The Graduate Writing Center (GWC) is open and with you all sunny summer long for your writing grind, from brainstorming a first draft to polishing that hopeful final draft. We can think of no better way to pass a summer day than talking about your writing…it’s sort of our jam!

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Pictured: GWC consultants excited to help you with your writing in the summer…

Whether an appointment with us is already on your calendar or on your summer bucket list (hey, it could be a thing), we want to connect with you. Make an appointment for a one-on-one consultation! Get the details below.

When? Monday through Friday between 9AM and 5PM.

Where? Book your time on WConline. We’ll be meeting you on Skype this summer, so you don’t have to ditch the pajama pants. We won’t see them anyways.

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[Image Description]: Day in the Life Writing gif: person explains they write from 1-4 in bed

Pictured: No desk required!

How? Before your appointment, send an email to gwrcucr@gmail.com with an attachment of the document you want to discuss (preferably as a Google doc) and your Skype address. A few minutes before your appointment begins, log into Skype and send a message to the Graduate Writing Center skype account, gradwritingcenter. Your consultant will then begin the Skype call.

Who do we support? All UCR graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.

What do we assist with?

• journal articles
• CVs and resumes
• abstracts
• grant applications
• writing in any phase
• and much more!

Meet our summer consultants:

Shaafi Farooqi is a third year PhD student in Sociology at UCR. She specializes in race and class inequality within higher education. Her current research explores Pakistani heritage college student experiences with cultural identity, race, and stereotyping. She is also interested in Asian American studies more broadly. Before coming to UCR, Shaafi received her BA in Organizational Studies from Pitzer College.

 

Lauren Hammond is a PhD student in English, focusing on the materiality of gender, sexuality, and identity in the punk subculture. Lauren received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature and Writing at California State University, San Marcos and her Master in Arts degree in English and Comparative Literature at San Diego State University (SDSU). In the past, she has worked as a rhetoric and writing instructor for SDSU. In her continued studies as a graduate student, Lauren enjoys working as a university teaching associate, research assistant, copy editor, writing consultant, and standardized test preparation instructor.

 

Kenneth Lee is a PhD student in Comparative Literature, focusing on modern and contemporary Chinese, Japanese, and Asian American literature with a focus on trans-Pacific studies. Before coming to UCR, Kenneth received his Bachelor of Arts degree in English at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where he worked at the UNC Writing Center. Pictures of his dog (an Alaskan Klee Kai) are available upon request. And, featured on Kenneth’s refrigerator is a picture of Bilbo Baggins, specifically the “Scary Bilbo” moment from Fellowship of the Ring, portrayed by Ian Holm.

 

Rosalia Lerner is a Ph.D. student in Critical Dance Studies. Her dissertation project considers the intersections of dance, disability, and choreographies of space to interrogate ideas around compulsory ableism. Prior to starting her Ph.D. work, she completed a MA in Performance Studies at New York University and a BA at the University of California, Berkeley. To relax, Rosalia likes to do pilates.

 

Nina Mandracchia is a PhD student in School Psychology. Her research focuses on the successful integration of technology into current school psychology and teacher practices through training. Prior to coming to UCR, Nina received her B.A. from Columbia University in Psychology and Business Management. Nina has an adorable border collie mix named Astro.

 

Ash Merryman is a PhD Candidate in Comparative Literature and Languages. She completed her BA in English at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and her MA in Comparative Literature and Languages at the University of California, Riverside. Her research traces an avant-garde play ethos in woman-produced 20th- and 21st-century French and Francophone literature, art, and film to examine the disorientating effects of queer subjects at play on socio-cultural limitations. This summer, Ash accidentally helped the butterfly population by “letting” caterpillars devour her budding sunflowers.

 

Walter Merryman is a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature with a BA and MA in English from Bowling Green State University. His dissertation examines the representation of biopolitics, community, and human rights in contemporary anglophone literature along with intersections of contemporary literature and continental philosophy. Walter is a death metal music enthusiast.

 

William Ota is a PhD candidate in the Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology department. His dissertation work examines the effects of urbanization on freshwater community composition and function within the Santa Ana River. William is also the executive chair of the UCR Center for Science to Policy within Grad Division. Before beginning his Ph.D. work William received a BA in Biology from Pepperdine University. During quarantine, William created his own Dungeons and Dragons homebrew world which has over 250,000 words of background as of July 2021.

 

Jessica Tingle is a sixth year PhD candidate in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology and the STEM Coordinator of the Graduate Student Mentorship Program. Her dissertation focuses on the biomechanics and evolution of sidewinding snakes, and her presentation on "Snakebots" was the 2nd runner up at the 2019 UCR Grad Slam competition (and won audience choice at the follow-up UCR Palm Desert exhibition). When she's not sciencing, Jessica loves eating, cooking (but not baking), hiking, and listening to music. She likes looking for critters even during walks in town. Her favorite animal to see in Riverside (you see them only once in a while) is an alligator lizard.

 

So make an appointment to come see us this summer! In addition to making progress on your writing goals, you might even be lucky enough to see some of our consultants' cute pets. Here's a preview...