Research/Interests: Rhetorical Theory and Practice, Writing Centers, Writing in the Disciplines, Computers and Composition, American Cultural Studies.

Recent publications include “Understanding the Gap between High School and College Writing” (co-authored with Cheryl Beil in Assessment Update) and “Hybrid Writing Courses: Combining the Best of Online and Classroom Learning.” Writers Writing, co-authored with Brannon and Neverow, was published by Boynton/Cook in 1982 and is still in print. 

Recent grants include sponsored awards from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board.  

Courses: Undergraduate: College Writing I: Intellectual Prose; Theory and Practice of Individualized Instruction; Graduate: Writing Center Theory and Practice' Teaching Writing Through Technology; Teaching Writing Through Literature.

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Alicia Remolde
CWE Program Assistant
remoldea@mail.montclair.edu

Major/Concentration: MA in English/Writing Studies concentration

Areas of Interest: Women’s and Gender Studies, race and identity, Asian Studies, composition and writing studies, travel, graphic novels, Korean women’s literature, autoethnography, Martian Manhunter.

Alicia joined the CWE after several great years with the Women’s and Gender Studies program. She continues to enjoy meeting students, faculty, and staff from across campus and learning about their interests. Alicia thinks stories and storytelling are a fascinating and powerful part of our lives, both in their hearing and telling. She will gladly answer any questions or concerns you have about the CWE.

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Dr. Patty Keefe Durso
Assistant Director for Professional Technology
dursop@mail.montclair.edu
PhD, George Washington University
MA, George Washington University
BA, Rutgers University

Research/Interests: Humanities computing, rhetoric and composition, American literature, multiethnic literature, critical race and cultural studies, contemporary theory, literature by women, feminist criticism and theory, the novel, hypertext fiction, creative nonfiction

Recent publications include articles on contemporary American women writers in books such as Too Smart to be Sentimental: Contemporary Irish-American Women Writers (U of Notre Dame P, 2008), Multiethnic Literature and the Canon Debates (SUNY Press, 2006), and Anglophone Literatures / English Literatures(Japan: Jimbun Shoin, 2002 – published in Japanese).

Courses: College Writing I, College Writing II, Business Writing, and (sometimes) literature courses, such as The Art of Fiction or World Literature.

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Consultants

 

Kristen Anderson  (Kris)
Consultant

Major/concentration: English, M.A. program, writing studies. Thesis: (In progress) The Rhetoric of Buffy Fandom: A Study of Fan Texts Produced in an Online Community Environment

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: creative writing, ad sales marketing, general essays, Power Point presentations

Extracurricular: watching movies, reading, writing creatively, playing board games, putting together puzzles, baking, hosting parties/gatherings, spending quality time with friends

After she realized an office job wasn’t for her, Kristen decided it was time to finally make a change, and is now in pursuit of her graduate degree at MSU. Prior to this epiphany, she worked for 7+ years in various departments at Premiere Radio Networks doing ad-sales marketing and affiliate marketing.

Kristen received her B.A. in Speech Communication with a Minor in Journalism from Montclair State University. During her time as an undergrad, she was the music director of WMSC-FM (Montclair State's Underground Radio), and also wrote for the Montclarion (Features and A&E sections).

This is Kristen’s second year working for the CWE. She looks forward to the experience and to helping students find their writer’s voice.

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Alice Freddi Beresin
Consultant

Major/concentration: Certificate of Teaching Writing

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: American and French Literature, Art and Art History, and Learning Disabilities

Extracurricular: Alice is a free-lance illustrator for Prentice Hall, Inc. and Jossey-Bass.  She draws the pictures for classroom handouts. She enjoys traveling, reading and gardening.

For the past seven years, Alice has tutored middle school, high school and college students in composition, and in research, organizational and study skills. She has also tutored students for the Reading and Writing sections of the SAT and has worked with high school seniors on college essays and applications. A number of Alice’s private tutees have leaning differences. Alice has a B. A. from Sarah Lawrence College and an M.F.A. from Tyler School of Art. This is her first year working at CWE and she loves helping students become better writers.

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Robert K. Brown
Consultant

Major/concentration: English Education

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Impact of culture on writing\literacy, writing development, business writing, language development and learning, Art, Computer Graphics, Technology.

Extracurricular: Enjoys cycling, cooking, Quality time with his family-especially traveling, tailgating, reading old magazines, Black-Liberation Books, Music-especially Jazz, soccer coach, loves horses, football, tailgating, lazy afternoons in my hammock.

Robert spent over two decades honing his business writing skills in various capacities, including management.  He has writing experience with financial reporting, sales materials, desktop publishing, computer graphics, technical writing, and business correspondence.  He was also a journalism student at Brooklyn College, and is currently pursuing his BA in English Education at Montclair State, with a strong emphasis on expository writing. In the process of a career change, he will become an English\Language Arts teacher in the coming year.

