University Writing Center

Robert Cochran is the Program Director of the Writing Center. He holds a BA in International Relations from Harvard University's Extension School and both an MA and a Ph.D. in History from Brandeis. Additionally, he has received training in writing pedagogy from Brandeis, and he holds a CELTA Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults from the University of Cambridge. He has been an active member of the Brandeis Writing Center since 2018, serving first as a Writing Consultant, then as a Senior Writing Consultant and a Graduate Assistant Director.

At Brandeis, Dr. Cochran plans and implements all of the Writing Center's programming for undergraduate and graduate students, including one-on-one consultations, workshops, writers' workspaces, and dissertation writers' retreats. He conceives of the writing center as a vital pedagogical space in which all writers, regardless of their background or ability, can meet to engage in the tough yet rewarding process of becoming stronger, more confident writers.

As an academic writing instructor, he enjoys working with and learning from individuals of all linguistic backgrounds and skill levels. He has extensive experience in the university classroom and takes a keen interest in matters of learning experience design (LXD). Apart from his work in academic writing support, Dr. Cochran also conducts research in the field of colonial history, focusing on the modern British Empire and the Caribbean. In his 2024 dissertation, he problematizes commissions of inquiry into nineteenth-century systems of Asian indentured labor throughout the British Empire, arguing that these public spectacles largely served political and plantocratic ends rather than the subaltern Indian laborers about whom they were supposedly concerned.

Jade is a graduate student in the MS Computational Linguistics program. She holds a BA in Spanish and International Studies with a minor in French from UNCW and has a passion for language learning. She worked as a tutor for many years before starting at Brandeis and is dedicated to helping students succeed. Jade enjoys cooking, watching movies, and spending time with friends and family. She also enjoys traveling – some of her favorite places she has been include Rome, Tokyo, Lake Titicaca, Barcelona, and Costa Rica.

Joseph is a fifth-year doctoral student in the History Department. He has worked as a Writing Consultant since 2021 and enjoys reading the wide range of papers that come through our doors. His experience providing feedback on writing includes working with students, peers, and mentors in other capacities at Brandeis. As a writer, he has experience working on projects intended for academic and popular audiences. When he is not in the Writing Center, Joseph is working on his dissertation about Jews, commerce, and slavery in early America. Before he came to Brandeis, Joseph received a B.A. in history and Spanish from Haverford College.

Lianne is a third-year doctoral student researching transracial adoption from China to the United States. Although primarily affiliated with the History Department, her research is interdisciplinary and works across multiple areas of study including Critical Adoption Studies, Asian American Studies, and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. She holds a BA in English from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts as well as a joint MA in English and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Brandeis University. In her free time, she enjoys playing ukulele and spending time with her cat, Oliver. She looks forward to working with students across all stages of the writing process, from brainstorming to final drafts.

Abraham is a physician and trained qualitative and quantitative researcher, currently pursuing graduate studies in Global Health Policy and Management at Brandeis University. He holds postgraduate degrees in Public Health and Clinical research. With experience leading and contributing to over 15 research projects across health, education, and social sciences, he brings a strong foundation in analytical writing, research methodology, and academic mentorship. He trained and mentored thousands of students as a research tutor, refining his ability to translate complex findings into clear, compelling narratives.

Amanda is a first-year student in the Computational Linguistics MS program. She has bachelor’s degrees in both linguistics and dance from the University at Buffalo, where she also minored in English. While in Buffalo, she worked as an undergraduate writing consultant for three years. Before beginning graduate studies at Brandeis, she toured the US as a professional dancer. Now, she is happy to be back in an academic setting, applying more technical programming skills to computational linguistics tasks with large language models. Amanda balances coursework by spending her free time reading, writing, painting, and dance. She is happy to be back in the environment of a writing center and looks forward to meeting students from all disciplines.

Iana is a PhD student in the Department of English. Their research interests are in Victorian literature, new formalism, and philosophy and literature. Iana earned their BA in French and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies at Tufts University, having also spent a year studying in Paris during their time as an undergraduate. Iana looks forward to collaborating with students at the writing center and helping students feel more confident expressing themselves in whatever writing medium they are working in.

