Staff Information

Ryan Blank, Pursuing Rhetoric & Composition MA

Specialty Areas:

• Classical Rhetoric
• Brainstorming / Generating Ideas
• Composition
• GRE Vocab / Test Prep
• APA Format and Citation Style

I am currently pursuing an MA in Rhetoric and Composition at USF. I will be teaching English Composition I. I received my undergraduate degree in Writing & Rhetoric at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

Ronisha Browdy, Pursuing Rhetoric & Composition MA

Ronisha received her BA in English from the University of Florida and is currently a MA student at USF with a focus in rhetoric and composition. Her research interests include Black feminism, women of color literature, and African-American rhetoric.

Ryan Cheng, Pursuing Creative Writing MFA

Specialty Areas

• Microsoft Office
• Poetry
• Fiction

Ryan received his BA in English at University of San Francisco and is currently enrolled in the MFA program in poetry at the University of South Florida.

Roxanne De Armas, Pursuing Linguistics MA

Specialty Areas:

• TESL
• Spanish

Roxanne received her BA in Communication Sciences and Disorders and is currently working on her MA in Linguistics for TESL at USF. Her research interests include socio-linguistics and Spanish.

Jessica Eberhard, Pursuing Rhetoric & Composition PhD

Specialty Areas

• Medicine
• Ethics
• Religion
• Literature

Jessica received her BA in English and MA in Literary, Cultural and Textual Studies at UCF and is currently a Composition instructor and writing consultant at USF, as she pursues her PhD in Rhetoric and Composition. Her research interests include rhetoric of science, medical communication and sociology, British and world literature and religions, classical History, theology, and children’s literature.

Shelby Forbes, Pursuing Communications PhD

Specialty Areas:

• Professional Writing
• Technical Writing
• Writing for Social Sciences & Humanities
• APA style conventions

Prior to attending USF, Shelby recieved her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Florida State university. In 2010, Shelby earned a Master’s degree in Communication from USF. She is currently a second-year doctoral student in the Department of Communication where she teaches Interpersonal Communication.

Kristen Gay, Pursuing Rhetoric & Composition MA

Specialty Areas:

• Personal Statements
• Composition
• Creative Nonfiction

Kristen earned her BA at USF as a Profesional and Technical Writing major and is currently pursuing her MA in Rhetoric and Composition. Kristen teaches Composition 1 and 2 in the FYC program at USF. Her research interests include feminine writing, personal writing, feminist rhetoric, and the embodied experience of writing.

Julie Gerdes. Pursuing Rhetoric & Composition PhD

Specialty Areas:

• ESL
• Chicago Style conventions
• Science Writing

Julie received a BA in Writing and Publication Studies and Spanish from Clemson University and has taught English as a Second Language both abroad and in the States. She is an MA student in Rhetoric and Composition, focusing on the rhetoric of science.

Laura Hennesey, Pursuing Rhetoric & Composition PhD

Specialty Areas:

• Grammar Concerns
• Professional and Technical Writing
• Personal Statements
• Resumes & Cover Letters

Laura is a second-year doctoral student in Rhetoric and Composition Theory. She received her BA in Creative Writing from Hofstra University and her MA in Literature from the University of Delaware. Laura has taught Grammar, Composition I and II, Business Writing and Professional Writing as well as tutoring a wide variety of subject areas.

Micah Jenkins, Pursuing Applied Linguistics MA

Specialty Areas:

• Linguistics
• American History
• Black studies

Micah received her BA in History from UCF and is currently pursuing an MA in Applied Linguistics. She currently works at the USF library in the Circulation department.

Kim Karalius, Pursuing MFA

Specialty Areas:

• Creative Writing

Kimberly received her BA in English at Florida Southern College and is currently a creative writing instructor and writing consultant at USF, as well as having been a composition instructor. She is earning her MFA in fiction.

Karen Langbehn, Pursuing Rhetoric & Composition PhD

Specialty Areas:

• Personal Statements
• Resumes/Cover Letters
• Research Process/Research Papers

Karen Langbehn is a second-year Ph.D. student, studying English/Rhetoric & Composition, specifically the dynamics of science, science policy, and decision-making strategies for sustainable science policies. She earned her B.A. from the University of Florida (2005) and has taught ENC 1101 and 1102 at UNC-C, where she earned her M.A. in English/Rhetoric & Composition. She has also taught the composition courses at USF (2010-11) and has been consulting at USF’s writing center since 2011.

