Faculty & Staff Directory
Professional Writing Consultants
Jared Featherstone, M.F.A. - University Writing Center Coordinator - feathejj@jmu.edu
Jared Featherstone advises students and faculty about writing, and teaches courses in the School of Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication (WRTC). He holds an MFA in Creative Writing and a BA in Journalism from the University of Maryland. In addition to developing his own creative work, his interests include online learning, Writing Across the Curriculum, service learning, and the relationship between teaching and tutoring.
Laura Schubert, M.A. - Peer Education Coordinator - schubelk@jmu.edu
Holding a B.A. and an M.A. in English, Laura Schubert consults with students and faculty on all kinds of writing. She also has experience teaching English Language Learners. In addition to teaching for the School of Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication, she is currently conducting research on writing fellows programs, writing centers, and the intersections between teaching and tutoring.
Paige Normand, M.A. normanap@jmu.edu
Paige Normand tutors for both the Writing Center and the Communication Center and teaches in the School of Media Art and Design. She received her M.A. in English Literature from the University of Texas at Austin where she was the Outreach Coordinator for the UT Undergraduate Writing Center and taught for the Division of Rhetoric and Writing. Her interests can mostly be gleaned by squinting at the books on the shelf behind her.
Erin Lambert Hartman, M.F.A. lambe2ek@jmu.edu
Kathy Clarke, MLS - Librarian - clarkeke@jmu.edu
Kathy is a Faculty Fellow in the Center this year. She is the librarian to General Education and Communication Studies and spends much time assisting and teaching students how to conduct research and incorporate sources into their own writing. Her research interests include student information use, and curriculum and assignment design focused on information literacy.
Kevin Jefferson, M.A. jefferkx@jmu.edu
Kevin is a Faculty Fellow from WRTC who also teaches courses in Written Argumentation and Critical Reading & Writing. His research interests include rhetoric, first-year writing, and 19th- and 20th-century British and American literature.
Graduate Students
Elysia Balavage balavaec@dukes.jmu.edu
Elysia Balavage is a graduate assistant who is happy to help students solve any kind of writing conundrum. She holds a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Philosophy, and her concentration within the M.A. English program is American Modernism. She enjoys all types of quality literature, but she especially loves the works of Ezra Pound, T.S. Eliot, and Dante Alighieri.
Brooke Elliott elliotbe@dukes.jmu.edu
Brooke Elliott graduated from Bridgewater College in 2011 with an English major and a French minor. She is currently pursuing an English literature master's at JMU and plans to focus on the patterns of contemporary American poetry, with aspirations to become an English professor. She is in the process of publishing a book of original poems titled "First Person: A Journey in Self-Discovery Through Poetry." In her spare time, she enjoys reading, playing ukulele and destroying her competitors at Wii bowling.
Olivia Mankowski mankowot@dukes.jmu.edu
Olivia Mankowski recently graduated from JMU with a BA in History and minors in Secondary Education and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. She is currently back at JMU to pursue her Master's degree in Secondary Education, with the hopes of someday becoming a middle or high school history teacher! This will be her fourth year working at the center. Her interests include biking, learning, and painfully cheesy puns.
Jennelle Martin martinjl@dukes.jmu.edu
Jennelle Martin graduated from JMU in 2008 and holds a B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a minor in film studies. She also served as a peer tutor in the FYI Writing Center in 2008. Currently, she is pursuing a Master's degree in Secondary Education and hopes to one day land a job as a high school English teacher. Her non-academic interests include watching horror films, alphabetizing her DVD collection, and discovering the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
Peer Tutors
Beth Burghardt burghaed@dukes.jmu.edu
Beth Burghardt is a junior WRTC major and Political Communication minor. In the future, she plans to pursue a career in technical writing and write a novel on the side. She enjoys snowboarding, good music, and traveling to new places.
Camille Corum corumck@dukes.jmu.edu
Camille Corum is a sophomore English major with a double minor in Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication and French. She is an active member and competitive rider for the JMU Equestrian Team. She enjoys working with different genres of writing, from formal research essays to creative journalistic pieces. After college, she plans to attend graduate school to get her Ph.D. in English. She is happiest when munching on delicious food.
Brooke Covington covingbe@dukes.jmu.edu
Brooke Covington is currently pursuing a double major in English and Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication. She enjoys reading, writing and spending time with friends and family.
Catherine Elsby elsbycc@dukes.jmu.edu
Catherine Elsby is a Media Arts and Design major with a Nonprofit Studies minor. She's a freelance writer for The Daily News Record and occasionally for The Breeze. In her free time, she enjoys learning photography, hanging out with friends, and going on spontaneous adventures. After college she hopes to enter the Peace Corps.
