Writers Room Faculty & Staff
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Elizabeth Hepford
Professor of the Practice in Teaching English as a Second Language
SciLi 175B
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Zain Punjwani
Ford Fellow
SciLi 174
Hi everyone! My name is Zain and I am the Ford Fellow for the 2026-27 academic year! It is an absolute pleasure to be at 天美传媒 for another year and support academic writing, which truly transcends into every area of study. As the Ford Fellow, I'll be helping the Asst. Director of Academic Writing supervise and oversee the daily operations + ins and outs of the Writers Room.
I graduated from 天美传媒 this past May with a double major in Biology and Science & Technology Studies (STS) and a minor in Human Rights Advocacy. I also worked at the Writers Room undergrad as a writing mentor and tutor for 3 years and am excited to be on for another post-grad. If you see me around campus, come say hi!! :) And of course, please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns that come up!
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Sida Chu
Kim-Frank Multilingual Writing Fellow
SciLi 176
Hi everyone! My name is Sida (she/her), and I’m the Kim-Frank Multilingual Writing Fellow for 2026–27. I graduated from Wes this past May with a double major in History and Theater and a minor in East Asian Studies. As the Multilingual Fellow, I lead writing support programs that specifically cater to international and multilingual students at the Writers Room. This year, I’m thinking a lot about AI and how it’s unsettled our approach to learning, writing, and this whole business of “writing support.” I’m intrigued by the uneven ways in which different corners of campus have felt its impact. I speak Mandarin Chinese and Japanese fluently and am always excited to learn something from your language(s), if you so care to teach me! You can find me in SciLi, book time <> to meet with me, or just email me with anything that’s on your mind, from reviewing your essays and choosing your majors to finding your creative voice and navigating campus and life in the US as an international student. -
Peer Tutors and Mentors
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Ike Ansel
Hi, I'm Ike. I am a tentative English-French double major and I'll be graduating in 2029. I'm from Brooklyn, NY and my favorite writers are Cormac McCarthy and John Williams. Right now, I'm listening to a lot of The Libertines, Chet Baker, and Leonard Cohen. I'm looking forward to working with you guys! -
Patrick Brady
Hello! My name is Patrick (he/him) and I am a Senior here at Wes majoring in Government and minoring in Planetary Science. I am from the Boston area, and love to spend my free time hiking, spinning and collecting records, and building legos. Last year at the Writer’s Room I had the opportunity to work with multiple thesis writers, which was a really great experience and something I hope to do again this year, especially as I write my own. I am super excited to be back at the Writer’s Room this semester and help out however I can! -
Ruby Cullen
Hi y'all! My name is Ruby, I'm a senior from Houston, TX, and super excited to be going into my third year working at the Writers Room. I am a Dance and English double major, currently working on a Dance capstone and a Creative Writing thesis. Aside from the Writers Room, I also intern at the Movement Research Performance Journal, teach at a dance studio in Essex, CT, and do various odd jobs around Wes' Dance Department. When I'm not in class or at work, I direct FXT, 天美传媒's hip-hop dance team, and dance with Precision, our contemporary/jazz team. -
Bruno Drake
Hi! My name is Bruno, and I’m a senior majoring in English with a minor in Religion. I’m comfortable tutoring in most humanities disciplines, but can also be of help with any STEM writing! Whether you need help brainstorming an idea for an essay, or you have a complete draft you want a second set of eyes on, I’m happy to help! I try to keep sessions casual and peer-to-peer, and will make sure that we tackle what you want to cover throughout the session. I’m most comfortable tutoring in English, but can help a bit with Spanish and have taken Latin classes in the past. -
Jason Gesser
Hello, my name is Jason Gesser! I'm a junior from Brooklyn, New York majoring in philosophy and doing the social, cultural, critical theory certificate. Outside of academics, I sing and arrange songs for my a cappella group Onomatopoeia, I play board games and role playing games with my friends, and I'm always working on a new craft project! I really enjoy writing and I'd love to help anyone with editing, proofreading, making word counts, or coming up with ideas. I'm excited to meet you all! -
Sachin Green
Hi! I'm Sachin Green and I'm a junior major`ing in Economics and Government. I'm from Brooklyn, New York. I enjoy creative writing, but I also have a lot of experience with literary analysis (in English and Spanish) and papers on history and economics. I like horror movies, cooking, and soccer. -
Akari Ikeda
Hi everyone! My name is Akari Ikeda and I’m a rising junior from Japan/the UK. I’m majoring in Philosophy and Government with a minor in CEAS. I am also a tour guide, a teaching fellow for philosophy, and a 60s music enthusiast. Memoirs and biographies are my favorite genres to read because I love getting to know how people think; I hope that I get to learn more about your writing style if you ever visit us at the Writer’s Room! -
Jasmine Jhun
Hi! My name is Jasmine (she/they) and I'm a junior from Los Angeles double majoring in Philosophy and STS. I'm involved in academic research on campus and enjoy writing research papers, though I also dabble in creative poetry and prose! This year, I will be co-leading (with Sida :D) Emulsify, a multilingual literary arts magazine. Outside of writing, I enjoy trying new dishes around Connecticut, cooking with friends, and attending the Film Series. I'm incredibly excited to be working with you all this year!