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Janet Dengel
Consultant

Major/Concentration: MA in English/Writing Concentration

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: creative non-fiction, magazine/news writing, business, and editing

Extracurricular: walking, bike riding, traveling, and time at the shore with family; tried sewing, but after one attempt, the machine just gathers dust

Janet received her BA in Communication from Ramapo College of New Jersey and has worked in publishing as a writer/editor for 25 years. She just started classes this fall for an MA in English, hoping to switch careers and become a teacher of writing. This is Janet’s first year as a consultant with the Center for Writing Excellence and she looks forward to sharing her love of writing, and believe it or not, revising.

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Norman DeFilippo
Consultant

Major/concentration: English with a concentration in British Literature, M.A. program

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Poetry, Samuel Beckett

Extracurricular: Listening to indie rock, playing guitar and bass, walking, Molly, his American Bull Dog Terrier, pretending to be an impressionistic painter, and fixing things that break around the house.

Norman began his undergraduate studies at William Paterson University, where he was Editor-In-Chief of the college newspaper and the literary magazine. After two years at William Paterson, Norman transferred to Boston College where he spent most of his time reading British and American poetry and studying Buddhism. In 2000 he graduated with a B.A. in English literature.

During the fall 2009 and spring 2010 semesters Norman was a graduate assistant at Montclair. He aided four professors with three projects. He spent half of his time conducting research at the New York Public Library and the other half of his time performing online research. Norman is now conducting research for his M.A. thesis on three, twentieth-century, Irish novels and their depictions of the underworld. 

Norman enjoys working in the writing center and working with students on their writing.

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Jen Ferreira
Consultant

Major/Concentration: MA in English/Writing Concentration

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Jen has a passion for the study of American Literature and creative writing.

Extracurricular:Jen enjoys music, theater, photography, and painting.  Nearly half of her personal library is made up of used books purchased at garage sales.

Jen graduated from Montclair State University in May of 2009.  At MSU, she studied English Education.  Jen started working for the Center for Writing Excellence in September of 2009.  She thoroughly enjoys being a consultant and loves being able to work with students to help strengthen writing skills. 

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Rob Friere
Consultant

Major/concentration: MA in Applied Linguistics

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Teaching English as a second language, the structure of English, language and culture, editing

Extracurricular: Rob has always loved music and film, but now that he has three kids, he’s developing a taste for the art of geniuses like the Backyardigans and the Dino 5.

Rob received his BA in English Literature from Rutgers College and his MA from Montclair State University. He now teaches linguistics courses at MSU, writes and edits language teaching materials, and enjoys helping students develop as writers at the CWE.

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Lenny Grant
Consultant

Major/concentration: M.A. in English/Writing Concentration

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: American Literature, Composition, Business Writing, Creative Non-fiction, Philosophy, Journalism, Digital and Interactive Media and Messaging, Multi-channel Marketing.  

Extracurricular: Liberating antiques and books from basements and attics, Indie Rocking, hiking and camping, practicing cuisine, reading the diaries of British maritime explorers, rooting for his beloved Boston Red Sox, training for Strong Man competitions, and corresponding via parcel post. 

Lenny has an eclectic background in financial and trade journalism, publishing, small business, education, and farming. In addition to his M.A.T. in English from Montclair State University (2005) and his B.A. in Philosophy and English from Drew University (2000), he has studied writing, history, and archaeology at Harvard University and is a member of The International Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Epsilon Lambda National Honor Society.

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Heather Liebowitz
Consultant

Certifications: B.A. English, NJ Teaching Certification

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: creative writing, speech, literature, and education

Extracurricular: movies, listening to music, seeing Broadway plays, reading, writing short stories

I received my B.A. in English with a NJ Teaching Certification from Montclair State University. During my time as an undergrad at Montclair I took several courses towards a minor in Creative Writing.  I have a passion for teaching writing and helping students improve their ideas whether it be creative or formal writing.  I truly enjoy the experience of working one-on-one with students and helping them find new and varied ways of expressing themselves.

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Dawn Moore
Consultant

Major/concentration: M.A. English/Writing Studies. Thesis: Using a Wiki to Teach Academic Writing at the College Level

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Academic, transactional and creative writer with a global world view writing: academic, web content, market research proposals and RFPs, press releases, electronic response media, business profiles, consumer package instructions, sales letters, business plans, marketing and presentation materials, grant, newsletters, brochures, ad copy, financial management manual, training manual, newspaper and magazine articles, advertorials, training presentations, community advocacy, PowerPoint presentations, resumes, fiction and non-fiction manuscripts.

Extracurricular: Travel, cooking ministry, certified health coach with Take Shape for Life. I have traveled extensively, residing in the U.S.A., Japan, and Brazil.

In addition to consulting at the CWE, Dawn teaches Literature Analysis and Newsletter Writing in a private setting.

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Alison Nolan
Consultant

Major/Concentration: M.A. English, Writing Studies

Areas of Expertise: Creative writing, business writing

Extracurricular: Theater, music and the arts, business, anthropology, psychology, health, animals, downhill skiing, water sports, sporting events, cooking

Alison received her B.A. in English from Montclair State University in January 2010. She is currently a Graduate Assistant in the M.A. English program with a concentration in Writing Studies.  She is also a Substitute Teacher pursuing a Teaching-Writing Certificate from MSU and a NJ State Teaching Certificate. Her ultimate goal is to teach writing at the college or secondary-school level.