Kristin Gatti gattikm@dukes.jmu.edu
Kristin Gatti is planning to double major in Media Arts & Design and Writing, Rhetoric, & Technical Communication, with a minor in Spanish. She is interested in all types of writing and enjoys working with different genres. Her favorite activities include traveling, attending concerts, and going to amusement parks.
Genevieve LeFranc lefrangm@dukes.jmu.edu
Genevieve LeFranc is a senior pursuing her undergraduate degree in Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication with a double minor in Creative Writing and British Communication & Media, which she earned during a recent semester abroad in London. In addition to tutoring, Genevieve writes a monthly beauty column for Old Town Crier, a lifestyles magazine published in Alexandria, Va. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career reporting on and writing about the fashion industry. In her free time, Genevieve enjoys traveling, the beach, spending time with her sisters and family, and the outdoors.
Alexa Livezey livezeaj@dukes.jmu.edu
Alexa Livezey enjoys balancing her time between studying and other numerous interests, including photography, music, going to the gym, volunteering, and playing sports. She is involved in a club on campus called Students Helping Honduras which helps to educate and better the lives of children living in poverty in Honduras. She is a double major in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication and Media Arts and Design, as well as minoring in Spanish.
Paul Loman - Undergraduate Writing Fellow - lomanpc@jmu.edu
Paul Loman enjoys working with writers on all types of writing. He is a Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication major with a minor in Music.
Evan McGrew - Undergraduate Writing Fellow - mcgrewem@dukes.jmu.edu
Evan McGrew is currently pursuing his undergraduate degree in Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication. Evan enjoys sharing his passion for writing with others. In his spare time, he likes to take pictures.
Kara Myren myrenkn@dukes.jmu.edu
Kara Myren is working toward a Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communications major with a minor in Political Science. In her spare time, she runs, bikes, and drinks lots of tea. One day, she hopes to learn how to cook.
Caroline Prendergast - Undergraduate Writing Fellow - prendeco@dukes.jmu.edu
Caroline Prendergast is a sophomore Psychology major with a minor in Writing and Rhetoric. She is also involved with photography on the JMU campus as a photographer for The Breeze. She enjoys cooking and traveling. After college, she hopes to go to graduate school to study psychology.
Kaitlyn Schmit schmitkm@dukes.jmu.edu
Kaitlyn is a senior English major and a Secondary Education minor. She enjoys working with all types of writing and reading materials, but she particularly enjoys personal narratives, poetry, and textual analysis. After graduation, she plans on pursuing either a career as an English teacher in Virginia's public schools or graduate school in London to study Modern British literature.
Sarah Stacy stacysm@dukes.jmu.edu
Sarah Stacy is a junior English major with a minor in Secondary Education. She enjoys a good cup of coffee and meeting new people.
Justin Thurston - Undergraduate Writing Fellow - jmt8921@gmail.com
Justin Thurston is a political science major, with a minor in WRTC. He likes creative writing and salsa dancing. After college, he wants to get an advanced degree and become a political science professor, or possibly an advocate for civil liberties. Justin is also the assistant managing editor of the James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal.
Alison Walsh - walsh2ar@dukes.jmu.edu
Alison is excited about becoming a high school English teacher; she loves being at JMU studying English. She enjoys meeting other students and helping with their writing. She loves playing guitar, enjoying the company of friends, and being involved in JMU's YoungLife.
Courtney Wood - wood3cm@dukes.jmu.edu
Courtney Wood is a senior Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication major and Anthropology minor. Besides writing, Courtney enjoys eating good food, hanging with friends, reading and stumbling around the Internet.
Ian Woods - woodsim@dukes.jmu.edu
Ian Woods is a senior Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communications major, hailing from Northern Virginia. He has been writing regularly for the past seven years and spends much of his free time engaged in nerdy pursuits. Ian is happy to help a range of writers find solutions to their compositional quandaries.
Sam Nowak - nowaksj@dukes.jmu.edu
Sam Nowak is a senior Philosophy Major and WRTC minor. He enjoys creative writing and works part-time at the Artful Dodger where he occasionally organizes music shows and poetry readings. After graduation, Sam hopes to pursue a career in fiction writing.
Adrian Jarvis - jarvisah@dukes.jmu.edu
Adrian Jarvis is currently a Sophomore Psychology major, soon to have a minor in Writing. He is an active member of JMU's only comedic improvisational troupe, New & Improv'.d, and hopes that improv will always remain a part of his life. He also enjoys making references to popular television shows, playing racquetball, and 'Suiting up!'.
Alex Husband - husbanaj@dukes.jmu.edu
Alex Husband is currently pursuing a double major in Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication and Organizational Communications. In her spare time, Alex enjoys running, baking and traveling. She hopes to one day live in New York City and write fiction.
