The staff of the Center for Writing Excellence are dedicated to making your visit to the CWE a positive experience.
We welcome you and look forward to working with you!
LEADERSHIP
Program Director
Professor and Director of the Center for Writing Excellence, English
- Phone
- 973-655-7442
- knightm@montclair.edu
- Location
- Bohn Hall
Research/Interests: Rhetorical Theory and Practice, Writing Centers, Writing in the Disciplines, Computers and Composition, American Cultural Studies.
A scholar and practitioner, Professor Knight brings expertise in rhetorical theory and practice, business and professional communication, writing across the curriculum and American cultural studies. She conducts undergraduate and graduate courses at Montclair State University and supervises student teachers. Additionally, she advises educational and governmental organizations on corporate communications topics and develops professional communication programs for a broad spectrum of clients in business, not-for-profit and governmental organizations. Professor Knight has been awarded grants from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Wallerstein Foundation, among others. She has also been the Editor of Business and Professional Communication Quarterly since 2010.
Assistant Director
Assistant Director of the Center for Writing Excellence, College of Humanities and Social Sciences
- Phone
- 973-655-7442
- remoldea@montclair.edu
- Location
- Bohn Hall
Areas of Interest: Community writing projects, Women’s Studies, Asian women’s literature, classic monster movies.
Before joining the CWE, Alicia enjoyed working for the Women’s and Gender Studies Program at Montclair State. She likes meeting students, faculty and staff from across campus and learning about their interests. Alicia thinks stories and storytelling are a fascinating and powerful part of our lives, both in their hearing and telling. She encourages writers at all levels to make use of the CWE, for all kinds of writing.
CONSULTANTS
Aashish Karki
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Resume writing, psychology, APA style, Business Administration, management, argumentative writing, storytelling, journals, multilingual writers
Extracurriculars: Watching and playing soccer, hiking, music, food
Aashish is an International student from Nepal and a Graduate Assistant at the CWE. He is currently pursuing an MA in Industrial and Organizational Psychology at Montclair State University. He graduated from William Paterson University with his Undergraduate in BS Business Administration in Management with a minor in Psychology. He loves to have conversations with people on just about anything and is open to learning about new topics. Aashish is an outgoing person who likes helping people with their writing and finding solutions that boost writers’ confidence. He especially enjoys working with writers from different backgrounds or whose first language is not English.
Alice Freddi Beresin
Senior Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: American and French Literature, Art and Art History, and Learning Disabilities
Extracurricular: Drawing, travel, reading, gardening and going to the theater
This is Alice’s 13th year working at the CWE. Alice also tutors middle school, high school and college students in composition, research and study skills. She has worked with students on the reading and writing sections of the SAT and has helped high school seniors on college essays and applications. A number of Alice’s private clients have learning differences. Alice currently freelances as an illustrator for private clients and has illustrated books for Prentice Hall, Inc., Jossey-Bass, and John Wiley & Sons. Additionally, Alice is on the board of directors of the off-Broadway theater company, VOICETheatre, where one of her duties is editing grants and promotional material.
Ana Hilario
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: International studies, politics, poetry, 20th century literature, contemporary American novels, linguistics, magazine and newspaper writing, creative writing
Extracurriculars: listening to true crime podcasts, traveling, weekly baking sessions, making the world’s best cup of coffee
Ana graduated from Montclair State University in 2022 with an MA in English. Her undergraduate major was English with a minor in Linguistics. Ana is currently working in the architecture and engineering industry as a proposal coordinator. She is a firm believer in the power of the written word to connect individuals and communities. Ana hopes to share this love of literature with the CWE community as a writing consultant.
Camilla M Finch
Senior Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: News writing for television, newspapers and magazines. Expertise in economic and business journalism.
Camilla has worked professionally as a journalist in both the television and print fields for 25 years. She rose through the ranks to become a producer at ABC Network News working on the programs, “20/20”, “World News Tonight with Peter Jennings” and “Business World”. She specializes in writing about business and economic issues for both television and print. She is also a founding member of the Lydia Johnson Dance Company as well as a founding member of Youthnet, the after-school program that serves the South Orange and Maplewood school districts.
Emily Lewis
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Poetry, creative writing, research papers, MLA, ACT prep, grammar, linguistics, literature, resume writing
Extracurriculars: Baking, playing piano, art, reading
Emily graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in English and Linguistics and a minor in Spanish, and is now pursuing an MS in Computational Linguistics at Montclair State. She loves working with writers on any and every type of writing. When she’s not in class or helping writers at the CWE, you can find her in front of a piano or drawing tablet.
Johnna Caporuscio
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Psychology/counseling writing, Sociology writing, and APA formatting
Extracurriculars: Running, yoga, listening to country music, and reading
Johnna recently graduated from Montclair State in 2023 with her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. After graduating, Johnna began her counseling career in a middle school in New Jersey, helping students navigate mental health and academic challenges. Johnna previously worked as a Graduate Assistant at the CWE for the past two years and has returned to the CWE this year as a consultant. Johnna loves supporting writers and encouraging them along the writing process!
