EXECUTIVE BOARD

President: Heather Graham (she/they), Salt Lake Community College

Originally from: Draper, UT

Worked in the writing centers for: 7+ years

What is your favorite part about working for a writing center? Learning about the vast and diverse lived-experiences of the students I get to interact with. Chipping away at the status quo and challenging academic gatekeeping through supporting students. 

What do you hope to bring to your position on the RMWCA board? A 2-year community college/peer tutor perspective

Favorite/Recommended piece of media? Marianas Trench's "Ever After" or "Phantoms" albums.

President Elect: Erin Zimmerman (she/her), University of Nevada-Las Vegas

From Winston-Salem, NC (but I've also lived in IA, NV, NY, PA, and Lebanon)

My favorite part of working in a writing center is seeing what people from across the university are writing (researching, studying, and reading) about.

In my first two years with the RMWCA Board, I have been able to start Center Moves: A Peer-Reviewed Archive of Tutor Training Materials to share cool training materials and help administrators professionalize their hard work. I hope to be able to continue to find ways to support and highlight the work that folks are doing in their centers.

It's so difficult for me to narrow down recommended books, so here are the five I've liked most from what I've read in 2024: Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes, Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley, A Murder of Crows by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot, and Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.

Past President: Juli Parrish (she/her), University of Denver

Originally from: Cambria County, Pennsylvania, but I've also lived in 4 of the 8 states in our region. 

Worked in writing centers for: 15+years (11 years as an administrator)

What is your favorite part about working for a writing center? Collaboration, curiosity, inquiry, discovery, and reflection.

What do you hope to bring to your position on the RMWCA board? I hope to learn more about the any writing centers in our region and to help foster connection and collaboration.  

Favorite/Recommended piece of media? Currently, it's the alternate-history space-race tv show For All Mankind. 

Outreach Coordinator: Olivia Tracy (she/her), University of Denver

Originally from: Golden, CO

Worked in Writing Centers For: 6+ years.

What is your favorite part about working for a writing center? I love the possibilities writing centers create-- not just the opportunities for writers and consultants/tutors to have conversations about writing that can create space for each of their learning needs, backgrounds, and identities, but also the ways that writing centers can promote equity and access in the wider campus and community.  

What do you hope to bring to your position on the RMWCA board? I hope to foster connections among writing center administrators and consultants/tutors within and beyond the Rocky Mountain region. By creating opportunities for writing center folx to brainstorm together, learn from one another, and share resources and strategies, we can create more accessible and equitable writing center spaces and practices.

Favorite/Recommended piece of media? Anything by Joni Mitchell, Tracy Chapman, and The Indigo Girls. 

Treasurer: Clint Gardner (he/him), Salt Lake Community College

Time working in writing centers: 34 years

What is your favorite part of working in writing centers?

Working with peer writing tutors and witnessing the life-changing work that they engage in.

What do you hope to bring to the RMWCA Board?

I hope to collaborate with the excellent folks on our board and in our region to continue the development of the best regional association of writing centers (ever).

Favorite/Recommended piece of media?

I’d have to say David Attenborough’s

The Living Planet. It is a bit dated, but is a stunning natural history series.

Secretary: Alanna Bitzel (she/her), University of Nevada-Las Vegas

Where you’re originally from

The Lone Star State, y'all! I grew up in the 'burbs of Dallas before moving to Austin in 2001. I stayed in Austin much longer than expected, affiliated with UT Austin as a student and then full-time staff member, before heading to Nevada earlier this summer 2024. I'm loving Las Vegas so far, despite the desert's numerous attempts to make life difficult.

Worked in writing centers for

21+ years

Your favorite part about working in the writing center

The energy of human connection infused with a spirit of learning. Walking into a writing center is reassuring and invigorating. Asking questions is important to me, and there is no better place to see curiosity in action than in the writing center.

What you hope to bring to the board

What I bring to the Board is an unabashed, enthusiastic nerdiness for all things writing. I also hope to showcase my close attention to detail in my documentation duties as Secretary.

A favorite/recommended piece of media.

I have so many! I'll limit my recommendations to television, for sake of brevity. I love quirky, flawed characters and tend to prefer shows that either scare me or make me laugh, or both. I love The Great British Baking Show, Hacks, and Veep. Other shows I have enjoyed recently are Marianne and Peacemaker. 

Tutor Representative: Felicia Prevo

IWCA Affiliate Representative: Lisa Bell (she/her), Utah Valley University

Where you’re originally from: I moved around a lot growing up, but Upstate New York felt most like home until I settled down in the Intermountain West.

