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Graduate Tutors

	Anh Graduate Student Ph.D. Student, English Originally from Vietnam, my family and I moved halfway across the globe to the brimming concrete mazes of New York City. However, I feel most at home amidst the lush greenery and tranquility of New England. I enjoy learning jazz and contemporary fusion dance, listening to Taylor Swift’s new album, and catching a gentle breeze on a morning run. Cooking nourishing foods to eat with loved ones fills me with joy, as well. I’m grateful for the diversity of voices, languages, and experiences that you all bring to the Writing Center and am excited to be a part of your unique journey.
	Baaqeyah Graduate Student Ph.D. Student, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Baaqeyah is a Ph.D. candidate in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department. Her research interests include developmental biology, vertebrate evolution, molecular biology, and genome evolution. Baaqeyah currently explores the phenotypic effects of genome evolution in salamanders. She is passionate about intersectional feminism, equity in education, and justice. An explorer at heart, Baaqeyah is always looking for the next adventure. In her free time, you can find her reading, traveling, visiting museums, and playing with animals.
	Danielle Graduate Student Ph.D. Student, Molecular and Cell Biology As a researcher, Danielle studies the evolution of parasitic DNA and proteins in algae, archaea, and bacterial viruses. Long-term, she aims to become a professor and principal investigator of her own lab at a research university, where she can return the favors her academic inspirations and mentors have done for her. In preparation for her career as an educator, Danielle is always testing new ways to clearly and effectively convey difficult topics in the biochemistry and computational biology courses she teaches. As a first-time graduate tutor at the Writing Center, Danielle is eager to learn about the wide array of subjects UConn students are writing about and aid them in achieving their writing goals one step at a time. In her free time, Danielle can be found enjoying her 47-hour playlist, enveloped in a sci-fi or mystery novel (a sci-fi mystery being most ideal), admiring tiny creatures in tide pools, or having long philosophical conversations with her cat Pluto.
	Emmanuel Graduate Student Ph.D. Student, English An avid lover of poetry, jazz, and coffee, Emmanuel finds inspiration in the rhythms and complexities of language, music, and culture. Their passion for English literature stems from a desire to understand how culture, politics, and language intertwine to shape human experience. Emmanuel’s research focuses on the interplay of culture, politics, and language in postcolonial and multiethnic literature, with a particular interest in how cultural histories shape worldviews and narrative styles. They envision a classroom where students feel empowered to share their unique experiences and perspectives, fostering a rich and inclusive learning environment.
	Lex Graduate Student Masters in Educational Leadership Hi, I’m Lex (they/them). I began writing poetry at the beginning of my collegiate career in 2016. In 2022, I graduated, summa cum laude, with an English: Creative Writing degree from the University of Bridgeport (UB). Currently, I am a second-year master’s student in the department of Educational Leadership. My home is in the academic-writing focused field of Higher Education and Student Affairs (HESA); however, I center my pedagogy in self-expressive poetic and prosaic literary techniques. It is my mission to infuse each academic essay I write with passion, African-based language dialects, and cultural vernacular, relevant to my salient identities. As a writing tutor and educator, my goal is to help each student embody self-expressive and self-reflective essay composition techniques, regardless of their intersectional identities, English language fluency, or country of origin. Language can never be liberatory for all if it is only democratic for an English-only audience. Photo credit: Alexa McCall Manh Udell
	Mckenzie Graduate Student Ph.D. Student, English Mckenzie is a graduate student in the English department studying the Gothic novel. She also works with the First-Year Writing program and has a lot of experience working with students in FYW classes. She is from Saratoga Springs NY, and has lived in Burlington, Vermont and New York City. She loves reading, especially spooky stories and fantasy novels, and is training for a 10K.
	Rebecca Graduate Student Secondary English Education As a life-long lover of learning, Rebecca is pursuing a career in secondary English education where she hopes to impart a love of reading and writing onto her future students. Originally from Danbury, CT, Rebecca found a home at UConn during her time as an undergrad and is continuing her UConn experience through the Neag Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. When she’s not helping writers, she is likely sipping on coconut coffee, listening to 80s music, or reading anything by James Baldwin.
	Tristan Graduate Student Ph.D. Student, Molecular and Cell Biology Tristan is a TA for MCB 2000 and hopes to become a professor after receiving his doctorate. His research involves studying the architecture of the bacterial ribosome and its protein partners. He spends most of his time building 3D molecular models in an aspiration to make biology beautiful and accessible to everyone. Tristan’s current hobbies include finding obscure topics on Wikipedia, and slowly reading the works of Kurt Vonnegut. Occasionally, he will attempt to bake/cook something that is far too difficult for him.
	David Evans Assistant Director, Graduate Tutoring Coordinator Ph.D. Candidate, History David Evans is a doctoral candidate at the University of Connecticut where he studies the history of human rights, US foreign relations, and agricultural policy. His dissertation “Hunger for Rights: Establishing the Human Right to Food, 1930 – 1988” explores how politicians, internationalists, and activists envisioned the human right to food, first within the discourse of international economic development, and then as a point of contention between advocates for social justice and supporters of deregulatory market policies. David taught history courses over seven semesters while at UConn, five of which were designated “writing intensive.” In this capacity, he has worked with and advised multilingual and international students and others from diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. David is a husband and father to two children. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Before pursuing his academic career, David served eight and a half years in the United States Marine Corps.
	Emery Roberts Assistant Director Ph.D. Student, Education Emery grew up an hour from Yellowstone Park in the mountains around Bozeman, Montana. He taught first-year writing courses at Montana State University where he earned his BA and MA in English Literature. Currently, Emery is a second-year doctoral student in the Neag school of Education. His current research is on the intersection of post-secondary reading education, environmental education, alternative literacies, and disability studies. He is additionally involved with the Disability & Access Collective Blog project at UConn and is thrilled to be organizing the writing center’s Secondary School Outreach Conference again this year. When not on campus, Emery is typically out hiking, biking, or otherwise enjoying the outdoors.
	Sheryl John Assistant Director Masters in Public Health Sheryl is a first-generation immigrant from India who is an UConn alum (2022). She is back at UConn pursuing her Master’s in Public Health (MPH) to learn more about the healthcare system and how she can better help her future patients as a doctor. In her undergraduate years, Sheryl was an FYE mentor and an SRA and loves to support students of all ages and backgrounds in their time here at UConn. Sheryl is excited to be part of the Writing Center and expand her skillset to help students be more confident in their writing abilities. During her free time, Sheryl loves to travel, workout (Muay Thai and pickleball), hang out with her friends, and learn about new cultures and languages.