Justin Ghansiam
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Business writing, poetry, Creative writing, storytelling, MLA, International Business, Management, Marketing
Extracurricular: Socializing, massive film geek, singer, dancer, photographer, poet, aspiring DJ, and a person who loves to live life to the fullest!
Kristine Witko
Senior Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Second language writing, APA format, Praxis or ACT test prep, writing about education or linguistics, reading comprehension, impromptu essays
Extracurricular: Traveling, taking Spanish and Portuguese classes, spending hours in bookstores, trying new hobbies, attempting to dance bachata, and writing
Kristine obtained her BA in English (creative writing track) and received her MAT in Teaching English as a Second Language from Montclair State. For several years following graduation, Kristine split her time between New Jersey and Rio de Janeiro. While she lived in Brazil, she managed a nonprofit that provided educational services to children in a favela. Once she settled in the United States, she worked as a Literacy Coach for the Center of Pedagogy and spent over four years as an elementary school teacher in Brooklyn. This year marks Kristine’s 13th year working for the CWE, and she has greatly enjoyed watching students strengthen their writing skills over time.
Lexi Merring
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Poetry, creative writing, American classics, Gothic literature, analytical writing, and psychology essays
Extracurriculars: Writing, creating art, dancing, reading, learning French, and traveling
Lexi is a Graduate Assistant at the CWE who is currently earning an MA in English at Montclair State University. She received her BA in Creative Writing and Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Florham Campus in 2022. She has experience freelance copy editing books and reading submissions for multiple literary magazines, and she has published poems, short stories, and articles. During her free time, she works on writing her novel. Lexi enjoys helping people feel more confident in their writing, and she hopes that her love of writing will inspire writers at the CWE, regardless of the project they are working on.
Valerie Saturen
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: First-year college writing, American literature, creative writing, journalism, and writing in the humanities
Extracurricular: Reading, hiking, learning new things and going on adventures in New York City
Val received her MFA in Creative and Professional Writing in 2018 from William Paterson University, where she currently teaches first-year college writing. She believes writing is an extremely valuable skill no matter one’s life path or career goals, and she enjoys watching writers develop their ideas and become more confident in their writing. In addition to teaching and consulting, she loves working on creative writing projects, especially writing for young adults. In her past experience as a freelance journalist, she wrote features about current events, environmental sustainability, and a wide variety of other topics. She loves working with all kinds of writers on every type of writing!
Veronica Paniagua
Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Research papers, presentations, resume writing, second-language writing, and creative writing
Extracurricular: Jogging, hiking, pilates, and everything that involves being active
Veronica received her Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Education at Montclair State University earlier this year in May. She is currently pursuing her MPH through the lens of Health Systems Administration and Policy. Although her background is rooted in healthcare, she believes that writing is a crucial skill across all industries and plays a pivotal role in achieving success in any profession. As a multilingual writer herself, she hopes to encourage other writers that may also be multilingual and learning English as a second language, in becoming more confident writers.
GREETERS
Alexis Antico
Head Greeter and Consultant
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: Literature, analytical writing, writing in the humanities, journalism, creative writing, APA and MLA
Extracurricular: Reading, creative writing, and crafting
Alexis graduated from Montclair State University in 2014. She runs a book club with her close friends, plays DND, and enjoys creating welcoming spaces for all. She is an avid reader, enjoys writing short stories, and spends most of her time hanging out with her pitbull, Lulu. Alexis is passionate about helping others and aims to infuse her writing sessions with positive energy and enthusiasm.
Hailey Read
Greeter
Subjects/Areas of Expertise: American literature, journalism, MLA and APA, analytical writing and research, creative writing
Extracurricular: Reading, creative writing, poetry, music
Hailey graduated from Sussex County Community College with an AA in Journalism in 2023. She is currently an undergraduate student at Montclair State University, where she is pursuing an MA in English. With previous experience as a consultant at Sussex’s Writing Center, Hailey is passionate about the importance of literary education and aims to continue a career in the field. She also has experience in copy editing and journalism and writes for the Montclarion and, previously, Sussex’s the College Hill. During her free time, she enjoys working on her novel, writing poetry, reading, learning, and going to concerts.
Namrata Nitin Amin
Senior Greeter
Subject/Areas of Expertise: MLA, Chicago, South Asian and South East Asian Literature, Creative writing
Extracurricular: Reading, cooking, running, travel, and learning as many languages as possible
Prior to the CWE, Namrata worked at a non-profit organization that aided survivors of human trafficking where she advocated for asylum and family reunification visas. Her time there was spent working with those who spoke little or no English to ensure that their experiences were communicated efficiently and privately to other government organizations that could help further. As a multilingual writer herself, Namrata works as a translator and is excited about working at the CWE and the resources it provides writers, especially to those whose first language is not English. She is enthusiastic about her attempts at writing a collection of short stories, achieving reading goals on Goodreads, and the New York Yankees.