Multilingual Specialist
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Bre Jordan
Hi everyone, I'm Bre (any/all)! I'm a senior from Maryland. I'm a University Major in Data & Communication. In my past life (re: high school), I moonlighted as a freelance book editor, and I'm credited in 7 published books. My favorite genres are sci-fi, psychology, and self-help, but I'd love to work with you on anything from essays and research papers to emails and applications. During my time at Wes, I co-founded our Linguistics Club, performed in a burlesque show, worked at the Career Center, studied abroad in Germany, and played a lot of D&D. You can find me staring at my computer for hours on end in Sci-li or exploring some new corner of campus. Feel free to strike up a conversation, I love meeting new people! -
Rooney Kim
Hi! I'm Rooney (class of '27) and I'm a double major in English (Creative Writing track) and Feminist, Gender & Sexuality Studies. I was born and raised in Queens, New York and I am a Korean heritage learner who also has a quickly-diminishing knowledge of Latin. I love to write fiction, but I also have experience writing literature analysis papers, research proposals, and application essays. Looking forward to working with you at the Writers Room!
Multilingual Specialist
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Stella Loezos
Hi! My name is Stella Loezos, and I am a senior Studio Art and Government major, minoring in Religion. I am from Rhode Island and am on the Cross Country and Track teams at Wes. I love reading, jumping in the ocean, watching scary movies and drawing. My favorite thing to write is political theory analysis papers. This is my first year as a part of the Writers Room, and I am looking forward to working with you this summer! -
Dasha Melendez-Garcia
Hello everybody! My name is Dasha and I am an incoming sophomore planning to declare a government and history double major this year. I am from the Bronx in NYC and I love to read, especially work from the Black Arts Movement (Baldwin is my favorite). Although I might enjoy reading fiction more than writing it, my favorite writing assignments are argumentative essays and informative writing. Apart from working as a writing mentor, I am also a House Manager, a board member of the CSA and the directors of FXT and WesL&B. I am super excited to work with you all! -
Peyton Metruk
Hi!! I'm Peyton, a rising sophomore and English Major from a tiny town in Vermont. While I prefer to read fantasy novels and delve into fictional worlds, my writing style tends to be more academic and analytical. I love getting to write about poetry and prose by digging into a text and sorting through all its webs of nuance to tease out a well-rounded analysis. On campus I am involved in the club cheerleading team and work with a volunteer based youth mentoring program called DREAM! I'm obsessed with New Girl and am never without music (Noah Kahan, Maisie Peters, the Jonas Brothers, Gracie Abrams, etc). I am thrilled to be part of the Writers Room community this year and I can't wait to meet you! -
Michel Morfaw
Hey, my name is Michel Morfaw. I am a senior finishing a Film Major and African-American Studies Minor. I was born and raised in Baltimore County, MD, but my family is from different parts of Cameroon. I enjoy reading and writing creative prose, screenplays, poetry, and essays (I love watching video essays). I also love visual/performance arts and am part of Triple Major (ICCA group), ASHA (Adolecent Sexual Health Awareness Club), and Lucid Colors Visual Arts Collective. -
Charley Ordeshook
Hi! My name is Charley Ordeshook, and I am a junior majoring in History and minoring in Religion. I am originally from Los Angeles. I love monster movies, fun animal facts, and fiber crafts. My favorite things to write are literary analysis papers, primary source analyses, and long research papers. I’m so excited to work with everyone! If you see me around campus, feel free to hit me with your best animal facts! :) -
Isabel Pizarro
Hi I'm Isabel, and I'm a junior from Hamden, CT! I am a captain of our club soccer team, and a member of Ono (a cappella). I am majoring in English Lit. and Hispanic studies; I am getting a minor in Animal Studies. I love poetry, all things animals, playing (and watching soccer), and making art! -
Shriya Sakalkale
