The staff of the Center for Writing Excellence are dedicated to making your visit to the CWE a positive experience.
We welcome you and look forward to working with you!
LEADERSHIP
Program Director
Professor and Director of the Center for Writing Excellence, English
- Phone
- 973-655-7442
- knightm@montclair.edu
- Location
- Bohn Hall
Research/Interests: Rhetorical Theory and Practice, Writing Centers, Writing in the Disciplines, Computers and Composition, American Cultural Studies.
A scholar and practitioner, Professor Knight brings expertise in rhetorical theory and practice, business and professional communication, writing across the curriculum and American cultural studies. She conducts undergraduate and graduate courses at Montclair State University and supervises student teachers. Additionally, she advises educational and governmental organizations on corporate communications topics and develops professional communication programs for a broad spectrum of clients in business, not-for-profit and governmental organizations. Professor Knight has been awarded grants from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Wallerstein Foundation, among others. She has also been the Editor of Business and Professional Communication Quarterly since 2010.
Assistant Director
Assistant Director of the Center for Writing Excellence, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Phone
- 973-655-7442
- remoldea@montclair.edu
- Location
- Bohn Hall
Areas of Interest: Community writing projects, Women’s Studies, Asian women’s literature, classic monster movies.
Before joining the CWE, Alicia enjoyed working for the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Montclair State. She likes 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 encourages writers at all levels to make use of the CWE, for all kinds of writing.
CONSULTANTS
Alan Smith
Senior Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: composition writing, creative writing, songwriting, creative arts
Extracurricular: Music, natural building, visual arts, carpentry, organic farming, cooking
Alan is in The Porchistas, a very busy, Montclair-based, independent rock band. He spends several months of each year at Rancho Mastatal 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. He says, “The challenge of guiding writers to a better place, a more confident and empowered place in their writing is as rewarding today as it was when I first started. I thoroughly enjoy my job.”
Allama Sijan
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Psychology, analytical writing, research paper, personal statement,
APA style, writing in social science
Extracurricular: Extracurricular: Reading, playing soccer, learning new skills, playing with my cat, watching
thrillers, cooking, meditating, finding music and podcasts on Spotify
Sijan graduated from Earlham College in 2022 with a BA in Psychology and Business
Management. He is currently pursuing his MA in Industrial/ Organizational Psychology at MSU.
Sijan has a curious personality (maybe he just likes to imitate his cat). He believes in the power
of questioning to learn concepts and formulate new ideas. His current curiosity is to understand
the human mind and its connection to work; he considers written communication and data to
be essential tools in his quest. He is passionate about helping others find their jobs meaningful
and fostering good communication skills.
Alice Freddi Beresin
Senior Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: American and French Literature, Art and Art History, and Learning Disabilities
Extracurricular: Drawing, travel, reading, gardening and going to the theater
This is Alice’s fourth year working at the CWE. Alice also tutors middle school, high school and college students in composition, research and study skills. She has worked with students on the reading and writing sections of the SAT and has helped high school seniors on college essays and applications. A number of Alice’s private clients have learning differences. Alice currently freelances as an illustrator for private clients and has illustrated books for Prentice Hall, Inc., Jossey-Bass, and John Wiley & Sons. Additionally, Alice is on the board of directors of the off-Broadway theater company, VOICETheatre, where one of her duties is editing grants and promotional material.
Ana Hilario
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: International studies, politics, poetry, 20th century literature, contemporary American novels, linguistics, magazine and newspaper writing, creative writing
Extracurriculars: listening to true crime podcasts, traveling, weekly baking sessions, making the world’s best cup of coffee
Ana graduated from Montclair State University in 2022 with an MA in English. Her undergraduate major was English with a minor in Linguistics. Ana is currently working in the architecture and engineering industry as a proposal coordinator. She is a firm believer in the power of the written word to connect individuals and communities. Ana hopes to share this love of literature with the CWE community as a writing consultant.
Camilla M Finch
Senior Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: News writing for television, newspapers and magazines. Expertise in economic and business journalism.
Camilla has worked professionally as a journalist in both the television and print fields for 25 years. She rose through the ranks to become a producer at ABC Network News working on the programs, “20/20”, “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings” and “Business World”. She specializes in writing about business and economic issues for both television and print. She is also a founding member of the Lydia Johnson Dance Company as well as a founding member of Youthnet, the after-school program that serves the South Orange and Maplewood school districts.
