancellations and no-shows will be penalized. There are no exceptions to this policy unless the student can provide valid documentation (e.g., a doctor's note) within 48 hours of the missed appointment.

If you have any questions, Please consult our policies page, e-mail us at gwc@gsa.asucla.ucla.edu, or call (310) 267-4805, between 9am and 5pm on weekdays.