Writing Center Faculty

Our faculty are here to help.

 

The is staffed by faculty at SMU, which allows each of these consultants to have insight into the writing processes and instruction that students receive in undergraduate courses like Writing and Reasoning (WRTR), writing tag courses, and courses with oral proficiency requirements. In addition, each instructor brings a unique set of skills and knowledge to help address student work in a variety of academic fields as indicated below. Where ever you are in the writing process, we are here to help. If you are presenting, come see us. Student appointments are available at WCOnline or you may email the director with questions or requests.




  • Lydia Allen picture

    Lydia Allen

    Director of The Writing Center

    My deep curiosity about the human mind and its development, evolution, and adaptation across environments led me to study the human condition from many angles. I completed degrees in psychology and neuroscience at Texas A&M and Columbia University, respectively. I also completed degrees in English/Philosophy and History of Ideas at University of Texas at Austin and UT Dallas, respectively. I love working with students as they move through the world of ideas, motivated by wonder and curiosity. Please email me with any questions you have or assistance you might require.

     

    Specialties:

    • Subject-specific writing in history, philosophy, literary/film studies, and scientific humanities

    • Technical, scientific, or medical writing

    • Creative Writing

    • Working with students with learning differences

    • Writing for applications or personal statements

    • STEM Writing Lab and Communications Lab

    • Faculty Consultations

     

  • Meghan Johnson

    Meghan Johnson

    Writing Center Faculty

    By investing in writing as a process, I want students to see that they are investing in themselves. I aim to facilitate active participation in new literacies that foster mindfulness so that students will know the powerful weight of their words. I completed a MA and PhD in English and Philosophy from the University of North Texas, I have spent fourteen years teaching at various universities and community colleges, and I have found a home here at SMU in the WRTR program where I am able to help students excel in their writing and reasoning powers in and beyond the classroom.

    Specialties:

    • American Studies

    • Writing, WRTR

    • Working-Class and Environmental Rhetoric

  • Ashley O'Neill picture

    Ashley O'Neill

    Writing Center Faculty

    With degrees in both English and library science, I been fortunate to have a wide and expansive working career. I have taught in academia, been an advocate and public educator in the field of social work, helped launch start-up technology companies, and worked as a librarian. No matter where I have worked, teaching has always been at the heart of my job. Working one-on-one with students and getting to know them better is one of my favorite things about teaching at SMU. Wherever you are in the writing process, I would love to meet with you.

     

    Specialties: 

    • WRTR

    • The research process

    • Literature

    • Writing in the humanities

  • Shon Phillips Picture

    Shon Phillips

    Assistant Director of the Writing Center

    I am passionate about teaching writing. Before transitioning into full-time, post-secondary teaching, I taught both middle and high school English. As an instructor, I work diligently to provide my students with a learning experience which they will find both relevant and engaging. My approach is often rooted in real-world experiences. I enjoy building a rapport with my students that allows me to help them progress as writers and critical thinkers. The phrase "I don't know" is always challenged in my classroom. My belief is that EVERY student has something to share, and it is my job to help them realize that their voice has relevance and purpose.


    Specialties:

    • African American Literature

    • Literature, broadly

    • WRTR

  • shattles pic

    Ann Shattles

    Writing Center Faculty

    After I completed my undergraduate degree in English at the University of Texas at Dallas, I came to SMU to study in the MA Program in English.  As a Teaching Fellow, I taught my first writing class at SMU in the fall of 1985, and I remain a happy Mustang! Since then, I’ve worked with SMU students at all levels of the first-year writing sequence, as well as Honors DISC, and as an A-LEC tutor and Writing Center faculty member.  For me, nothing’s better than working with students as they examine texts, refine their own perceptions, and then structure their ideas to communicate their insights to a reader.  I’m constantly excited to help empower student writers to develop their ability to craft their work so they create not only an answer to an assignment but also an energetic representation of their insights.

     

    Specialties:

    • WRTR

    • WRTR Honors

    • Introduction to Academic Writing

    • Graduate School Personal Statements 

    • Writing in the broad humanities

     

  • Richard Treat

    Richard Treat

    Writing Center Faculty for ESL Students

    Having taught English in the United States as well as in Mexico, Morocco, and South Korea, Richard enjoys working with people from different cultural backgrounds. He particularly enjoys teaching rhetoric and academic writing to the international students at SMU, using pop culture and media theory to analyze U.S. culture. He has a BA in Spanish, an MA in linguistics, and a graduate certificate in TESOL from the University of North Texas, and he is currently pursuing a PhD in literature and creative writing at the University of Texas at Dallas.


    Specialties:

    • Rhetoric and Composition

    • English as a Second Language WRTR

    • Linguistics 

    • Ecocriticism and Speculative Fiction