The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Kirsten Benson. Herbert Family Executive Director, Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center. Ed.D., Leadership Studies in Higher Education. Dr. Benson has been involved with writing centers throughout her career. She started working in one while a graduate student. She loves every chance to talk with people about their writing. When she has time, she teaches courses in qualitative research methods in writing studies, composition pedagogy, public writing, and persuasive writing. Her interests are reading, watching movies and beaches. She also enjoys walking and hiking, traveling, photography, and watercolor painting. Fun fact: She loves one movie so much, she’s watched it at least 100 times!

Kat Powell. Managing Director. Ph.D. in English Literature with specialization in 19th-century British literature. Dr. Powell has worked in the JAHWC in some capacity since 2011. She is married to a talented photographer and is mother to two of the funniest humans on this green earth. She enjoys long-distance running and races in 5Ks, 10Ks, and half marathons throughout the year. Reading with coffee is the first thing she does every morning. Fun Fact: She has run exactly one marathon and decided one was enough!

Michael Sutherlin. Assistant Director, Writing Consultant Coordinator. Ph.D. in English Literature with specialization in literary theory and Modernist literature. Dr. Sutherlin has tutored professionally at multiple institutions since 2011 and greatly enjoys helping others become better communicators. He has a wide range of creative and scholarly interests, but his doctoral research focused on didactic and propagandistic literature of the 20th- century. He is married to his best friend and enjoy spending time with friends, family, and his church community. Fun Fact: He comes from a large family with ten siblings, including his twin.

Robin Leib. Professional Writing Consultant. M.A., E.A.L. and Writing Theory and Pedagogy with a B.S. in Speech and Hearing Science. Robin loves encouraging, partnering, watching, and participating in watching people and plants grow. She is an avid gardener — there’s the plant part. But, as an educator, she especially enjoys seeing people grow in all seasons of life. Her interests include camping and gardening. Fun Fact: She was born in Leadville, Colorado which is 10,000 feet above sea level.

Alissa Reeves. B.A. in English (Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics) and Religious Studies; Summa Cum Laude. Alissa has been with UT since 2011 and with the JAHWC since 2020. She started her career as a student assistant in the English Department and as a writing consultant. Her interests include New Orleans, Taylor Swift, and Syro-Palestinian archaeology. She also speaks fluent Broadway songs. Fun Fact: In the summer of 2026, she married her best friend in a New Orleans’ Antebellum House, and had a 10-block Second Line through the French Quarter with a Grand Marshall and a 6-piece brass band.

A. Undergraduate with a double major in English (Technical Communication) and Hispanic Studies. A is a Florida native now living in Knoxville. They enjoy all things reading and writing. Their interests include cats, horror movies, and nature photography. Fun Fact: They were a writing consultant at their last college before transferring to UT and they are excited to get to do it again.

Abbey. Undergraduate in English with a double concentration in Creative Writing and Publishing. Abbey is an assistant fiction editor for the Phoenix literary magazine at UTK. She loves all things fantasy, video games, and writing stories in her spare time. Her interests include epic novels, medieval Europe, video games, tattoos, cool rocks, tea, stickers, and Diet Coke. Fun Fact: She is allergic to every nut you can think of (and more.)

Ansley. Student Assistant. Undergraduate in Architecture. Ansley is from Loganville, Georgia. After graduation, she hopes to specialize in low-income housing projects. Outside of schoolwork and working in the JAHWC, she is a peer mentor and VolWall enjoyer. She is also a “habitual grandma”. Her interests include all types of crafts, especially quilting and scrapbooking. Fun Fact: She is a frequent stress-baker.

Audrey. M.F.A. student in Poetry. Audrey is from Chattanooga and earned her bachelor’s from East Tennessee State University. She was a Fine & Performing Arts scholar in the Honors College. Her interests include traveling, working out, and cooking. Fun Fact: She’s been skydiving!

Beatrice. M.A. student in Literature, Criticism, and Textual Studies. Beatrice is a reluctant lover of chaos and vagueness. She is fascinated by complicated relationships of meaning that develop through the processes of authoring and reading, and the uncertainty of “knowing” anything at all. She is interested in, among other, McCarthy and Nabokov. Her interests include reading, obviously, and writing poems and short stories, for now, cooking and baking, cycling, walking, hiking, backpacking, camping, and other forms of enjoyable exercise – aka anything that gets her outside, Bob Dylan, and going to the movies with her friends. Fun Fact: She will still cry (sob) to “The Giving Tree” to this day.

