Meet our Writing Assistants

Dilara Dikilitaş joined the Applied Linguistics Ph.D. program at Northern Arizona University in 2023. She earned her M.A. in TESL–Applied Linguistics from NAU and her B.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the Middle East Technical University. At NAU, she teaches English Composition and serves as a team leader for the Lumberjack Writing Center tutors. Her research interests include second language acquisition (SLA), teaching speaking, corpus-driven approaches to SLA, and instructed vocabulary learning, particularly in spoken modalities. A native speaker of Turkish with working proficiency in French, she brings a multilingual perspective to her teaching and tutoring.

Kelly K. PhD candidate in Applied Linguistics. I hold a BA in Cognitive Science and Romance Languages and an MA in Linguistics. My research investigates multilingualism and cognition, with a focus on language attrition. I also have experience in evaluating and updating legal language to increase comprehensibility, and I have conducted research evaluating the utility and lexical properties of GenAI (including ethical usage). My first language is English, and I have varied levels of proficiency in Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese. I look forward to helping students improve their writing to achieve their academic and professional goals.

Lu. W, Ph.D student for Applied Linguistics, 2025. Research interest: applying technology to facilitate second language acquisition. Lu is interested in teaching academic reading and writing. She also has the experience to teach English learners reading and writing at B2 and C1 level.

In addition, Lu is an instructor for ENG105.

Mark S. PhD student, Applied Linguistics, 2026. Focus of study: second language writing; written corrective feedback; English and Chinese language literature, with an emphasis on poetry; Chinese as second language instruction. Languages: English and Chinese. Pleased to help with writing problems from content to punctuation. Most practiced with APA 7.

In addition, Mark is the primary instructor for ENG405.

Michelle R. PhD in Applied Linguistics, 2027. I have a special interest in Second Language Acquisition and Pragmatics. Fluent in English, studied Russian for two years. I love working collaboratively with students to realize their writing potential.

In addition, Michelle is the primary instructor for ENG100.

Check back for updates.

Raihan Rahman is a Ph.D. student in Applied Linguistics with research interests in L2 speech, accent, intelligibility, and comprehension. He holds an MA in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he previously taught Academic Writing and Research Paper Writing for undergraduate ESL students. Raihan is passionate about exploring learning tools and software that enhance students’ overall educational experiences. Outside of his academic pursuits, he enjoys cycling, cooking, playing PS5 games, and journaling.

In addition, Raihan is teaching ENG 105 as a primary instructor in Fall 2025.

Shannon Dunn, PhD of Applied Linguistics, 2028.  Focusing on ethics and rigor in classroom-based research and instructed second language acquisition. Happy to support writers at any stage of the writing process.

Shannon has been trained by the NAU Global Communications Center to provide language support services to students, especially related to pronunciation/oral communication.

I am currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant and a tutor at the Writing Center, NAU. My interests lie in L2 Phonology, Second Language Acquisition, and syntax.

Alice T. M.F.A. Creative Writing, 2027. My focus within the field of Creative Writing is poetry, and I am most interested in eco-poetry, feminist poetry, poetry about spirituality, and poetry of place. My primary language is English, and I have limited proficiency in reading and studying Ancient Greek. My favorite part about being a Writing Assistant is reminding students of the power present in their unique writerly voices. Additionally, I am excited about getting to know each student and the stories they choose to share!

Annabella Leach. M.A in Applied Linguistics and TESL, 2026. I am interested in the processes of second language learning. I primarily speak English, but have some experience with Spanish speaking and writing. My favorite part of the LWC is supporting students to become confident writers in their field.

Ben N. Bachelors in English with a creative writing emphasis and minors in French/Philosophy. Currently seeking creative writing Masters of Fine Arts. English is my first language but I lived in France for a year and have a basic command of French. My primary objective in the LWC is to meet students where they’re at, providing guidance on whatever they need and helping with the discovery and development of their writing voices.

Berkand, G. An MA student in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language. My areas of interest are discourse analysis, conversation analysis, and pragmatics. My primary language is Turkish.

Caleb R. (they/them), MFA in Creative Writing—Poetry, ‘27. My areas of interest in English include contemporary and experimental poetry, including modern twists on traditional poetic forms. I write primarily about mental illnesses, addictions, traumatic experiences, and life-changing individuals/events. Since most of my higher educational background is in music, I am excited to draw from my unique experiences when aiding students with their writing.

