University of Nebraska at Omaha
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about the WC.
2008-09 Writing Center staff
Isabelle Barros
Carol Dillon
Krystal Gabel-Beccard
Jason Gallagher
Travis Heermann
Tyler Holzer
Amber Kuester
Marilyn Marsh
Patrick McGee
Kathy Radosta
Dorianne Richards, director
Nate Tagg
Isabelle Barros
Isabel Barros holds a B.A. in Languages (Portuguese and English) from Brazil, where she was born and worked as a teacher of Portuguese and English for many years. She earned her M.A. in English with a concentration in Linguistics and ESL from UNO in 2003, and since then she has been teaching ESL classes and First Year Composition, as well as tutoring in the Writing Center. She enjoys spending time with her children, working with students – the only type of job she has ever had – and traveling. Isabel likes non-fiction and everything related to international issues. Knowing about the world and about languages helps her promote critical thinking and writing in her classes – and it also helps her “read” our many complex yet fascinating cultures.
Carol Dillon
Carol Dillon, an instructor in the English Department, holds a B.A. in English and Art from Bellevue University, an M.A. from UNO with a concentration in Composition and Rhetoric and a certification in ESL, and a B.F.A. from Bellevue University in Art with a concentration in Painting and Ceramics. Carol says, “I tutored students during my undergraduate years—all nine of them.” For the past few years, she has been teaching Advanced Composition (English 2400), ESL courses, and First-Year Composition (1160/64). When she can find the time, she likes to read, paint, write (children's stories and poetry, creative non-fiction, and non-fiction), and attend her children's and grandchildren's sports activities--soccer, hockey, basketball, and baseball. Currently, she is working on setting up a gallery for her paintings on e-bay.
Krystal Gabel-Beccard
Krystal Gabel-Beccard received her undergraduate degree in writing from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa, in 2005. She worked for The Briar Cliff Review during her three years there, first as a student reader and editor and finally as an assistant editor, in charge of most publication decisions, including selecting contest winners, proofing copy and revamping pay layouts. In addition to working on her master's degree in women studies and 20th century American literaure at UNO, Krystal is a part-time editorial assistant at The Midlands Business Journal. Her interests include enjoying Omaha's food and dining culture, shopping thrift and antique stores, and taking mid-afternoon naps. Krystal resides in West Omaha with her two dogs, Tator Tot and Zoey, and about 1,000 books.
Jason Gallagher
Jason Gallagher graduated from Webster University in Saint Louis in 2002 with his B.A. in English with an emphasis in the study of drama. He worked at the Webster writing center for two years and has extensive experience with ESL, nontraditional and first year students. He spent the majority of his time with business and psychology students helping many MBA graduates become better writers. After a year off he went to the University of Illinois campus in Springfield where he helped grade papers for a seminar on Thomas Hardy and almost completed his MA. He then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio with his wife and took more time off from his studies. Yearning to get back to school he came to Omaha to start over again. He now lives in Dundee with his wife Susan, their cat Aja, and eighteen boxes of books.
Travis Heermann
Travis Heermann has been writing for as long as he can remember. The lonely plains of rural Nebraska were perfect for filling his head with hobbits, samurai, vampires, Cimmerians, Tharks, and Jedi, forever twisting him into his current, occasionally warped persona (if you know what all those are, you're as big a geek as he is). He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln--way too long ago--with a BS in electrical engineering. It took eight years to decide that it was time for a career change and make the leap from electronic design to English. But that leap was not quite big enough, so he also leaped from English to Japanese, and spent three years in Fukuoka, Japan, as an Assistant Language Teacher. In addition to being an engineer, an English teacher, and a writer, he has tested the waters as a museum attendant, a bookseller, a referee, a pilot, a farmer, a construction worker, a comic-shop clerk, and a game designer. His second novel will be published in Spring 2009, so please let him try to peddle you a copy. In addition to pursuing an MA in English, with certificates in TESOL and Advanced Writing, he runs his freelance writing business, and tries to find some time to play poker and practice iaido. He now makes his home in a much larger world than before.
Tyler Holzer
Tyler Holzer graduated from UNO in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. His undergraduate focus of study included American Frontier and Native American history, though he supplemented his program with several writing and literature courses. Immediately after completing his B.A., Tyler enrolled as a graduate student in the English department. After one year of study, he took a short hiatus to spend some time living in and enjoying New York City. He returned to Omaha in late 2007 and is currently finishing his Master’s degree in American Literature with a special emphasis on the American novel, regionalism, and the history of the book. When he is not at school, Tyler enjoys reading, running, and exploring Omaha’s several unique restaurants and pubs.
Amber Kuester
Amber Kuester finished her undergraduate degree in 2006, majoring in Psychology with an emphasis in substance abuse. After working in the in-patient section of an adolescent drug and alcohol rehab for a year, she returned to school to continue her education. Amber is now in the graduate English program working as a Teaching Assistant. Her focus of study is British literature.
Marilyn Marsh
Marilyn Marsh has an AB in English from Nebraska Wesleyan and an MA in English from UNO. Her experience includes reporting (Lincoln Journal, Omaha-World Herald), teaching (Westside High School, UNO, Metropolitan Community College), free-lance writing (non-profit organizations, Methodist Health System, etc.), and grant writing (College of Saint Mary). Currently, she writes for fun--biographies for children age 8-12 which no one wants to publish. She plays the violin in the UNO orchestra, is a member of UNO's Friends of Art (help starving artists), and gardens intensely. Her daughters write well and hopefully her grandchildren (ages 1-4-6-7) will, too.
Patrick McGee
Patrick McGee acquired a BFA from the UNO Writer's Workshop. He is currently enrolled in the Advanced Writing Certificate program and is working towards a master's degree in English. His main interests are reading and writing fiction.
Kathy RadostaDorianne Richards
Dorianne Richards joined the UNO faculty in 1995 after completion of her MA in English. She has taught a variety of literature and composition courses, focusing primarily on English Composition II: Argument and Research. As a long-time member of the English Department’s First-Year Writing Committee, Dori has participated in revision of writing curriculum, mentoring of Teaching Assistants, and workshops on digital portfolios, documentation, visual rhetoric and collaborative pedagogy. She has also been actively involved in assessment, acting as 2006 Assessment Coordinator for the First-Year Writing program. Her goal as an instructor, and now as director, is to provide opportunities for writers to acquire the skills they need to succeed in college and beyond.
Nathanael Tagg
Nathanael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern College, where he wrote for student publications, worked as a resident assistant, and instructed his own workshop for an academic symposium. UNO appointed him to work as a graduate teaching assistant (Composition 1) and writing center consultant for the upcoming year while he pursues his Master of Arts degree in American Literature. Much of the literature he has studied lands in the broad genus Literature of Place. Today his foremost interests lie with the works of Don DeLillo, Cormac McCarthy, Annie Dillard, Flannery O’Connor, and William Faulkner.
