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Writing Center Staff

Writing Center Leadership

Regan Joswiak, M.S., Director

Regan (she/they) holds an M.S. in Technical Communication from the University of Houston-Downtown and is pursuing a PhD in Technical Communication & Rhetoric from Texas Tech University. Prior to joining the University of Houston-Clear Lake's Writing Center, they worked in the writing centers at the University of Houston-Downtown and College of the Mainland. In the free time they have, they enjoy camping at state parks, reading (currently, their favorite series is The Kingkiller Chronicle), getting sucked into the depths of Netflix, and spending time with their Siberian Husky.

Johnathan Richards, M.Ed., Assistant Director

Johnathan (he/him) obtained his B.A. in History and his M.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Houston. He originally started as a writing consultant at the University of Houston in 2010 and has since fallen in love with working with student writers, engaging in writing center pedagogy, and finding creative ways to make learning about writing fun. In his spare time, he enjoys being a dog dad, traveling to places with cooler climates, hiking, cooking, and hosting dinner parties and picnics. 

Carole Flad, Lead Consultant

Carole received her Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction (MS, C&I) degree from UHCL.  Carole, through volunteer work, met her hero who had overcome adversities, obtained a housekeeping job, worked toward her General Education Diploma (GED), and persistently pursued her dream of becoming an office worker.  Carole was moved to pursue her goal and passion to teach Adult Education and Literacy, helping other striving readers and writers to succeed in education and life.    
 
Having worked in Marketing Communications at a global technology company for many years, Carole’s strengths are business writing, research papers, brainstorming, writing process (uncovering Big Ideas, developing voice, and revision, revision, and more revision!). Carole’s love is traveling, reading, and researching innovative ways to partner with adult learners to instill a love of lifelong learning. 

Specialties/Areas of Interest

  • Business writing
  • Citation style: APA7 and MLA.   Gaining efficiency in Chicago style 
  • Writing process: pre-writing, research, drafting, revising  

Eileen Burnett, Lead Consultant

Eileen (she/her/they) is an alumna of UHCL’s Humanities program, where she received her B.A. in Literature with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies, followed by a Masters in Comparative Literature. Eileen’s writings have been published not only in the first two issues of UHCL’s Literary Journal, First Flight, but also in the UHCL online campus newspaper, The Signal, and the internationally acclaimed Sigma Tau Delta Rectangle. Her poem, “Through the Void” hangs in the Writing Center, a collaborative work with the UHCL Art Department’s very own Mariana Canino.

Though she enjoys writing on a wide variety of subjects, including creative nonfiction, children’s books, and flash fiction, her passions lie in poetry, song, and tales to enjoy with family.

She currently lives in a tiny, blue cottage just south of Houston, not far from the beach and comfortably close to horses. She enjoys living in the quiet, and when not reading, writing, or gaming, loves cooking, backyard fires with family and friends, and a really good cup of tea. 

Eileen’s goal for the Writing Center is to help each person that comes to her not only reach their writing objectives, but also to attain a level of confidence in their writing that helps boost their academic career. 

Specialties/Areas of Interest

  • Citation styles: MLA, APA 
  • Writing Processes: Brainstorming, pre-process planning, outlining, condensing, revising, characterization, flow, and areas of expansion (she calls them flower buds) 
  • Specialties: Research papers for the humanities, creative writing, memoirs, and novels 

Writing Consultants

Our consultants work with clients of any discipline, and at any stage of the writing process. You can request a particular consultant when making an appointment. The specialties and bios of our consultants are listed below:

SJ Russell

SJ is a senior here at UHCL studying behavioral science with concentrations in psychology and sociology, as well as a minor in philosophy! She has loved writing since she can remember—at six years old she was writing stories on her parents' desktop computer as she waited for her Barbie games to load—and she has boxes full of old stories hidden away in her apartment. She enjoys writing creatively as well as academically and hopes to one day complete a novel, published or not. She also loves helping people so becoming a writing consultant seemed like a natural next step. Her favorite part of her work is helping her clients to foster confidence in their writing and perhaps even develop a newfound love for it!

Aside from writing, SJ is also passionate about advocacy, art, and travel. She cares deeply about her loved ones and is always spoiling her 11-year-old pup, Hoggle. After graduation, she would like to continue working here at the Writing Center as she navigates grad school, where she plans to get her master's degree in sociology.

Emily

Emily (she/her) holds a master’s degree in Environmental Management from UHCL, a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Samford University, an associate degree in culinary arts from (what used to be) Florida Culinary Institute, and a Texas teaching certification.

