Hello, my name is Kevin. I received my BA in English from MTSU in 2009, and I'm currently working toward my MA. I enjoy reading, writing, and watching nerdy tv shows/movies with my newborn son. I'm also big into Titans football, ping pong, and (only as a package deal) Dungeons and Dragons.

My name is Ryan. I am currently pursuing my MA in English with a rather non-specific interest in British Literature. My wife and I have recently moved into the area from Johnson City where we both did our undergraduate work at East Tennessee State University. I enjoy reading (obviously), writing, music, movies, and talking politics (which only gets me into trouble). See you in the UWC!

Nerdfighter, Warg and half-blood Witch. Interests include fighting meanies, southerners (those south of the wall) and remaining death eaters. I am skilled in reading, wearing glasses, knowing the time, emailing, and performing magic. My favorite number is 42. My favorite bridge is the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine, FL. My favorite finger lake is Keuka Lake in NY. My favorite wrestler is The Miz. My favorite late night talk show host is Coco. You may see me around campus carrying my books spine out, proudly, above my head. Don't be jealous, you will one day be able to proudly bear your academic standing. For questions or concerns, please utilize the Infinite Improbability Drive. I may receive them. Eventually.

I am a first year doctoral student and hope to focus on late nineteenth southern literature. I have a special soft spot for Creole literature and works that flow from my favorite American city, New Orleans. When not buried under coursework and reading for my program or juggling my two small children, I am an active equestrian and prefer riding low level dressage and eventing.

Philosopher = meaning lover of learning more than dispenser of ethereal wisdom.

Interests include theatre, music – specifically singing, and creative writing.

I know a little bit about a lot of things and look forward to learning more from my students. My favorite number is 13, and I am not terribly superstitious. Working in past years at a writing center, I am experienced at writing, listening, and de-tangling even the most confusing early writing drafts.

Hello, my name is Tiffany. I received my BA from MTSU, and am currently working on my MA. I'm just your average nerdy girl. My focus is in Popular Culture and Contemporary Women's Literature. So, I get to watch TV and film for research . . . don't be jealous. My favorite research topics are Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and Resident Evil, and I have dreams of going to Comic-Con one day. Two of my favorite authors are Toni Morrison and Virginia Woolfe, and my favorite director is Joss Whedon (long before he did The Avengers).

Hello there. I got my first bachelor's degree in Psychology at MTSU back in 2008, and I'm back for round two in English. I'm fascinated with the entire writing process and eagerly look forward to see you in the UWC soon. (plug) I love jazz, blues and bluegrass music so much that I've got a radio show on Sunday evenings. Also, (plug-plug) I'm involved with the MTSU Creative Writing Group on campus. We meet in the UWC at 6:00 on Tuesdays so you should come by!

I was born in Georgia and have been living in Murfreesboro since late 2007. I received my B.A. in English and Secondary Education from MTSU and am now enrolled as a M.A. student in English. My scholarly interests are 20th-century American authors such as Charles Bukowski, who is a favorite.

In my spare time, I'm a songwriter and musician. While it is hard to name all of my favorite artists, Nick Drake is definitely one of them. I'm heavily into music from the mid-to-late 1960s, classic punk rock, and alternative rock from the 1980s and 1990s. I love the Beatles, as well as the Zombies, Love, Frank Zappa, the Pixies, and the Stooges.

I hope to do scholarly work on my favorite TV shows. I'm inclined toward alternative comedy, and some of my favorite shows can be found on Adult Swim, including The Mighty Boosh. In fact, I'm a huge fan of British TV comedy; one example of a current BBC show I love is Friday Night Dinner (which I've read is being remade in the U.S.). Overall, I'm interested in cultural studies, as I wish to study different artistic mediums.

I'm currently majoring English with a concentration in Literary Studies, minoring in Writing. My spare time is spent with the guitar, a camera, or a pen and pad. I think movies are great fun, especially quotable ones because they drive my friends mad. I enjoy reading fiction (especially books by Stephen King) and writing it, too. In between my academic studies and playing music, I'm usually browsing a bookstore with a cup of coffee in hand.

My name is Mary. I like sparkly things, Harry Potter, Thai food, and reading. Come to the writing center. I would love to work with you!

God. Love. Comic Books. Rap Music. That's about it.

I am currently working on my doctorate in modern British and post-colonial literature. I am especially interested in Australian literature and Indigenous studies. I hold a Master of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Arts in English and theatre from East Tennessee State University. My Masters thesis was entitled "Black and White on Black: Whiteness and Masculinity in the Works of Three Australian Writers—Thomas Keneally, Colin Thiele, and Patrick White." My areas of research include: whiteness and masculinity studies, queer theory, Indigenous land rights, and literature of diaspora. I enjoy history and tutoring statements of purpose in conjunction with other writing. I love traveling. I have visited Australia twice as well as many parts of the United States. Besides academia, I am a lover of music, including singer-songwriters, '70s soul, funk, and disco, '70s pop, Motown, Australian rock, New Wave, show tunes, TV themes and film scores, Britpop, and classic rock. I am interested as well in books, history, indie films, horticulture, animal rights activism, politics, Broadway, Watergate, Oscar trivia, Dallas, and the western mythos. I am a classically trained singer and my favorite film is Harold & Maude.