Christine Lasek, Pursuing MFA

Specialty Areas:

• Journalism
• Professional Writing

Christine received her BA in English from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor. For eight years, Christine worked as a web journalist and public relations professional in Detroit. She is currently a Creative Writing instructor and writing consultant at USF.

Cagle Lauren, Pursuing Rhetoric & Composition PhD

Specialty Areas:

• German
• Writing about literature
• Microsoft Office

Cagle earned her BA in poetry writing at Rhodes College and her MA in Language and Composition at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her research interests include the rhetoric of science and gender issues in STEM fields.

Megan McIntyre, Pursuing Rhetoric & Composition Ph.D

Specialty Areas:

• Grammatical Concerns
• Technical/Professional Writing
• Test Prep

Megan has been teaching for the last 7 years, the last 4 at USF. Her research interests include professional writing, first year composition, and political writing.

Gloria Muñoz, Pursuing MFA

Specialty Area:

• Poetry

Gloria Muñoz is an MFA candidate at the University of South Florida and recently received the Estelle J.Zbar Poetry Prize and the Bettye Newman Poetry Award. Her work has appeared in Dark Phrases, The Brooklyn Review and The Sarah Lawrence Review.Gloria enjoys traveling, cozy thunderstorm tea and making things with her hands.

Mel Nye, Pursuing Applied Linguistics MA

Specialty Areas

• French
• ELL writers

Mel received her BA in French Language at Grinnell College. She is currently pursuing an MA in Applied Linguistics and working as a writing consultant at USF.

Kate Pantelides, Writing Center Coordinator, Doctoral candidate in Rhetoric & Composition

Specialty Areas:

• Technical Writing
• Social Science Writing (including Discourse Analysis)
• Personal Statements
• Resumes
• Thesis and Dissertation Projects
• ELL Writing
• Composition

Kate Pantelides has been working in writing centers for the last nine years and has served as the Writing Center Coordinator at USF since 2008. She has been an instructor and administrator at both the secondary school and college level. Email: Kate Pantelides

Dana Rine,  Pursuing Literature PhD

Specialty Areas:

• Scholarship Essays
• Personal Statements
• Literature
• Professional Writing
• English Composition

Dana Rine has been a writing consultant since 2010. She is a Ph.D student in English with a concentration in literature. Her research interests include 19th century British literature and ecocritical themes in literature.

Mike Ruso, Pursuing Creative Writing MFA

Mike graduated from the University of Florida in 2005 with a BA in political science. In 2007, he completed an end-to-end thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail. Then beginning in November 2008 he and a friend paddled the entire coastline of Florida in kayaks. After returning from the wilderness, he enrolled in the University of South Florida, earned a second bachelors degree in English, and entered USF’s MFA program.

Tangela Serls, Pursuing Literature PhD

Tangela received her BA in English/Literature from Fort Valley State University and her M.Ed. in English/ Education at Florida A&M University. She is currently a teaching assistant for The Bible as Literature course and a writing consultant at USF. Her research interests include Postcolonial Literature, Caribbean Women writers, African American Literature and Black Feminist Theory.

Claire Stephens, Pursuing MFA

Specialty Areas:

• Technical/Creative Writing

Claire Stephens is getting her MFA in creative writing at USF. She writes fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, but recently she’s been working in graphic narrative. Her poetry and graphic poetry is forthcoming in Prick of the Spindle.

Brogan Sullivan, Pursuing MFA

Specialty Areas:

• Composition
• Creative Writing

Brogan Sullivan is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at USF. He writes fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, and teaches English Composition I and II.

Katie Waddell, Pursuing Literature MA

Specialty Areas

• 20th Century American Women Writers
• Feminism
• Spirituality

Katie graduated with a BA in English from Southeastern University and is pursuing a MA in Literature at USF.

Eric Walsh, Pursuing English MA

Eric received his BA in English and BS in Psychology at UF. He is currently working on his MA in English at USF, with the intention of becoming an editor after graduation.