Writing Support Tutors

Megan (she/her) is a Technical Writer with a BCMM in Public Relations from Mount Royal University, and a MA in Communications and Culture from Toronto Metropolitan University and York University. She's conducted research on knowledge translation with a dash of science and technology studies, and can usually be found reading about the work practices and cultures of laboratories and how people conceptualize complex topics. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she's a huge proponent of the brainstorming and planning stages of writing.

Ian Chua holds a Master of Arts in English and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Literature from the University of Calgary. He specializes in contemporary fiction, science fiction, and creative writing. He also dabbles in ludonarratives and film studies. Ian is experienced in editing and providing feedback for writers from all disciplines, and he enjoys talking about various writing styles.

Matt is a PhD student in the Behavioural Neuroscience Research Group of the University of Calgary Psychology Department. Throughout his Master of Science degree, Matt used a variety of cutting-edge neuroscience techniques to examine how specific neurons in the hypothalamus are involved in social behaviours. His PhD is building upon this earlier work to characterize the neural circuits involved in this process, and how social deprivation during early life may impact these systems. 

Matt specializes in academic writing for natural and physical sciences for both undergraduate and graduate students. He has extensive experience in scholarship and graduate program applications, preparing manuscripts for academic publication, creating research proposals, and writing thesis manuscripts. Outside of academics, Matt can be found working out in the gym, building computers, working on cars, or photographing nature and wildlife.

Katelyn Horsley (She/They) holds a Master of Sciences in Psychology from the University of Calgary and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology from Vancouver Island University, Canada. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology at the University of Calgary where they study the neural circuits that communicate sleep loss to the brain and body.

Katelyn specializes in STEM-based writing for undergraduate and graduate students, with expertise in post-secondary applications, scholarship applications, Tri-Council funding, conference presentations and posters, proposals, and theses. Outside of academia, they enjoy boxing, snowboarding, hiking, camping, and caring for her cat and many plants.

Sarah holds a BA (Hons) in English and History and a MA in English Literature from Carleton University. Her research studies included Victorian literature and the intersection of gender and ageism in Canadian literature. She has professional experience writing online as a content creator, editor, and manager for a diverse clientele. Sarah looks forward to helping students grow throughout their entire writing journey. In her personal time, Sarah spends time avoiding bears in the mountains and cheering on her kids in their activities.

Ali holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Calgary, and MSc and BSc degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Iran. Over the course of his studies, Ali has gained extensive experience in preparing various writing samples, including research proposals, scholarship applications, peer-reviewed journal papers, presentations, and graduate theses. Furthermore, Ali has several years of experience as a teaching assistant for various engineering and non-engineering undergraduate courses. He joined the Writing Support Center in 2019 and enjoys helping students from different academic backgrounds with their writing needs. Outside of academia, Ali loves following European soccer leagues, hiking, biking, watching movies, cooking, and caring for his plants.

Claire (They/Them) holds a BA (Honours) and an MA in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Calgary. Their research explores the intersection of religion and queerness in digital spaces, providing expertise in queer and feminist media studies, discourse theory, and rhetorical communications. In addition to academic writing for the social sciences, Claire enjoys supporting students with grant and scholarship applications, digital content creation, and creative writing projects. In their free time, Claire can be found riding their bike through town and sharing fun history facts with anyone willing to listen.

Kathryn holds an MA in English Literature and a BA (Honours) in English and History from the University of Calgary. Her research surrounds equine literature, posthumanist poetry, and music as literature such as multimedia concept albums. She has experience in journalism and technical writing with the Canadian Pony Club and Badminton Alberta, as well as teaching out of Alberta South Regional pony clubs. She enjoys supporting students with writing in a variety of forms and texts. In her spare time, Kathryn enjoys reading, writing, and Three-Day Eventing with her horse.

Telford-Anthony (T.A.) Pattinson holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Communication Studies from the University of Calgary. In addition to his background in Communication Studies, T.A. enjoys supporting students with English, Film Studies, and Political Science and APA, MLA, and Chicago citation styles. T.A. is from Calgary and during his personal time, he likes to read and collect comics.

Ralph Pollock holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Calgary, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. He is experienced in writing support for both graduate and undergraduate students in most academic disciplines, especially in the sciences and engineering. In addition to philosophy, Ralph has a strong interest in the natural sciences, digital technology, and world history

Sebastian Sawh holds a Master of Arts in Political Theory, Philosophy and Language from the University of Manitoba. His fields of study are political theory, philosophy, and history. He is originally from Winnipeg and enjoys playing tennis, golf, baseball and hockey in his spare time. Sebastian has lectured

at the University of Manitoba and worked as a Research Consultant for both federal and provincial governments. He is an experienced tutor and enjoys helping students develop their writing and analytical skills. Sebastian's expertise and interests include modernism and post-modernism, surrealism, nihilism, existentialism, metaphor and the philosophy of language, history, art, poetry, literature and the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics.

Donna-Lee has been a tutor and instructor at the Student Success Centre’s Writing Support Services since 2011, where she supports undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students with their particular writing needs and goals, across a wide spectrum of academic disciplines. “D-L” has happily worked with students on academic and reflective papers, lit reviews, proposals, theses and dissertations, grant applications, business writing, reports, personal statements, various citation styles, and other miscellaneous academic projects. D-L began her professional life as a social worker (BSW), then moved on to become a visual artist for about 20 years (BFA). She returned to university as a mature student, acquiring an MA in Communication and Cultural Studies (thesis-based), which opened up new intellectual and creative possibilities, including a passion for writing and editing. A long-time Calgarian, she has travelled widely and loves engaging with the diverse University of Calgary community.