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Virtual Coworking Facilitators

Our expert facilitators are experienced academic writing coaches who create a space where members feel supported, focused, and able to take effective action. Together, we create a virtual environment where academic writers can discover how to engage with their work in real and sustainable ways, one work session at a time.

Darnise Martin, PhD

Facilitator

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Alison Miller, PhD

Owner and Facilitator

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Melinda Valente, EdD

Facilitator

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Rebecca Schwartz, PhD

Facilitator

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Kathryn Peterson, PhD

TAWS Facilitator

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Kevin Hylton, PhD

TAWS Facilitator

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Deirdre Rogers, PhD

Facilitator

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Melissa Schwartz, PhD

TAWS Facilitator

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Desi Richter, PhD

TAWS Facilitator

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Karen Rosenberg, PhD

TAWS Facilitator

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Darnise Martin, PhD
Facilitator
Darnise C. Martin, PhD is a Professor, Author and Life Coach with over 15 years of training and experiences in helping people achieve their goals in higher education, business, entertainment, and spirituality. Darnise has a PhD in Historical and Cultural Studies of Religion. She is the author of two books, multiple articles, blogs, and she is a contributor to a number of academic volumes and documentaries. As an editor she has helped others overcome writing blocks, manage time, and complete writing projects. She feels a special connection to supporting other academics on their vocational journeys. Darnise is passionate about helping people overcome mindset challenges, move beyond their stuck places, and celebrate accomplishing their goals.
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Alison Miller, PhD
Owner and Facilitator
Dr. Alison Miller has a PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Cornell University. In May 2000, Alison Miller, PhD, founded The Dissertation Coach as she recognized that many graduate students were struggling to successfully finish master’s theses and doctoral dissertations. She believes that many students and other academic professionals can benefit from support and guidance to manage the psychological, time management, and technical challenges that arise in graduate school and academia. In response to the 2020 pandemic, Alison along with her husband, were inspired to create a supportive, nurturing co-working community for graduate students and other academic professions called The Academic Writers’ Space. Alison is the author of Finish Your Dissertation Once and For All: How to Overcome Psychological Barriers, Get Results, and Move On with Your Life, published in 2009 by the American Psychological Association. She enjoys leading dissertation workshops at universities around the United States and is committed to the success of graduate students and academics around the world.
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Melinda Valente, EdD
Facilitator
Dr. Melinda Valente has a great deal of compassion for the ups and downs on the doctoral journey, and is committed to helping students more effectively manage the dissertation process while overcoming the internal and external challenges they face. She truly enjoys helping students accomplish this significant milestone in their academic careers. Melinda has spent the majority of her career in higher education administration, working in admissions and student services for over 16 years. A little over a decade was spent at Pepperdine University School of Law.  She currently works in alumni relations for her alma mater, Emerson College, where she uses her skills, knowledge and experience to help strengthen the college’s alumni community. Melinda earned her Education Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from Pepperdine University. She also holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s from Emerson College, where she gained experience in the areas of mass communication, media management, and television production.
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Rebecca Schwartz, PhD
Facilitator
Dr. Rebecca Schwartz considers academic writing an enriching process from which people can grow as both thinkers and individuals. As a professional academic writing coach, she has worked with over 1,000 graduate students and professors in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and sciences. She has guided clients to successful outcomes with proven methods for getting unstuck and becoming more productive in writing and research. Her coaching involves time and project management and overcoming perfectionism and other internal negative dialogues that slow down the writing process. She motivates people to work with realistic expectations and behaviors. Rebecca is a specialist in the relationship between music and dance; over the past 14 years, she has taught classes in musicology, dance history, and ballet. She has been working at the publishing branch of the American Musicological Society for 5 years and has been employed as a freelance editor of music and scholarly texts. Rebecca has an MA and a Ph.D. in Historical Musicology from the University of Michigan. 
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Kathryn Peterson, PhD
TAWS Facilitator