Carly Botero - boterocn@dukes.jmu.edu
Carly Botero is a junior WRTC major with a minor in Film Studies. She lives by the quote, “you musn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger darling,” and aspires to live in New York City working as a screenwriter for Saturday Night Live and major motion pictures. In her spare time, she enjoys taking photographs, playing with cats, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family.
Erica Holsclaw - holsclen@dukes.jmu.edu
Erica Holsclaw is a Junior Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communications major with a minor in Art. Someday, she hopes to become a book editor. She enjoys reading, baking delicious treats, and spending time with friends and family.
Melissa Psallidas - psallima@dukes.jmu.edu
Melissa Psallidas is a sophomore English major with a minor in Secondary Education. She likes working with all types of writing but particularly enjoys poetry. Melissa's hobbies include theater and dance, and she hopes to someday teach English as second language in a foreign country.
Lindsay Ragole - ragolelm@dukes.jmu.edu
Lindsay Ragole is a junior English major with a double minor in Secondary Education and Writing & Rhetoric. She loves to read about history and other cultures. In her free time she enjoys volunteering, going on road trips, training for races, trying out new restaurants, and being outdoors. Lindsay hopes to become a teacher someday so that she can share her passion for learning with others.
Marketing and Outreach Interns
Siobhan Doheny - smdoheny@gmail.com
Siobhan Doheny is working on a double major in Communication Studies and Media Arts and Design and will be graduating in May with concentrations in both public relations and film. She is the Chapter President of JMU's Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and holds a manager position at the University Recreation Center. All of her interests extend into her free time, where she enjoys watching movies, reading and working out. One day she hopes to work in the entertainment industry.
Erin Kraft - kraftem@dukes.jmu.edu
Erin Kraft is a junior majoring in Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communications with a concentration in Scientific & Technical Communications and minoring in Educational Media. She is a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority and a student employee at the JMU Computing Help Desk. She enjoys hanging out with friends, getting to know new people and getting involved in the JMU community.
Stephanie Mappin - mappinsc@dukes.jmu.edu
Stephanie Mappin is a senior majoring in Media Arts and Design. Her concentration is converged media and she hopes to work in web design when she graduates. On her free time, Stephanie likes to watch movies with her friends, ski, and work out. She is currently working at Found Web Design here in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Faizah Butt - buttfa@dukes.jmu.edu
Faizah Butt is a senior pursuing a double major in Communication Studies and Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication. She is actively involved in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) as the Director of Alumni and Member Services. She hopes to one day combine her passion for writing and her concentration in public relations to work for a non-profit organization. In her free time she enjoys meeting new people, watching funny movies, and traveling.
Administration
Kurt Schick, Ph.D. schickke@jmu.edu
Director, JMU Learning Centers
Associate Professor, Writing, Rhetoric, & Technical Communication
Kurt Schick leads JMU's Learning Centers, teaches courses in WRTC, and consults with any faculty who write or teach writing.
Amber Huffman huffmaan@jmu.edu
Amber Huffman is the Administrative Assistant for the Communication Center, University Writing Center, and English Language Learner Services. She is a 2007 graduate of Bridgewater College and holds a BS in Psychology. In her free time, Amber enjoys reading, jogging and spending time with her husband and two dogs.
Hall of Fame: Tutors who have left their mark on the center
Kate Kessler, Ph.D. - Faculty Fellow, 2011-2012
Mike Kern - Peer Tutor & Writing Fellow, 2008 - 2010
Doug Zimmerman - Graduate Assistant, 2008 - 2010
Michelle Williamson - Graduate Assistant, 2009 - 2010
Michael Moghtader, Ph.D. - Faculty Fellow, 2008 - 2009
Christina Wulf - Graduate Assistant, 2008 - 2009
Barbara Brennan - Graduate Assistant, 2008 - 2009
Karen McDonnell, M.A. - Professional Consultant, 2006 - 2011
Mark Thomas, Ph.D. - Faculty Fellow, 2009 - 2011
Julia Cavalieri - Peer Tutor, 2011
Michael Critzer - Graduate Assistant, 2010 - 2011
Brittany Hinton - Peer Tutor, 2010 - 2011
Caitlin Lee - Peer Tutor, 2011
Olivia Mankowski - Peer Tutor & Writing Fellow, 2008 - 2011
Chris Richardson - Peer Tutor, 2011
Melissa Sherrill - Peer Tutor, 2011
Andrea Smith - Peer Tutor, 2010 - 2011
Phillip Smith - Peer Tutor, 2011
Martin Steger - Peer Tutor, 2009 - 2011
Amy Sullivan - Peer Tutor, 2010 - 2011
Reading and Writing Lab:
Betty Hoskins MA (1974-2008)
Nancy Farrar MA (1976-2006)
Mary McMurray MA (1977-1998)
Esther Stenson MA (1995-2007)
Tu Phillips (1998-1999)
Bob Levy MA (1999-2001)
Kathy Fisher MA (2001-2005)