Emilia Siracusa
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: First-year college writing, MLA style, Rhetorical analysis, Theatre and Dance
Extracurricular: Dancing, singing, yoga, reading, Broadway and concert going
Emilia graduated from Montclair State University in 2022 with a BA in Theatre Studies and is currently pursuing her MA in Theatre. She has previously served as an undergraduate Writing Fellow for MSU’s First-Year Writing Studio. In addition, Emilia has served the first-year community at MSU as a University Fellow. Emilia is passionate about helping writers form their identity and voice through their writing, as well as guiding writers through their academic journey and beyond.
Johnna Caporuscio
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Psychology, Sociology, Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, APA Style, literature reviews
Extracurricular: Coaching and playing soccer, running, baking, drinking coffee, eating pasta, spending time with family and friends
Johnna graduated summa cum laude from Assumption University in 2020 with a BA in Psychology and Sociology and a minor in Italian Studies. She comes to the CWE with prior experience tutoring at the Academic Support Center at Assumption. Johnna is currently pursuing her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at MSU. She believes that writing is a challenging and fun activity, and she hopes to help others improve their writing and enjoy the writing process. She loves helping others and feels most fulfilled when she can make a positive impact on people’s lives.
Justin Ghansiam
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Business writing, poetry, Creative writing, storytelling, MLA, International Business, Management, Marketing
Extracurricular: Socializing, massive film geek, singer, dancer, photographer, poet, aspiring DJ, and a person who loves to live life to the fullest!
Kristine Witko
Senior Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Second language writing, APA format, Praxis or ACT test prep, writing about education or linguistics, reading comprehension, impromptu essays
Extracurricular: Traveling, taking Spanish and Portuguese classes, spending hours in bookstores, trying new hobbies, attempting to dance bachata, and writing
Kristine obtained her BA in English (creative writing track) and received her MAT in Teaching English as a Second Language from Montclair State. For several years following graduation, Kristine split her time between New Jersey and Rio de Janeiro. While she lived in Brazil, she managed a nonprofit that provided educational services to children in a favela. Once she settled in the United States, she worked as a Literacy Coach for the Center of Pedagogy and spent over four years as an elementary school teacher in Brooklyn. This year marks Kristine’s 13th year working for the CWE, and she has greatly enjoyed watching students strengthen their writing skills over time.
Tuba Masood
Consultant
Subjects/Area of Expertise: Literature Reviews, APA Style, Psychology, Clinical Mental Health Counseling
Extracurricular: Going on nature walks and hikes, sitting outside and watching the sunset, bullet journaling, learning new things, and spending time with friends and family.
Tuba graduated from William Paterson University with a BA in Psychology in 2019. She is currently pursuing her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. As a multilingual, first-generation college student, Tuba understands the challenges that many writers may face. She believes that everyone has their own unique writing process, so her goal is to use a person-centered approach toward consulting. She is passionate about helping others grow and achieve their goals.
Valerie Saturen
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: First-year college writing, American literature, creative writing, journalism, and writing in the humanities
Extracurricular: Reading, hiking, learning new things and going on adventures in New York City
Val received her MFA in Creative and Professional Writing in 2018 from William Paterson University, where she currently teaches first-year college writing. She believes writing is an extremely valuable skill no matter one’s life path or career goals, and she enjoys watching writers develop their ideas and become more confident in their writing. In addition to teaching and consulting, she loves working on creative writing projects, especially writing for young adults. In her past experience as a freelance journalist, she wrote features about current events, environmental sustainability, and a wide variety of other topics. She loves working with all kinds of writers on every type of writing!
GREETERS
Alexis Antico
Head Greeter and Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: APA style, literature, analytical writing, journalism, creative writing
Extracurricular: Reading, Netflix, working on impulsive creative projects, playing with her dog, playing video games and writing stories.
Alexis graduated from Montclair State University in 2014. She runs a book club with her friends, plays DND, and generally enjoys creating welcoming spaces. She is an avid reader and enjoys writing short stories and creative nonfiction. When not writing, she’s probably thinking about her allergy-ridden pitbull Lulu.
Namrata Nitin Amin
Senior Greeter
Prior to the CWE, Namrata worked at a non-profit organization that aided survivors of human trafficking where she advocated for victim visa rights. Her time there was spent working with those who spoke little or no English to ensure that their experiences were communicated efficiently and privately to other organizations who could help further. As a multilingual writer herself, Namrata freelances as a translator and is excited about working at the CWE and the resources it provides writers, especially to those whose first language is not English. Outside of professional interests, she is passionate about her Malaysian roots, travel, South Asian Fiction, her attempts at writing a collection of short stories and the New York Yankees.