Meet the Graduate Writing Consultants

We encourage you to make an appointment with a writing consultant in an academic area similar to yours, so please review the consultant bios listed below. 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.

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

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, Zotero (basic), Obsidian
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, Zotero
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.

Carolyn

Department: Anthropology
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Professional Writing, Policy Writing, Social Sciences, Fellowships/Grants, Application Documents, Qualitative Methods, Writing Process, Grammar/Mechanics, Style/Flow, English Language Learners, Zotero (basic), Scrivener (basic), Notion (basic)
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Carolyn is a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology. She studies intercultural communication in workplaces and ideologies of linguistic competence in the labor market. As a Graduate Student Researcher at the UCLA Labor Center, she learned how to write policy reports with community partners employing a research justice framework. Additionally, as a Korean/Spanish to English translator, she has experience translating a range of genres including: art catalogues, workplace documents, subtitles, and webtoons. Carolyn has received the NSF GRFP, GSRM, GRM, and the Institute of American Cultures Research Grant. Her favorite punctuation mark is the semicolon because it is used iconically in Korean texting to convey embarrassment or awkwardness (due to its resemblance to sweat drops). (^_^);;

Ebony

Department: Gender Studies
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Humanities, Fellowship/Grants, Application Documents, Style/Flow, Revision Strategies, Writing Process, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Black Studies, Critical Theory, Cultural Studies
Pronouns: they/them
Bio: Ebony (they/them) is a Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellow, PhD Candidate in the Department of Gender Studies, and a former co-chair of the Black Feminism Initiative here at UCLA. Their work addresses Transatlantic Slavery and its carceral afterlife with a focus on the entanglements between antiblackness, antifatness, and ableism. Ebony holds a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from the University of Oregon and a Master’s in Education from Portland State University with a Graduate Certificate in Gender, Race, and Nations. Among their research awards and fellowships, some include the Dissertation Year Fellowship, Jean Stone Dissertation Award, Intersections of Carceral Studies and Black Studies Residency Award, Race and Digital Justice Fellowship, Institute of American Cultures Graduate and Predoctoral Fellowship with the Bunche Center for African American Studies, Keck Humanistic Inquiry Research Award, Emerge Fellowship and Residency with the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability Fellowship, Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Fellowship, Alisa Bierria Black Feminism Initiative Fellowship, and the Black Feminist Interdisciplinary Graduate Research Grant.

Elias

Department: Psychology & Communication (Cognitive Track)
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, Fellowships/Grants, Article Manuscripts, Quantitative Methods, STEM, Social Sciences, Master's Thesis, Revision Strategies, Writing Process, Style/Flow
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Elias is a PhD student in Psychology and Communication at UCLA, where he works at the intersection of cognitive and evolutionary approaches to human behavior. His research explores the psychological foundations of emotion, belief, and decision-making, with published work on topics including awe, disgust, thermoregulation, psychedelic-assisted therapy, and the relationship between personality and critical thinking. His articles have appeared in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Motivation and Emotion, Personality and Individual Differences, The Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, and Physiology and Behavior. He is also a contributing author to the APA Handbook of Evolutionary Psychology and multiple entries in the Encyclopedia of Sexual Psychology and Behavior. Elias earned his BA in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy from Colorado Mesa University, and his MA in Psychological Science from the University of Colorado. At UCLA, he is a member of the Social Minds Lab and has received the Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship, the Graduate Research Mentorship Award, and the Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Award. He has presented his research at national conferences such as the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP) and the Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES), where he was nominated for the New Investigator Award. Beyond research, Elias has extensive teaching and mentoring experience, having served as a teaching assistant in evolutionary psychology, general psychology, and statistics courses, as well as a writing consultant supporting students across disciplines. His favorite punctuation mark is the question mark, because it embodies curiosity.

Elle

Department: Neuroscience
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Fellowships/Grants, Application Documents, STEM, Writing Process, Revision Strategies, Editing Strategies
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Elle is a PhD candidate and serves as a Fellowship Specialist, focusing specifically on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants. She attended the University of Chicago as a QuestBridge Scholar and now researches neural repair after stroke, investigating potential stroke treatments in the Carmichael Lab. As a UCLA student, she has received the Graduate Council Diversity Fellowship, the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Fellowship, and the Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA F-31 Diversity Fellowship from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke). Outside of the lab, Elle is a personal finance educator, the layout editor for Chicago Business, a pyrography artist, a volunteer for non-profits, and a camper. Her favorite punctuation mark is the semicolon, as she loves complex lists and relating sentences! (Note: Elle is available by request for NIH F30 and F31 application support--Thursday afternoon appointments are preferred but other times may be available. Please send requests to the GWC email.)

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.

