About Us

The Writing & Speaking Studio offers students one-to-one and group feedback on their writing and presentations. Writing and speaking consultants work collaboratively with students during the composing process to help:

  • develop, focus, and execute ideas for specific audiences,
  • understand expectations and communicate for different purposes,
  • discover and build upon strategies for effective communication in local, global, and digital contexts.

In addition, the Writing & Speaking Studio collaborates with faculty to provide students with quality writing and speaking experiences across the curriculum. The Writing & Speaking Studio directors offer faculty support in developing assignments, facilitating workshops, responding to and assessing writing/speaking, cross-cultural communication, writing for the web, and their own manuscript and presentation preparation.

Code of Ethics

At the Writing & Speaking Studio, we believe in celebrating diversity and advocating for equity in teaching and learning. We strive to facilitate the evolution of language in tandem with social progress by encouraging writers to draw on their linguistic and cultural backgrounds and make communication choices they believe in and by advocating for advances in language that are inclusive of all gender identities and pronouns.

Please read our statement on our commitment to ethical practices in writing and communication center practice: Writing and Speaking Studio Code of Ethics

Strategic Vision

Our strategic plan for expanding the Writing & Speaking Studio was approved by the President in 2016 and, as a result, we are now offering services in speaking and presentation. The Writing and Speaking Studio has four key goals:

  1. Integrate Technology and 21st-Century Communication into Services
  2. Provide Speaking Tutoring Services
  3. Formalize Writing/Communication Across the Curriculum Program
  4. Support Graduate Student and Faculty Research Writing and Manuscript Production 

Within each of these goals, a number of initiatives are underway, such as faculty development workshops and resources and a focus on multimodality in staff education. As we work toward these goals, we are poised to provide students, faculty, and staff with comprehensive, creative, and innovative communication support in writing, speaking, and presentation design.

Annual Data

To learn more about our activities and see our progress since opening in 2008, please review the annual reports, retention data, and numbers of consultations available on our annual data page.

Contact Us

Please contact the Director of the Writing & Speaking Studio with questions, comments, concerns, or to see how the Writing & Speaking Studio can work with you.

Faculty and Staff

Directors

Sarah Blazer, PhD
Associate Professor and Interim Director, Writing & Speaking Studio

Stephen Keating, MA
Assistant Professor and Associate Director, Writing & Speaking Studio

Administrative Assistant

Austin Bowie

Professional Writing and Speaking Consultants

Julie Forgione, MA

Rah-nee Kelly, MA

Deepti Sunder, MFA

Renia White, MFA

Stephanie Zlotnick, MA

Peer Writing and Speaking Consultants

Abby Koehnen, Advertising and Marketing Communications

Alexa Bonacci, Art History and Museum Professions

Anoushka Dorigallu, Fashion Business Management

Erza Idrizi, Fashion Business Management

Isabella Michilena, Illustration

Josephine Hadjiloucas, Advertising & Marketing Communications

Justen Monserrate, Illustration

Mireille Vieux-Gresham, Illustration

Rachel Supriya Philip, Fashion Design

Shelby Leeming, Illustration

Aidan Holloway-Bidwell, (Graduate Studies), Illustration

Claire Caverly, (Graduate Studies) Exhibition and Experience Design

Sakshi Lokhande, (Graduate Studies) Exhibition and Experience Design

Salome De Perrier-Riitano, (Graduate Studies) Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice

Smriti Gautam, (Graduate Studies) Global Fashion Management

Sandy Ing, (Graduate Studies) Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice

Please take a look at some of our consultants' tutoring philosophies.