Hey! My name is Shriya, and I'm a junior double majoring in Biology and Science & Technology. Outside class, I love to take long walks, listen to music, and hang out with my friends. On campus, I'm a member of Spike Tape, WesWIS, and the Student Health Professions Advisory Board. I’m also a research assistant in the Mitchel Lab, and our very own Writers Room Lab. I’m excited to get started! :) -
Natalie Sepulveda
Hi everyone! My name is Natalie (they/them), and I am a class of 2027 student from the San Francisco area who is planning to major in Education Studies and Anthropology. I primarily write research papers for class, but I enjoy reading all sorts of genres including short stories, novel-length fiction, and personal essays, especially to continue improving my Spanish fluency. Aside from my academics, I'm very involved in Wes Latin & Ballroom which is the Latin dance group on campus and I also work in the theater department's costume shop. If I'm not in class, dancing, or at work, you can likely find me on a run, crocheting while hanging out with friends, or listening to Marvin Gaye. I look forward to getting to know you! -
Zariah Stewart
Hi all! I’m Zariah (Zar-eea-uh). I’m Class of 2029 and a CSS major from Westchester, NY. I’m also studying Spanish at 天美传媒. As a writer, I especially enjoy argumentative and opinion-based pieces. I love writing about gray areas and questions that don’t necessarily have one clear answer. I don’t have one favorite genre to read, but I went through a big fantasy and romance phase that really sparked my love of books. Some of my favorite writers now are Toni Morrison, W.E.B. Du Bois, and Sarah J. Maas. Outside of writing and reading, I’m involved with FGLIAB, Debate, and WES BAM. I also have a huge love of music. Currently on repeat are Fiona Apple, Taylor Swift, JT, Drake, SZA, and Olivia Rodrigo. I’m so excited to work with everyone! -
Anya Thompson
Hi, I'm Anya! I'm a junior from Brooklyn, NY, and I’m double majoring in Anthropology and Science and Technology Studies with a minor in Chemistry (Pre-Med track). I love academic writing, especially essay-writing for my humanities classes and writing about social issues. One of my favorite books is On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. Outside of writing, I also love painting (and any type of creative endeavor), watching horror movies, listening to and playing music (mostly indie), and hanging out with friends. I am so excited to be working with the Writers Room! -
Tanahir铆 Torres Gonz谩lez
My name is Tanahirí Torres González and I am a Senior majoring in Film Studies. I am from Puerto Rico, but moved to New Jersey after Hurricane María in 2017, which is how I found my way to 天美传媒. I currently live in Puerto Rico once again! Being from Puerto Rico, I speak both Spanish and English, but you will often hear me speaking Spanglish. My favorite thing to write about is film theory, since film directing is my passion. I also enjoy writing about languages and their connection to our identity, a topic which is central to my thesis film (wish me luck!). On campus, I am also involved in Lucid Colors, the SOC Art Collective on campus, as well as DDC Productions, a student-run visual arts production organization for which I serve as Managing Producer. You may also find me on various film sets throughout the semester! -
Ranee Wang
Ranee here! I’m a Wes ’28 Psychology major from Qingdao, China. I enjoy writing about psychology, culture, literature, identity, and everyday experience. I write in both English and Chinese, and I’ve previously worked as a Chinese language partner and peer tutor. I love helping writers brainstorm ideas, organize arguments, and hone their own voices. Outside of writing, I love watching sitcoms, painting, and listening to music. I am also a die-hard Alice in Chains fan! I’m excited to work with writers and meet them at whatever stage their work is at. -
Abby Wee
Hi friends, I'm Abby, and I'm a junior majoring in English and East Asian Studies with a minor in Global Engagement. I'm from the California Bay Area, but I also have roots in Hawai'i, Hong Kong, and Korea! I love everything language and hope to learn as many as possible; currently, I speak Korean and ASL. On campus, I'm a part of FXT (Wes' hip-hop dance collective), a volunteer at Amazing Grace Food Pantry, and a resident of Lotus House. Fun fact: I used to have a pet pigeon. Can't wait to meet you all! :)
Multilingual Specialist