Jonathan is a first-year master's student at the Heller School, where he studies policy issues at the intersection of immigration justice, public education, and community organizing. Before coming to Brandeis, Jonathan worked for six years as an elementary school teacher in Lawrence and Waltham, and taught ESL classes for adults. His approach to consultation prioritized shared agenda-setting and collaboration. He loves learning from writers–who inevitably bring their own perspectives, knowledge, and areas of expertise to consultations.

kimcraig hails from the Department of Anthropology, where she recently defended her dissertation which examines singleness in China with a focus on Chinese masculinity. She brings 15 years of teaching experience across ESL, writing, and anthropology, working with students of diverse ages and cultural backgrounds. Her mentoring style is personal and collaborative, and encourages students to develop their own unique voice while strengthening their clarity and confidence in their writing. She particularly enjoys supporting students during their brainstorming process and helping them understand the structural components of a strong and well-crafted argument.

Medha is a sixth year doctoral candidate from the Anthropology Department. They recently defended their dissertation which centers on questions of kinship roles and sociality among LGBTQ+ minorities whom they call “masculine daughters” in North India. Like a bona fide anthropologist, their first love is ethnographic fieldwork, which they have been conducting for over the past 10+ years, most recently in their Fulbright-funded and multi-sited fieldwork for nine months. Medha’s experiences as an educator, advisor, and mentor have spanned the realms of K-12 tutoring, grassroots community organizing with high school youth, and reading and writing pedagogy in higher education. They find great fulfillment and purpose in meeting students where they’re at and helping them develop and hone their writing skills so they can better convey their ideas to others.

Rachel is a sixth-year PhD student in Sociology. She received her B.A. in Global Studies with a minor in East Asian Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to coming to Brandeis, Rachel has worked as a researcher and teacher with several migrant-led NGOs across Asia, including China, Myanmar/Thailand, and Korea. Rachel spent the past year in Korea as a Fulbright researcher, where she conducted her dissertation fieldwork on multicultural families and immigrant spouses. When not in school, Rachel likes to go rock climbing, watch reality TV shows, and have dinner parties with her friends. She speaks Korean fluently and studied Mandarin in university. Rachel has worked with students across disciplines and different cultural backgrounds on a wide range of writing projects, including course papers, grant proposals, graduate school applications, and more. She is excited to meet with students and collaborate in transforming their unique ideas into compelling, well-crafted writing.

For the spring semester, Rachel will be working alongside the Pre-Health Advising Program to support Brandeis students who are in the process of applying for medical school.

Sanchita is a PhD Candidate in Sociology. She just wrapped up her field work and is writing her dissertation. She completed her BA in Sociology and Psychology and an MBA in Communications from top universities in India. She also has an MA from the University of Chicago. Before returning to academia, Sanchita worked in the advertising industry for five years. When not in school, Sanchita likes to go dancing, read lots of mystery novels, and watch movies in all languages. She speaks Hindi, Marathi, and Bengali fluently and took six semesters of Spanish at Brandeis. Sanchita has been a primary instructor for a variety of courses in Sociology, and has TA’d across other departments such as Politics, WGS, Fine Arts and Environmental Studies. She has extensive experience working with students across disciplines and cultural backgrounds on projects ranging from course papers to grant proposals and graduate school applications. She is eager to collaborate with students and help shape their unique ideas into strong, effective writing.

Sean is a PhD candidate in Economics at Brandeis, where he studies how trade policy and global value chains intersect with climate and sustainability goals. He was born in Turkey, grew up in Texas, and studied economics at Pomona College. He has experience working as an English Language Program tutor and as an adjunct professor, and he enjoys helping students sharpen and refine their writing skills. In his free time, Sean enjoys playing and watching sports and is a member of Asian Baptist Student Koinonia.

Tsion is a Master’s student pursuing Global Sustainability Policy and Management at Heller School for Social Policy and Management. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Social Research and Public Policy from New York University. Tsion has experience working with multilingual students from diverse cultural backgrounds. She enjoys collaboratively working with writers at all stages of the writing process, to develop clear, well-structured, and confident writing.