Bridget. M.A. student in English with a focus on Medieval Literature. Bridget is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina. She is always eager to learn new things and make new friends. She particularly enjoys hearing people’s unpopular opinions. Her interests include hiking, baking (currently working on making the perfect croissant), listening to new music, watching horror movies, knitting, and reading. Fun Fact: She used to work at a tiger rescue in North Carolina.

Charlotte. M.A. student in English (Literature, Criticism, and Textual Studies.) Before coming to UTK, Charlotte was a high school English teacher in Durham, North Carolina. She is passionate about Jane Austen studies and loves spending time with her two-year-old dachshund, Mr. Knightley. Her interests include Jane Austen, dachshunds, baking, and trying new coffee shops and bakeries. Fun Fact: She helped deliver a baby on her 17th birthday.

Darius. Social Media Intern. Undergraduate majoring in Digital Marketing with a collateral in Business Analytics and a focus on Social Media Marketing. Darius considers himself a chill and relaxed person. He spends most of his time working out, occasionally hanging out with friends, or playing video games to pass the time. Outside of school, he tends to enjoy solitary walks to clear his head with no particular destination, often exploring the downtown area where he feels most familiar. Fun Fact: He can listen to just about any genre of music and unironically listens to the radio by choice. Music is something he truly loves and cherishes.

Emma. M.F.A. student in Fiction. Emma is a writer and lawyer from Auckland, New Zealand. Her short stories and essays have been published by AUP, THWUP, Capital, and Newsroom. Her debut novel, “Backwaters”, was published in 2023 and won the Australian Michael Gifkins prize. She is currently working on her second novel. Her interests include anything related to music (whether making it, playing it, or seeing it live), running, hiking, ocean swimming, and general exploring in nature. Also, traveling, seeing the world, reading, Latin dance, and meeting new people. Fun Fact: She speaks French and Spanish.

Evan. Undergraduate in History and Secondary Education. Evan is originally from Chattanooga and is studying to become a high school history teacher. His interests include running and music. Fun Fact: He is a triplet.

Giselle. Undergraduate majoring in Kinesiology with a minor in Hispanic Studies. Giselle grew up in Knoxville. She enjoys reading, weightlifting, and crocheting in her free time. Her interests include spending time with her pets, traveling, and listening to music. She also enjoys volunteering at Fort Sanders Hospital once a week and occasionally refereeing. Fun Fact: She once dressed up as Mickey Mouse during a retirement home carnival.

Grant. Ph.D. in Fiction Rhetorics and Post-Apocalyptic Fiction since 1900. Grant is a Herbert Postdoctoral Fellow and a Teaching Assistant Professor of English. He received a Fulbright student scholarship to teach and research in Hungary. While there, he traced his Hungarian ancestry back several generations. He also began learning the complex and fascinating language. His creative writing has been published in a number of venues. He is a semi-finalist for two Iron Horse First Book contests. He is the recipient of the Tulipan Foundation’s Inaugural Art and Culture Award. This award funds Hungarian-Americans in their art. His interests include weightlifting, coffee, and adapting Hungarian desserts to American palates. Fun Fact: He is a first-generation college student.

Greta G. Ph.D. student in English (Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics) Greta earned her B.A. from Baylor University in Journalism, English, and Psychology and her M.A. from UTK. She is from Lincoln, Nebraska, graduated from Baylor University in May 2022, and then stayed in Waco for an extra year. During that time, she worked in marketing decided to apply to grad school which led her to UTK. A few of her favorite things include coffee shops, C.S. Lewis, walks, Taylor Swift, and crocheting! Her hobbies are reading and hosting parties/game nights with friends. Fun Fact: Her birthday is on Christmas Day.

Helen. Undergraduate in English (Literature). Helen is from Nashville and loves traveling. Her favorite place she has traveled to is London, and she hopes to live there one day. Her interests include antiquing, crafting, and trying new coffee spots (K Brew on top). She’s recently added listening to podcasts to her list of hobbies and truly thinks she needs to start one with her best friend. She is currently interested in publishing and hopes to pursue a career as a editor. Fun Fact: She used to be a summer camp counselor!