Dr. Kathryn Peterson writes plays, short fiction, and literary criticism, and enjoys helping students navigate the challenges of the creative writing process. Kathryn has worked with arts, humanities, and social science students for the past 16 years, teaching everything from developmental writing and reading to graduate level seminars. She currently teaches at the University of Houston-Clear Lake, where she mentors both undergraduate and graduate literature students. Her students have won local, state, and national prizes, and have published in a wide variety of journals. As a coach, she helps students apply mythic structures to the composition of lengthy projects. She also helps them manage the physiological aspects of writing anxiety, identify writing blocks, and design strategies to overcome challenges. Kathryn holds an MA in Playwriting from the University of Cincinnati, as well as both an MFA and Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature from the University of Houston.
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Kevin Hylton, PhD
TAWS Facilitator
Dr. Kevin Hylton is passionate about helping graduate students navigate the obstacles in writing a dissertation. He believes there is a solution to every challenge a student encounters in the pursuit of a graduate degree. Kevin has over 2 decades of experience serving as a research scientist, evaluator, technical advisor and policy advisor to federal, state and local governments, and nonprofit organizations. Kevin is currently an adjunct professor at colleges and universities in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, where he teaches behavioral and social science courses. He has coauthored peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, technical reports, and presented papers at professional meetings and conferences. Most of his research focuses on understanding and improving health disparities and educational inequities among underserved, minority populations. His expertise includes substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, diversity and race/ethnic relations, domestic violence, and educational outcomes. Kevin has an MA in Higher Education Administration and earned his Ph.D. in Sociology at Howard University.
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Deirdre Rogers, PhD
Facilitator
Dr. Deirdre Rogers understands the ups and downs of academic writing and research and knows that—with the right support and guidance—individuals can overcome obstacles and successfully complete their work. For over 15 years, she has mentored undergraduate and graduate students in writing theses on a wide variety of topics. Deirdre has held appointments as a tenured professor, department chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice, and directed the Center for the Enhancement for Teaching and Learning. She has worked as a grant evaluator and coauthored large community and direct services grants from the Department of Health and Human Services. Deirdre has published research using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Her areas of interest include criminal justice, social inequalities, the social construction of difference, and environmental justice. She received her Associates Degree in Psychology and a minor in Native American Studies from De Anza College, her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and sociology from San Jose State University, and her Ph.D. from in Sociology with a concentration in Criminology and minors in Women’s Studies and Social Psychology from Bowling Green State University. Deirdre is currently working on a 2nd MS in Forestry with a concentration in environmental management.
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Melissa Schwartz, PhD
TAWS Facilitator
Dr. Melissa R. Schwartz believes intellectual pursuits are vital and exciting to the human journey!  Having taught hundreds of university students the intricacies of ethics, critical analysis, and writing processes, she knows firsthand the power of support in the face of unexpected academic and personal struggles. Melissa has refined a teaching/learning strategy that applies to all capacities of academic coaching:  the nurturing of individual strengths in the face of such struggles, large or small. As an interdisciplinary scholar striving for depth and expertise, her open and fluid approach to obstacles begins with conscious listening and working to understand each student’s concerns with writing toward their goals. She feels strongly that a deeply compassionate approach to the human condition releases inhibitions and enlivens the mind, and she applies this philosophy to helping others find their unique voice. Melissa holds an interdisciplinary PhD called, ASPECT (Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, Cultural Thought), from Virginia Tech, an MA in Applied Ethics/Practical Philosophy from the University of North Florida, a BA in Comparative Literature from the University of Iowa, a Florida attorney’s license, a 250-hour Yoga certification, and an unquenchable curiosity.
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Desi Richter, PhD
TAWS Facilitator
Desi Richter, PhD holds a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of New Orleans. Desi is an expert listener who helps her clients get to the root of what is keeping them from making progress on their dissertations. Once she helps them get clarity about their needs, she outlines manageable, clear-cut action steps. When consulting, Desi helps her clients understand how to conceptualize their research and write about it in ways that are scholarly, clear, and compelling. Areas of consulting expertise include: proposal writing, dissertation alignment, literature review writing, organization, and qualitative research design. Desi’s areas of coaching expertise include: dissertation project management, compassionate approaches to writing, values clarification.
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Karen Rosenberg, PhD
TAWS Facilitator
Karen Rosenberg is an effective and insightful writing coach who is passionate about partnering with writers to meet their goals. Karen has a PhD in Women’s Studies from the University of Washington. After completing her doctorate, Karen directed a university writing center where she coached writers individually and designed programs to support student and faculty writers. Karen’s approach is both pragmatic and compassionate and she has deep respect for writers and their unique journeys.
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