Your favorite part about working in the writing center: I enjoy writing centers as interdisciplinary learning and learner spaces. As part of the local and larger writing center community, I am constantly learning and helping others do the same, which is exciting and meaningful.

What you hope to bring to the board: I’m engaged in this work and hope to bring that energy to the collaborative work we do in supporting writing centers and the people at the heart of this work.

A favorite/recommended piece of media: We have a local international cinema, and it has revived my love of diverse ways of storytelling.

Web Editor: Amanda M. May (she/her), New Mexico Highlands University

STATE REPRESENTATIVES

Arizona: Leah Bowshier (she/her), University of Arizona

Originally from: Urbana, Ohio

Worked in writing centers for: 8+ years

What is your favorite part about working for a writing center?

I love the opportunity to collaborate with students, tutors, and administrators to support writing at all stages and learn from one another. 

What do you hope to bring to the board?

I hope to bring useful insight from a graduate assistant administrator perspective and help RMWCA support all its members, especially other graduate students. 

Favorite/recommended piece of media? 

“Small Kindnesses” by Danusha Laméris

Colorado: Emily Forcier (she/her), Colorado College

Worked in writing centers for: 3 years, tutoring in writing for 5 years 

Favorite part about working in the writing center: The variety of working with all kinds of students, assignments, and learning about different topics. I like that it keeps me on my toes in terms of how I think about myself and develop as a learner, communicator, and writer. 

What she hopes to bring to the board: I will bring my eagerness to build connections and community not only across the state of Colorado, but the RMWCA. I am excited to continue sharing RMWCA resources and providing support to writing centers in the state of Colorado. 

Favorite/recommended piece of media: Beef on Netflix starring Ali Wong and Steven Yeun, they make a great duo!

Idaho: Emma Catherine Perry (she/they), University of Idaho 

Originally from: I am originally from Newfields, NH

What is your favorite part about working for a writing center? My favorite part of working in the writing center is learning something new every day. Whether I am working with a scientist to polish an article manuscript on potato cyst nematodes or with an artist on text for an upcoming exhibition, I’m always encountering new information and new modes of expression. 

What do you hope to bring to your position on the RMWCA board? I hope to bring my enthusiasm for writing center community-building to my work with the RMWCA board.

Favorite/Recommended piece of media? I recently read Courtney Bush’s poetry collection I Love Information, and I really enjoyed it!

Montana: Michelle Miley, Montana State University

Nevada: Britty Cox (she/her), Nevada State College

New Mexico: Amanda M. May (she/her), New Mexico Highlands University 

Utah: Matt Whitaker, Utah State University

Originally from: The Missouri Ozarks

Favorite part about working in the Writing Center? Working with our tutors to help them grow and professionalize and become more confident in their educational and communicative abilities. It brings me a lot of joy to watch our tutors become more competent and skillful in their practice.

What do you hope to bring to your position on the RMWCA board? Enthusiasm and a willingness to connect with others over our shared commitment to enhance the writing culture at our respective institutions. 

Favorite/ recommended piece of media? As far as reading goes, I gravitate toward non-fiction writing that explores, or comments on, the human-environment relationship. This summer I read Roger Deakin’s Waterlog, which has re-invigorated my love for swimming in lakes and streams.

Wyoming: Makayla Kocher (she/her), University of Wyoming

Originally From: Monument, Colorado

Time working in writing centers: So far 2 years as an undergraduate and professional tutor.

What is your favorite part of working in writing centers: Since I began working in writing centers during my junior year of undergraduate, I fell in love with the environment, people, and opportunities. One of my favorite parts about working in writing centers is the chance to work with students across the disciplines. I have also been passionate about inter-/trans-disciplinary studies, so for me working in a writing center gives me the opportunity to experience the many disciplines students study. I also enjoy the community and learning that continually occurs in centers.

What do you hope to bring to the RMWCA Board? As a member of the board, I hope to bring a fresh set of eyes and ideas that can continue to foster writing center collaboration, tutor involvement, and innovative approaches to tutoring. For my state, I hope to be a voice for the writing centers across Wyoming. I aim to foster unity and communications across the writing centers in Wyoming.

Favorite/Recommended piece of media? This is a tough question as I have many favorites when it comes to books. I would say my two favorite classics are Les Misérables by Victor Hugo and the Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas. I am also a huge fan of YA literature and books such as Kate Harris’s Lands of Lost Borders.