Hudson. M.A. student in English. Hudson is studying Medieval and African-American literature with an interest in archives, cultural preservation, and literary criticism. He has worked in the Africana Studies department since summer 2025 and is helping with the launch of the VolCore course, Southern Food Cultures. He has maintained a local community garden for two years. He worked at McClung Museum for the last year conducting guided tours, creating accessibility projects, and assisting with academic programming. He is also a combat veteran who was honorably discharged in 2025. His interests include hiking, carpentry, baking and cooking, embroidery, book binding/preservation/collecting and antiquing. Fun Fact: He has collected hundreds of different Rubix Cubes since 2018 and has attended competitions in the past. He is also an avid hiker and plans on tackling the Appalachian Trail in the next five years.

Izzy A. M.A. student in English (Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics.) Izzy is originally from eastern North Carolina, and grew up in Indianapolis, making her a true midwestern-southerner who will say “ope” and “ya’ll” in the same sentence. She studies feminist sports theory, embodiment rhetorics, and the construction of borders. When she’s not in class, Izzy plays, referees, and coaches rugby, and watches a ton of women’s motorsport. She also enjoy hiking and swimming. Fun Fact: She is fluent in German!

Jackson. Undergraduate in Environmental Engineering. Jackson is from Williamsburg, Virginia and likes almost anything outdoors, music, or sports related. In addition to the JAHWC, he is involved in the club swim team, ski/snowboarding club, and has a radio show on WUTK. His interests include playing/listening to/writing music, running, lacrosse, and camping. Fun Fact: He is named after a Johnny Cash song.

Joe. Ph.D. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. Joe is a Teaching Assistant Professor of English. He received his Ph.D. in Fiction from the University of Georgia and his M.A. from UTK. He’s published a handful of things over the years and is currently (still) working on a long-term novel project. He teaches several writing courses and has roughly a decade of experience as a writing center consultant. His interests include hiking, traveling, writing, and all things coffee. Fun Fact: He teaches a course called Inquiry to Humor, which is essentially a means for practicing his jokes to a captive audience. He’s also twelve years into working on a small novel manuscript, so you might take his advice on deadlines with a hefty grain of salt.

Kaeleigh. Ph.D. student in Philosophy and M.P.H. student in Health Behavior. Kaeleigh studies nature: How should we interact with the world around us? What is the world around us really like? In her spare time she hikes, gardens, and plays with her dog, Dolittle. Her interests include hiking, camping and gardening. Fun Fact: Chickens are her favorite animal. They are tiny dinosaurs.

Kaleb. M.A. student in English (Literature, Criticism, and Textual Studies.) Kaleb is originally from Mississippi and earned B.A.’s in Biology and English from Centenary College of Louisiana. He searches for the threads that link Literature and Science, especially if they are related to Medicine, Astronomy, or Animal Studies. His interests include stargazing, reading Pop Culture poetry, and cooking. Fun Fact: He has a tattoo based on a medieval manuscript’s depiction of a rat!

Kallye. Ph.D. student in English with a concentration in 19th-century American Literature. Kallye is originally from a small town in central Mississippi. Before coming to UTK, she attended the University of Mississippi, first with a B.A. in English (Creative Writing) and History, and then with a M.A. in Southern Studies. Her area of research focuses on folklore and storytelling, particularly within the American South and Appalachia. Her interests include writing short stories, reading, and playing video games. Fun Fact: She has a dachshund names Lady Margaery (she goes by Marge.) Also, she has an in-depth knowledge of the histories of ghost and vampire stories in New Orleans.

Keira. Undergraduate in English (Creative Writing) and Psychology. Keira is from a small town in North Carolina. She loves talking to people about her faith, “How to Train Your Dragon,” “Star Wars.” and Jane Austen. She also loves leading worships and hanging out with people in her campus ministry. Her interests include reading, writing, needlepointing, badminton, and hiking. Fun Fact: She just started to learning how to line dance.

Kelsie. M.F.A. student in Poetry. Kelsie graduated with B.S. in Media, Culture, and Communications from New York University. Since then, they have worked at various small presses and in sustainable fashion tech. They are originally from North Carolina but most recently called Providence, Rhode Island home. Their interests include analog photography, jewelry making and disability, feminist, and queer studies. Fun Fact: They have collected public transit passes from all the places they have travelled.

Kyle. Ph.D. in English. Kyle is a Herbert Postdoctoral Fellow and a Teaching Assistant Professor in English. After he completed his M.F.A. at the University of Alabama, he received a Ph.D. in English from SUNY Albany. He also completed UAlbany’s Graduate Teaching Certification Program for First-Year Composition. He served as poetry editor for the Barzakh magazine. His interests include video games, audio books and long walks. Fun Fact: He is neither related to nor named after the basketball player and commentator Kyle Macy.