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Alan Smith
Consultant

MA English Concentration Writing Studies

Areas of Expertise: Composition Writing, Creative Writing, Song Writing, Creative Arts

Extracurricular:   Music, Natural Building, Ultimate Frisbee, Road trips, Revering Mother Earth

Alan has an MA in English concentrating in Writing Studies.  His thesis "The Conflicted I" analyzed issues surrounding first person and personal writing in the composition classroom.  He has taught 8 semesters of English composition. 

Alan is also in a local band called The Porchistas who sound like The Muppets in the Carribean.  He spends several months of each year in a remote, old growth rain forest, teaching people how to build earthen structures and live sustainably. 

Alan enjoys being able to help students make their papers better while simultaneously improving their overall writing ability which is why he works in The Center for Writing Excellence.  The one thing he knows for sure about himself is that he has great hair.

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Kristine Witko
Consultant

Major/concentration: MAT in Teaching English as a Second Language

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Working with second language writers, creative writing

Extracurricular: Traveling, drinking lots of coffee, attempting to learn a new language, reading, and writing.

As an undergrad, Kristine attended La Salle University as an English major with a writing concentration. She originally planned on becoming an author or going into journalism until she started tutoring in the university’s BUSCA program (Bilingual Undergraduate Studies for Collegiate Advancement). The experience was so fulfilling that she decided to teach ESL instead. She graduated from La Salle in 2009 and is now in the middle of the TESL program. This is her second year at Montclair and her second year as a consultant at the CWE. After she graduates from MSU, she would love to teach abroad.

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Nikki Wittenburg
Consultant

Major/concentration: MA in English/Literature Concentration

Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Creative writing, Arts (Theatre, dance, music, art), Literature, and Business (Marketing and Public Relations).

Extracurricular: Reading, writing, dancing, theatre, cooking, gardening, traveling, hiking, and spending time outside.

Nikki received her BA in English (Writing concentration) with a double minor in Performing Arts (Theatre concentration) and Arts Administration from Rider University. She worked at Rider’s Writing Lab for two years as a Student Writing Tutor, and is certified with the College Reading and Learning Association. As an undergrad, Nikki was actively involved in Alpha Psi Omega, Rider’s chapter of the National Theatre Fraternity, and served as the Public Relations Chair on the Executive Board her senior year. She was also actively involved with Venture, Rider’s literary Magazine. At MSU, Nikki is a Graduate Assistant, and her literary interests include: Victorian literature, Ancient Greek mythology and literature, and young adult/children’s literature. During her next two years at Montclair, Nikki hopes to start publishing some of her creative and academic work.

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Greeters

 

Jamie Abarca
Greeter

Jamie is a junior at Montclair State University. She is an English major who enjoys economics, fashion, and politics. Aside from being a greeter at the Center for Writing Excellence, she also works for the English Department and Center for Career Services and Cooperative Education, where she was awarded the “Outstanding Student Worker Award” in April of 2010. Jamie’s other hobbies include shopping, “youtubing,” blog browsing, and proving others wrong.

 

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Alyssa Connor
Greeter

Alyssa is very excited to be part of the CWE as a Greeter. Alyssa is a freshman and a major in Jurisprudence. Her interests include writing and reading as well as a passion for sports, especially baseball. Alyssa has coached the little league baseball teams of her 2 younger brothers for five years and is the manager for Montclair State University’s baseball team. Alyssa hopes to attend law school and become a sports agent or a judge. Alyssa grew up grew up fifteen minutes outside of the “city of brotherly love” and is finding living fifteen minutes outside of the “big apple” to be just as fun.

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Quay Davis
Greeter

Quayshaela Davis is a sophomore and an English major. Her interests are Reading, Writing, Volunteering, and spending time with family & friends. She enjoys traveling to different places and meeting new people. Next year she hopes to study aboard. She grew up in Paterson, NJ. Her favorite quote is "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

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Richie Panuyas
Greeter

Richie is an undeclared freshman looking to expand his horizons. With an interest in comedic writing, he wants to write screenplays or jokes for standup comedians. Some of his other interests include music, ping pong, and self improvement. He currently lives on campus but he originally hails from Maplewood, NJ. He hopes to be seen as helpful and kind while working as a greeter at the Center For Writing Excellence.

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Sara Patton
Greeter

Sara has just started working for the CWE as a Greeter. She is a junior who transferred from Camden County College. Her major is Nutrition with a concentration in Dietetics. She hopes to eventually go on and receive her Master’s degree. Her interests include painting, reading, Lord of the Rings, running, and hiking. One of her favorite memories this past year was swimming with and feeding sharks at the Camden Aquarium. She dreams to one day swim with whale sharks and feed great white sharks out in the ocean.

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Leah Stark
Greeter

Leah Stark is a Music Therapy Percussion major. She enjoys helping people and is currently doing fieldwork in a NYC nursing home.

Leah loves music but her other interests include dancing and reading. She is originally from Binghamton, NY, which is just 15 minutes away from the PA border.

 

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