Prior to joining UHCL’s Writing Center, Emily taught Family and Consumer Sciences at Clear Falls High School in League City; was a newspaper reporter, editor, and page designer for various newspapers in Alabama, Florida, and Houston; and was a free-lance book editor, specializing in cookbooks. 

A transplant from Philadelphia, PA, Emily has been a Texas Master Naturalist since 2010 and enjoys everything outdoors: hiking, backpacking, camping, kayaking, SCUBA diving, sailing, sculling, playing in the ocean, gardening, nurturing monarchs, and reading in her hammock chair (when it isn’t 2,000 degrees outside). Emily is a rabid environmentalist and actively teaches others about conservation and waste management (recycling and composting). In her indoor downtime, Emily enjoys reading a variety of genres, writing, cooking/baking, knitting, crocheting, tie-dying, and attending plays and concerts. (Bottle-slumping, glass-cutting, and relearning the violin are next on Emily's “to-learn” list.) Emily is an active volunteer for a variety of community organizations and encourages volunteerism.

Specialties/Areas of Interest

  • Citation styles: APA, Associated Press
  • Writing process: Developing ideas, organization, research, editing strategies
  • Specialties: Resumes, cover letters, application essays, presentation platforms, Microsoft Office Suite, OneDrive, cookbooks, and recipes

Paresh

Paresh (he/him) has a master’s degree in Literature from the University of Houston-Clear Lake, a bachelor’s degree in Humanities from UHCL, and associate degrees in Business Management and Liberal Arts from Alvin Community College. Additionally, he is an English instructor at ACC. He joined the Writing Center in 2021 and has tutored math and English for over 20 years.

When Paresh is not working, he enjoys traveling, movies, sports (watching and playing), reading, and experiencing new restaurants, cultures, and languages. In his spare time, he especially loves writing. He has completed manuscripts for historical romance novels and children’s picture books. He has also written several screenplays, plays, and TV scripts.

Specialties/Areas of Interest

  • Writing process: Brainstorming, pre-process planning, grammar, and transitions
  • Discipline: Creative writing 
  • Citations styles: APA and MLA
  • Genres: Admission application essays, discussion board posts, argumentative papers, compare/contrast papers

Sarah

Sarah is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in General Business. She hopes to eventually start her own nonprofit to help people with disabilities or chronic health conditions through art. Sarah has a passion for this population because of her experiences as a person with a visual impairment. Sarah enjoys creative and reflective writing, which is why she enjoys working at the Writing Center. When not working at the Writing Center, Sarah works for an insurance company over school breaks. She is currently pursuing insurance licensure.

Sarah is originally from Oklahoma, but has lived in Texas for 5 years. During spare time, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband, singing, watching YouTube, walking, writing and doing art. Sarah loves cats and even has a cat photography Facebook page.

Erin G.

Erin's love of writing began in third grade with the "publication" of her first short story, "At the Cabbage Patch," in Mrs. Dean’s class. She won enough rave reviews for this debut from family and classmates to swell her head and make her believe she'd found her gift and calling. She has not since achieved the same success as her debut, but she keeps trying. This pursuit has led her to the Galveston County Daily News and the Houston Chronicle as a writer and editor, and in communications in government and hospital settings. She earned BAs in English and History at Texas State University, a BS in Anthropology at UHCL and the pursuit of an MA in Cross Cultural and Global Studies at UHCL. She enjoys traveling and learning about people and their culture, reading, watching mysteries on PBS, feeding her dog treats on demand, and serving her cats to the best of her ability.

Specialties/Areas of Interest

Grammar and syntax, proofreading, writing research paper, essay writing, finding the voice in a work, and framing a paper. 

Madison

Madison (she/they) is a first-generation student currently pursuing a B.S. in biology with a specialization in biotechnology. She is extremely passionate about all things science-related. Madison became a writing consultant because she loves working with people of all disciplines and discovering new things about the world and people around her, and the best way to do that is through the magic of writing. 

When she isn't studying or finding new ways to organize her semester, Madison is completing her watch list on Netflix, working out, and researching skincare. She spends most of her time hanging out with her cat, Niko, and her partner. 

Olivia

Olivia Ellisor (she/her) is a storyteller and lifelong student. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, and will be earning her bachelors in Theatre with a concentration in Playwriting at the University of Houston. She hopes to continue her education with an MFA in Creative Writing. In her spare time she likes to read, watch “Beat Bobby Flay” on the Food Network, and spend time with her dog Ginger. Olivia also loves to cheer on the Houston Astros!  
 