Taffy O'Neal (pen name Taffeta Chime) is an alumnus of Middle Tennessee State University's English department (with concentrations in Creative Writing and Theatre) and a product of the school's Buchanan Fellowship. She has published two novels: Stoodie (2007) and The Last (2011, as her Honors thesis). Taffy has also been featured in several issues of MTSU's literary journal Collage, in the poetry anthology Time and Tradition published by Twin Oaks Press, and several other literary and academic publications. She has won many awards for her writing, including multiple Future Problem Solving Program International awards and the Martha Hixon Creative Expression Award. Taffy has taught Creative Writing to young writers for several years and also has five years' ESL teaching experience. She is now a graduate English student at MTSU and also a writer for Moli Shuang Yu ("Magical Bilingual"), a bilingual children's magazine stationed in Hangzhou, China. Aside from all of this mess, she also really enjoys watching YouTube and singing in her car, while giving drivers-by a good laugh.

Hello, my name is Jessica. I received both my Bachelors (2010) & Masters (2011) in English from Jacksonville State University in Alabama. This is my first semester at MTSU where I will be working towards my Ph.D. in English. I taught as an English adjunct instructor at a community college for a year before moving to pursue my doctoral degree. Primarily, I have always been entranced with gothic or just generally eccentric writers.  However, Edgar Allen Poe, Sylvia Plath, & the Bronte sisters probably are my favorites. I want to focus on African American & Feminist studies for my dissertation. I love English literature as well. Other than reading and my education, I enjoy travelling to old towns or just anywhere on a spontaneous adventure.  I love movies and live theater. I worked as a theater manager for three years and loved that experience. My minor is drama. In addition to one day teaching at the college level, I hope to open a community theater. I have a miniature zoo at home; they are my children and spoiled accordingly! 

Hello! My name is Kayla, and this is my second year as a Writing Assistant and first year in the graduate program. I was an undergraduate tutor in the UWC while I completed my Bachelor's degree in business management at MTSU. My scholastic interests are primarily focused on Writing Center Theory and Practice. When I am not geeking out about writing centers, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, playing Dungeons & Dragons, the listening to music, going to concerts, going to the movies, watching television shows, and reading. I stay pretty busy.

Some of my favorite things include: The Beatles, The Black Keys, The Kooks, The Head and The Heart, Hank Green, Paul McCartney, Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Doctor Who, Eureka, The Harry Potter book series, and Nerdfighters.

I look forward to seeing you in the UWC!

I love focusing on precision with my language, primarily highlighting diction, sentence form, and essay structure in order to insure that my intent fully comes forth.

In May, I'll be obtaining a B.A. in English and a B.S. in Mass Communications: Electronic Media Production. I spend the majority of my time doing film work, balancing my schedule between working in the Writing Center, producing films as the president of the MTSU Film Guild, and interning at a video production company in Nashville. This is my third year working in the Writing Center.

I've interned at ABC Studios in Burbank, and film projects of mine have been showcased nationwide. I love screenwriting and producing. I also love talking about film, and I presented a paper on the 2008 Swedish film Let the Right One In at the From Catwoman to Katniss interdisciplinary conference in early 2012.

I enjoy Tom Waits, gin and tonic, and snowy weather. I'm happy to help you strengthen your writing!

Hi, my name is Katherine.  I am a first year Masters student and my areas of interest range from Renaissance to modern and post-modern authors.  My hobbies include reading, walking my toy poodle while listening to Rage Against the Machine, watching the Sopranos (or any long-drawn-out television series), and going on road trips. 

Hi, my name's Katherine. I am an Undergraduate Writing Assistant. I am a senior majoring in English- Cultural Studies with a minor in Dance. I love reading just as much as I love dancing (which is a lot!). Traveling excites me to no end; I just returned from 6 months in England on a study abroad semester. Other interests include: sleeping, watching movies, camping with my family, eating, sleeping, learning new dance styles, and making random lists that I may or may not complete. Oh, and did I mention sleeping? It's a lovely activity that I don't get to indulge in very often. My future goals include volunteering in the Peace Corps, eventually going to grad school, and teaching English as a Second Language preferably at a university level and/or abroad.

I can name every country in Africa. I love to read, cook, do Pilates, drink coffee, and eat brownies for breakfast. I am very fond of the number 2.5. My favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a construction worker, but now I want to be an English teacher. But not the mean kind. I am very skilled at sleeping, any time, anywhere. I am an English student without a favorite author.

I'm Mary.

This will be my first year in the M.A. in English program. For the past three years, I've taught in Tennessee public schools as a substitute, interim, and regular teacher. Before that, I earned my M.Ed. in English Education and my B.A. in English with a minor in Education. I aspire to become a professor at a small liberal arts college and a writer of fiction. Don't we all? I'm interested in a wide and disparate range of subjects including feminism, social justice, pop culture, fairy tales, science fiction, fantasy, cooking, poetry, post-colonialism, horseback riding, collage, painting (poorly), and, of course, Batman. I love teaching. Please stop by the Writing Center. It would make my day.

Jenny Rowan
Assistant Director, UWC and GTA Coordination

Patricia Baines
Liaison to English Dept. & Writing Program