Lanie. M.A. student in Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics. Lanie grew up in Knoxville, but has had some amazing opportunities to see outside of Tennessee and the U.S.A. Traveling is her biggest passion alongside more reasonable hobbies like making homemade gifts, trying new recipes, yoga, and (unsurprisingly) reading. Her interests include cross stitch, working out, yoga, hiking, paddle boarding, baking, and napping. She loves learning about new cultures and languages. Fun Fact: In high school, she did a 3-week exchange program in Germany. She has a lifelong friend in the exchange student that she was paired with and they still keep up from across the world!

Laurie. M.A. in Applied Linguistics. Laurie is a retired faculty member with an enduring passion for helping writers find their voices on the page. She loves the JAHWC and just can’t give it up! When she’s not helping writers, she is usually out looking for trouble, puttering in her pollinator garden, or reading board books with her sweet little granddaughter. Her interests include gardening, grammar, traveling, and making good trouble. Fun Fact: Oh! There are too many to pick just one!

Macy. M.A. student in English (Literature, Criticism and Textual Studies.) Macy is studying 19th-century British literature. While her main interest lies in Victorian novels, she also spends a considerable amount of time studying psychoanalysis and Greek mythology. Her interests include reading, writing, and over-analyzing TV show characters. Fun Fact: As a kid, she decided to memorize the order of every US president and can recite them to this day!

Meg. Undergraduate majoring in English (Rhetoric, Writing and Linguistics) with a minor in Political Science. Meg is a Knoxville native, an avid reader, and a writer. She particularly enjoys Southern Gothic and Appalachian literature, but will read just about anything she can get her hands on. In her free time, she can be found listening to music, reading a good book, or cooking a new recipe, often all at once. Her interests include scuba diving, crocheting, running, and pickleball. Fun Fact: She has swam with sharks.

McKayla. M.A. student in English (Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics. McKayla has a B.A. in Writing and Rhetoric from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. They worked in the University of Rochester’s writing center for 3 years before coming to UT. They study disability and Indigenous rhetorics and are particularly interested in how people communicate using social media. They were born and raised in upstate New York, and will happily talk your ear off about anything to do with the region. They love to cook, try new foods, and play games (of both the board and video varieties.) Fun Fact: They have a spoiled tuxedo cat named Luna who has thumbs and does tricks.

Miracle. M.A. student in English (Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics.) Miracle earned her B.A. from the University of Wyoming in Secondary Education/English with minors in Honors and Creative Writing. She also completed her E.S.L. Teaching Certification. She was born in Michigan, but grew up in Riverton, Wyoming. She has also studied abroad and taught in a variety of countries and states. Most notably she studied in Scotland, England, and Germany, and taught in the Netherlands. Her teaching experience has been with middle school to high school students. She is looking forward to working with undergraduate students this year. In her graduate research, she analyzes the rhetorical power of storytelling, cultural rhetorics, intercultural competence, as well as the intersections of identity, writing, and language. When she is not in the classroom, she loves to spend time watching horror movies, writing short fiction, traveling, and adding to her collection of orca-related items. Fun Fact: She has been playing piano for almost 20 years. She was first (lovingly) forced down at the keys at age 3 by her Mom.

Pfifer. Undergraduate in Animal Science with a concentration in Pre-Vet. Pfifer plans on attending veterinary school after graduation. Outside of class, she’s involved in the UT Equestrian Team and in veterinary research. She enjoys working with both large and small animals. She’s excited to work with students in the JAHWC and help the writing process feel less stressful and more approachable. Her interests include horseback riding, spending time with animals, reading, hiking, and painting. Fun Fact: If she’s not in class or working, there’s a good chance she’s at the barn riding or hanging out with horses.

Rachel. Ph.D. in Literature, Criticism, and Textual Studies. Rachel is a Herbert Postdoctoral Fellow and a Teaching Assistant Professor in English. Rachel has taught composition, business writing, and public writing since finishing her Ph.D. in 2023. Her focus is working-class southern literature, but, as a consultant in the JAHWC and as a writing teacher, she enjoys supporting writers. Outside of teaching her interests include fitness, reading, and studying French. She also loves to cook and bakes a mean boule of sourdough. Fun Fact: She has a bunny named Skeeter!