Olivia has been published many times and is an award-winning playwright. Her career goals include managing a playwriting publishing house and writing, writing, writing! 

Priscilla

Priscilla is a first-generation college student, pursuing a bachelor's degree in psychology, and is aspiring to become a counselor. Enrolled in an early college program in high school, Priscilla graduated with her high school diploma and an associate degree, which gave her a head start in her college education. 

When she is not studying, Priscilla often volunteers with the Hawk Leadership Institute, Hawks for Community, and Psychology Club on campus. Priscilla enjoys helping others in any way she can, whether she is volunteering, donating, or providing her talents and availability to anyone in need. Priscilla also enjoys writing, whether it’s her novels, an essay for class, or even a research paper. Being able to combine her values of helping others and her love for writing has made becoming a Writing Consultant something she strived for. 

Specialties/ Areas of Interest

  • Citations styles: APA 
  • Writing Process: Brainstorming, pre-process planning, outlining, drafting, researching
  • Specialties: Research papers  

Michael

Michael (he/him) is a master’s student studying Marriage and Family Therapy at UHCL. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology from UHCL and an Associate of Arts from San Jacinto Community College South. If you live in the area, you might have seen him before: He’s worked in pizza delivery for over 4 years.

Michael is a man of many hats. He’s a musician and has performed concerts privately as well as at UHCL. Guitar, Banjo, Harmonica and Ukelele are part of his growing repertoire. He’s a writer and, having been published in the first edition of First Flight, hopes to one day finish the novel he’s been telling everyone he’d have finished by now. He’s a traveler and has driven across the United States twice on his own. He’s been to China, Singapore, Thailand, Japan, and Canada, with many more countries on his list to visit.

Specialties/Areas of Interest

  • Brainstorming, outlining, drafting, personal style, creative writing 
     

Nadia

Bio to come

Russell

Russell (he/him) has tutored at colleges since 2016. He has substitute-taught for Composition 1 classes, hosted writing workshops, and presided over a creative writing club. Russell will help with any kind of assignment, but his favorites are scholarship essays, critical analysis, and creative writing stories. Overall, he tries to approach writing in a simple and practical way.

When he's not working, Russell likes drawing, watching scary movies, and eating at Olive Garden. 🍝

Erin F.

Erin has a Master's in Psychology from UHCL. In addition to being a consultant at the Writing Center, she also has a baking business specializing in decorated cookies, cake-pops, cupcakes, and cakes. She is a dog mom of two Chihuahuas and a Labrador. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading mystery/thriller books, fishing, traveling, and anything outdoors. Erin is passionate about writing but understands that to others it may seem intimidating or difficult. Helping others gain confidence in their writing, learn skills, and succeed is what she loves most about being a consultant.

Office Assistants

Gurpreet

Gurpreet is an international student in UHCL's MBA program. She holds bachelor’s degree in business from a well-known university in India. Gurpreet worked with the company Genpact for more than 6 years in the finance/investment domain, which led to her decision to pursue a master’s degree to improve her management skills. She has experience managing a team of 5-7 people and has done significant work in training new team members. Apart from her career and education, Gurpreet loves to travel internationally and explore new places, cultures, and peoples. She has travelled to more than 3 countries in the past year and can’t wait to travel more in the coming years.

Dayna

Dayna (she/her) received her associate degree in general studies from Galveston College in 2021 and transferred to UHCL a year later to pursue a bachelor’s degree in communications in order to become a more confident communicator. Dayna is from Texas City and has lived there her whole life but is excited to explore other places once she graduates. In her free time, Dayna enjoys nail art and finds it relaxing. She also loves being with her dog, Banjo, and taking him on road trips and adventures to the beach.

Savanna

Savanna (she/her) received her associate degree in business from San Jacinto College in 2023, then transferred to UHCL, where she is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in accounting. After completing her bachelor's degree, Savanna wishes to pursue a master's degree in accounting. She is from Houston and recently moved to the small city of La Porte. In her free time, she enjoys watching dramas, exercising, and listening to music. She also recently found a new hobby in baking at home. 

Contact

  • Writing Center

    Phone: 281-283-2910
    Email: writingcenter@uhcl.edu

    SSCB 2.101
    2700 Bay Area Blvd
    Houston, TX 77058-1002

    Regular Office Hours:
    Mon. - Fri.: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

    Spring 2024 Tutoring Hours:
    Mon.-Thurs.: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
    Fri.: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
    Sat.: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (online, drop-in only) 

    Please call ahead during holidays and semester breaks.