Camille A. Masters in Applied Linguistics/TESOL, 2027. Special emphasis on Tesol – Teaching English as a Second language. Fluent in English and Filipino, interested in studying Spanish and Japanese Languages. I’m excited to meet different students from different backgrounds that are trying to achieve a similar goal, to be a better writer. I would love to make my students feel comfortable in sharing their writing process and collaboratively make writing more manageable.

Camille has been trained by the NAU Global Communications Center to provide language support services to students, especially related to pronunciation/oral communication.

David C. Masters in Applied linguistics and teaching English as a second language, 2026. Special emphasis on legal linguistics and corpus linguistics. Fluent in English and Spanish. Excited to help students find sources and write research papers.

I am an MFA student in Creative Writing Fiction (2027). As a grad student, my areas of interest are historical fiction and short stories. I have a BA in Professional and Technical Writing, and because of this, I enjoy working with students on the drafting and revision process. My first language is English, but I have limited proficiency in French. My favorite part of working with students is helping them develop confidence in their voice as writers.

Isaiah A. MFA in Creative Writing, 2027. My areas of interest are in refining voice in writing and bodies of voice, with an emphasis on mentorship. My primary language is English, but I frequently speak Spanish with my family. My favorite part about working in the LWC is helping students become confident in themselves.

Hello! My name is Jared P. I’m a first year student in the MA in Applied LInguistics program here at NAU. I have a very broad range of professional and academic experience and look forward to supporting students of all different backgrounds at the LWC. I love to cook, run, and am always exploring new hobbies and activities. While I’m not yet fluent in any language other than English, I have studied Spanish and English in the past and hope to become bilingual by the end of my time at NAU.  I look forward to working with you soon!

Hello! My name is Joad B. I am a GTA, and I major in the Rhetoric and Writing Masters Program. I majored in English with a minor in Journalism during my undergrad, and am fluent in English. I have extensive experience writing in MLA format, as well as experience writing for news. I am extremely comfortable working on research papers, argumentative papers, literature assignments, or any other English-related assignment. I would also be happy to work on any news/feature writing assignments. I also have some limited experience working with APA formatting. Regardless of my specializations, I am happy to work on any manner of assignment with any student willing!

Kaela Loftus, MFA Creative Writing, 2027. I am an Angolan-American painter, printmaker, and poet from Colorado, with a background in both creative writing and visual arts, mainly as a means of investigation and documenting histories. English is my main language, but I am studying Portuguese and have some proficiency in Spanish.

Karina Z. is a master’s student in Applied Linguistics and TESOL, 2026. I am interested in foreign languages, applied linguistics, research methods in social sciences, and psychology. I have a BA in International Relations and an MA in Psychology. I am fluent in English, my native language is Russian, and I can speak English and Italian. Helping students sound more persuasive in their writing and get their message across is one of my favorite things.

Kruger, MFA in Creative Writing with a BA in English – Creative Writing and Historical Studies. My primary areas of interest are literature, creative writing, and history. These meetings are a safe space no matter your background, and I will do my best to make sure you’re comfortable. My primary language is English but I am more than willing to work with students whose primary language is not English. My goal will be to make sure we make significant progress with each meeting, and give you a pathway to success through building good academic habits.

Howdy! I’m Payton H., and I’m a first year student in the Applied Linguistics/TESL MA program. Particularly, I’m mainly interested in second-language acquisition and dialects. I’m a native English speaker, and I’m also versed in Japanese somewhere between the beginner and intermediate levels. Teaching has been a huge passion of mine for my entire life, so I simply cannot wait to work with LWC to help refine and hone in the skills of all students I get the pleasure of working with.

Sam B, second year MFA student studying creative writing. I tend to focus on speculative science fiction, particularly transhumanist cyberpunk and climate narratives. I currently serve as Thin Air Magazine’s managing editor, and have been exposed to submissions from all over the world. English is my primary language, and I have a basic knowledge of (unpracticed) Spanish. I’m most excited to help those I tutor find the, “Ah ha!” moment that helps them break through the inertia of a difficult assignment.

Thelma,B. MA Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language. My primary language is English. I speak 3 Ghanaian Languages; Twi, Ga, Fante. My goal at LWC is to help students own their voice through writing while paying attention to structure and organization. I am excited to learn from different perspectives and disciplines.

Erica A. English B.A., 2026. Special interests in creative writing, presentations, rhetoric, and editing. I have a passion for writing and hope to enter the creative writing industry, and I look forward to helping anyone with their various writing needs!

Shelby B. I am an undergraduate Social Work major with a minor in Disability Studies, 2026. I am fluent in English and know a little Spanish. I love to read, play in the rain, and help people reach their writing assistant appointments!