Reilly. Undergraduate in English with a concentration in Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics and a minor in sociology. Reilly has always had a love for reading and writing. While reading a book about an attorney appealing sentences for the wrongfully imprisoned, she found that she could apply her love of writing to her future career. She would like to be an appellate attorney after graduating UTK and law school. Outside of academics, her interests include journaling, going for walks, and laughing with her friends over dinner. Fun Fact: She went to the same high school as Taylor Swift!

Ryah. M.A student in English (Literature, Criticism, and Textual Studies.) Ryah grew up in Sevierville, Tennessee and received her B.A. from UTK. She has always loved reading and writing. Her interests include knitting, reading horror novels, swimming, and hiking. Fun Fact: She has two cats named B and Daphne.

Sam G. M.A. student in Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics. Sam is an avid reader whose passion for books shaped their decision to pursue an English degree. When they can be pulled away from reading, they love to spend time with family and friends. After participating in a multitude of sports throughout high school, they have found a new love for weightlifting and can be found in a gym most days. Their interests and hobbies include reading, writing, weightlifting hiking and listening to music. Fun Fact: They once tweaked a muscle watching a horror movie because they jumped so badly!

Sam S. M.A. student in Rhetoric, Writing, and Linguistics. Sam is an East Tennessee native. She likes to stay active, but if she’s not out and about she is probably at home with her cat, Lily. Lily is the best sous chef for their cooking adventures. She is super passionate about her studies and is very excited to be part of the staff at UT. Her interests include cooking for her loved ones, staying active through running/walking/yoga, everything interdisciplinary, and could spend hours making her way through a used bookstore. Fun Fact: She has a fraternal twin brother.

Sara. M.A. student in English with a concentration in Early American Literature. Sara is from a small town in Alabama, but has loved growing into her independence and exploring everything the world has to offer. She is an avid reader, traveler, and live music enthusiast. She loves attending concerts and music festivals. Her interests include music, books, reading, and traveling. Fun Fact: She is always planning her next concert or music festival and she has seen Post Malone four times!

Sarah-Nicole. Undergraduate in Journalism and Electronic Media with a minor in English. Sarah-Nicole is a passionate creative from Chattanooga who loves meeting new people and interacting with fellow writers. When she is not hanging around campus, you can find her hopping around Knoxville bookstores or hanging out downtown. She analyzes just about everything she watches/reads for fun and will talk your ear off about her thoughts if given the opportunity. Her interests include science fiction and fantasy, but she will read/watch just about anything if it sounds interesting. In her spare time, she likes to curl up with a book, hang out with friends, or kick back and play some video games. Fun Fact: She types almost exclusively with her middle fingers. Don’t ask her why. She’s been typing like that since she was a kid.

Savannah. Undergraduate in English with a double concentration in Publishing and Literature. Savannah is a great person to ask for activities to do if you are new to Knoxville because she has lived here her whole life! She is the managing editor of the Phoenix Literary Arts Magazine here on campus, and has been a server downtown for two years. She likes to hike, swim, thrift, find new coffee shops and bookstores, attend concerts, and go to yoga classes. Fun Fact: She is the middle child of five.

Shanlee. M.F.A student in Fiction. Shanlee received her B.A. from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois in Spanish and Public Relations. Before coming to Knoxville for her M.F.A., she spent the past eight years working in software. Her literary interest is primarily 20th-century American fiction. Her interests include figure skating, short stories, language learning, yoga, and her cat, Garbage. Fun Fact: She has been to more European countries than she has states in the U.S.

Sol. Undergraduate in English with a concentration in Education. Sol is from Grand Rapids, Michigan and moved to Knoxville after his freshman year of high school. He graduated from Hardin Valley Academy and Pellissippi State Community College. He plans on teaching secondary education, with the possibility of moving to post-secondary education. His interests include poetry, short stories, watching movies, and gaming. Fun Fact: He has played instruments ever since he was 10 years old. He started on the clarinet and transitioned to saxophone after a few years. From there, he played regularly until he graduated high school.

Violet. Undergraduate in Viola Performance and English (Creative Writing). When Violet is not practicing viola or doing homework, she enjoys literature in all forms and spending time in nature. She also loves exploring downtown Knoxville and making new friends! Her interests include guitar, hiking, swimming, reading, writing, and listening to music. Fun Fact: She has moved houses 11 times.