Ezequiel

Department: Art History
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, Fellowships/Grants, Humanities & Arts, Cultural Studies, Writing Process, Revision, Editing, Style/Flow, Oral Presentations, Conference Proposals/Papers
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Ezequiel is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Art History, where he focuses on Latin American and Latinx art. Upon entering UCLA, Ezequiel was awarded the Eugene V. Cota-Robles Fellowship. He has since earned the Keck Humanistic Inquiry Research Award, the Graduate Summer Research Mentorship Award, the Graduate Research Mentorship Fellowship, the Mellon Foundation Pre-dissertation Fellowship, and the Big Ten Academic Alliance/Smithsonian Institution Predoctoral Fellowship. Ezequiel has completed extensive coursework in Chicana/o & Central American studies, Native Studies, and gender studies throughout his time at UCLA. He has also published articles in both English and Spanish. His favorite punctuation mark is “?” because asking questions gives life meaning, and—as a first gen student—he encourages others to raise them.

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
Bio: Harmeet is a PhD candidate and mixed methods scholar in the Higher Education and Organizational Change PhD 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.

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. (Note: Janel isn't in the regular appointment schedule but is available by request for Soros fellowship writing support. Please send requests to the GWC email.)

Lika

Department: Comparative Literature
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Non-Academic Writing, Application Documents, Humanities & Arts, Fellowships/Grants, Gender & Sexuality Studies, Writing Process, Editing Strategies, Style/Flow, Zotero (basic)
Pronouns: she/her, they/them
Bio: Lika is a PhD candidate in comparative literature. Lika’s work examines concepts and literary representations of reproduction, bodily autonomy, motherhood and non-motherhood, and family abolition in feminist philosophy and speculative fiction from France and America (late 1960s-present). 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. She has received a Dissertation Year Award (DYA), Graduate Research Mentorship (GRM) Award, Graduate Summer Research Mentorship (GSRM) Award, FLAS Academic Year Language Study Fellowship, CERS Summer Language Study Grant, CERS Pre-Dissertation Research Grant, and CSW Travel Research Grant. Prior to graduate school, Lika worked in academic administration and adult and continuing education. Her favorite punctuation = the ( ) and the …

Lissy

Department: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Editing/Revision Strategies, IRB Documents, Lab Reports, Oral Presentations, Writing Process, Zotero (basic), LaTeX (basic), Notion (basic)
Pronouns: she/her
Bio: Lissy is an analytical chemistry PhD student. Her research at UCLA focuses on developing diagnostic and prognostic technologies using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Before starting at UCLA, Lissy earned a bachelor's degree with a double major in chemistry and history from Vanderbilt University. After graduating, she worked as a translational research coordinator at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she helped manage several clinical studies aimed at determining environmental risk factors in the development of asthma and other allergic diseases. Her favorite punctuation marks are commas, specifically Oxford commas, because they are crucial for complexity, correctness, and clarity.

Marilyn

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.

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 Candidate in Political Science, focusing on political theory. He works on democratic theory, organizing, social movements and the history of political thought. 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.

Mykel

Department: Molecular Biology
Writing Specialties: Application Documents, Article Manuscripts, Fellowships/Grants, Statistical and/or Quantitative Descriptions, and Oral Presentations/Public Speaking
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Mykel is a first-generation Jamaican-American doctoral candidate at UCLA who was born and raised in The Bronx. The language he thinks in is a blend of African American Ebonics, and Jamaican Patois. He’s spent most of his life living in predominantly Hispanic communities. Speaking of language, with the support of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF-GRFP), Mykel is working to decipher the grammar of the complex language of gene regulation. Passionate about science communication, he has taught and mentored hundreds of students at the middle school, high school, college, graduate, and post graduate levels. Outside of lab, he is an athlete and artist, emphasizing discipline and creativity, across fields. His favorite punctuation marks are the comma, and semi-colon; because he has lots of thoughts, that he likes to separate, and point out the connections between.

Soham

Department: Civil and Environmental Engineering
Writing Specialties: Academic Writing, Application Documents, STEM, Fellowships/Grants, Article Manuscripts, Oral Presentations, Quantitative Methods, Writing Process, Revision, Style/Flow, Zotero (basic)
Pronouns: he/him
Bio: Soham is an Environmental Engineering PhD Candidate and a NSF GRFP Fellow at UCLA. His research focuses on the bioremediation of 1,4-dioxane and other environmental contaminants and the fate and transport of antibiotic resistance genes. Soham attended UCSB where he majored in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry and Environmental Studies. Before beginning his doctoral studies, he worked in wetland restoration, seaweed aquaculture, and air quality monitoring in Southern California. Outside of work, Soham loves to cook, hike in LA, visit national parks, read, and play basketball! His favorite punctuation marks are parentheses as he always has so much (yet so little) to say.

NOTE: Soham is currently holding appointments on Monday evenings but may be available to meet with students applying for the NSF GRFP at other times. To inquire about scheduling an appointment, please email the Graduate Writing Center.