The Washington University Writing Center

09/29/2026

Congratulations to Naomi Kim-Yu, one of our graduate fellows and Dr. Burton Pu Distinguished Fellow, on receiving a Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship!

Naomi’s research explores religion and American literature, with a focus on Asian American writing and the Korean diaspora.

We’re so proud to have Naomi as part of our Writing Center community.

Congratulations, Naomi!

04/21/2026

Last week, we held our 30th Anniversary Celebration in Umrath Lounge. Current tutors, alumni, and campus partners came together to mark the occasion and honor the work of hundreds of people over thirty years. We were particularly grateful that founding director Doreen Salli and all of our retired friends were able to join us: Burton Pu, Carolyn Smith, and Susan Lowther.

09/09/2025

Check out this piece about The Writing Center's 30 years! Written by our very own Sara Brenes Akerman!

Sara Brenes Akerman In the beginning, The Writing Center occupied a small room on the fifth floor of Olin Library and the appointments were made...

09/03/2025

https://writingcenter.wustl.edu/directors-30th-anniversary-message/

08/28/2025

We are very excited to welcome Dr. Bridget Bey back to The Writing Center as a senior tutor!

Dr. Bey earned her BA in English and Anthropology from Trinity University and both an MA and PhD in Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Bey is a bioarchaeologist, which combines archaeology and the study of human bones to better understand health, development, and daily life in the past. She has worked on projects in Italy, Mexico, Peru, and the United States. Her current research focuses on how young people in the Ancient Andes grew and experienced the world around them. In addition to her work at The Writing Center, Dr. Bey teaches Anthropology courses, such as Human Evolution, Forensics, and Intro to Archaeology.

Dr. Bey first discovered her love of tutoring as an undergraduate, working with fellow students at Trinity University’s writing center and as a private writing tutor in San Antonio. She joined WashU’s Writing Center as a graduate fellow in 2023, serving in that role for two years.

When asked what brought her to The Writing Center, Dr. Bey said, “As an anthropologist, I love learning about different people and forms of knowledge. Working in The Writing Center, gives me a chance to peek into many fields and see the diverse ways people think. I feel privileged to help writers communicate those ideas clearly.”

Having worked alongside Dr. Bey for two years during her time as a graduate fellow, all of us at The Writing Center are excited to continue working with her, and we know you will enjoy sharing your work with her too!

08/28/2025

The Writing Center welcomes Emily Thompson back to our team as a senior tutor!

Emily earned her BA in Art History and Chemistry at Webster University, and her MA in Art History and Archaeology at Washington University in St. Louis, where she is in the final stages of earning her PhD.

Emily studies early modern Italian sculpture, gardens, alchemy, and the medical humanities. Her dissertation, “One as One Thousand: Giambologna’s Samson Slaying a Philistine and the Intersections of Early Modern Florentine Art, Culture, and Alchemy,” analyzes the making of the Samson and its place in early modern Florence by examining the socio-cultural, political, and artistic conditions that led to its creation, placement, and eventual status as a diplomatic gift. Her minor field focuses on early modern cross-cultural and artistic exchange between “East” and “West” from 1500 to 1700.

She is passionate about using art history to tell stories about human experience, connection, and transformation. For her, art offers a lens to understand how people make meaning in the world.

When asked what she likes most about working with writers, Emily said, “ I love hearing people’s stories and seeing how their minds work—how they arrive at ideas and begin to shape them on the page. I also always learn something new in every session, whether we’re brainstorming or polishing a final draft. One of the most rewarding moments is reflecting a writer’s ideas back to them and watching their confidence grow. At the end of each session, I always ask, ‘How do you feel?’ When someone says they feel more grounded, capable, or excited about their writing, I know the session made a difference and that’s what I care about most.”

Having worked with Emily for three years during her time as a graduate fellow, all of us at The Writing Center are excited to continue working with her, and we know you will enjoy sharing your work with her too!

08/27/2025

Applications due October 21
https://sites.wustl.edu/writing/for-undergraduates/become-tutor/

01/22/2025

Outstanding Peer Tutor Award Named in Honor of Susan Lowther

Susan Lowther retired from The Writing Center in May of 2024 after 25 years at Washington University. Ms. Lowther earned her BA in European Culture Studies from the American University of Paris, her MA in Studies in Fiction from the University of East Anglia, and her MA in English and American Literature from Washington University. In The Writing Center, she served as Undergraduate Support Coordinator for 8 years, a role in which she played a critical role in supporting undergraduates while also training and mentoring our peer tutors.

Susan brought her experience and insight – paired with her light-heartedness and genuine love for her students – to every student with whom she worked in The Writing Center. A key part of her success when it came to encouraging writers was what she called The Theory of Cheese: “It first came up when I was talking with an applicant for med school a long time ago. She was afraid of sounding cheesy. I had heard this a lot and I just suddenly got tired of people saying that. I had an epiphany: You should embrace the cheese!”

What Susan realized in that moment is that embracing the cheese is a way for writers to allow themselves to be open: “When we say we’re afraid of sounding cheesy what we’re really saying, I think, is that we’re afraid of being vulnerable on the page. But that vulnerability is what pushes us forward,” she said.

The Theory of Cheese is just like Susan: at once lighthearted and genuinely wise, a wisdom made more affecting by the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

In honor of Susan’s many years of helping students and our peer tutors not take themselves too seriously, The Writing Center established a peer tutor award in her name.

The Susan Lowther Peer Tutor Award (nicknamed the “Embrace the Cheese Award”) is awarded to a graduating peer tutor who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to serving undergraduates.

The first recipient will be named in May 2025.

We look forward to this award continuing Susan’s legacy in The Writing Center.

https://writingcenter.wustl.edu/outstanding-peer-tutor-award-named-in-honor-of-susan-lowther/

11/11/2024

After 29 years at The Writing Center and almost 50 years at WashU, Carolyn Smith will be retiring in December.

As one of the first tutors hired by The Writing Center when it was founded in 1995, Carolyn has served hundreds – perhaps thousands of undergraduate and graduate students, all of whom benefited not only from her skills and insights but especially her genuine warmth and encouragement.

Carolyn first came to WashU as an MFA student in the Department of English. Later, she began teaching writing classes including Writing 1 (now College Writing), Fundamentals of Composition, and Expository Writing. She also taught for University College (now CAPS), and from 2000 to 2005 was assistant director of the Department of English’s creative writing program.

For many years Carolyn also taught for the university’s English as a Second Language program, and she was able to combine her interests in teaching language and learning about new cultures by studying at TESOL Summer Institutes in Bratislava, Slovakia and in Barcelona, Spain. She also studied German in Goethe Institutes in Germany. Later in 2006-2007, she lived in China and taught English language classes at Xiamen University in Fujian Province.

Carolyn put all of those incredible teaching and learning experiences to work serving students in The Writing Center as far back as 1995 when The Writing Center was founded. Over the past 29 years, she has seen literally every kind of writing done at our university: coursework, medical school applications, grants, publications, and more. She played an important part in the success of every single student with whom she met, whether that meant completing a term paper, earning a degree, gaining admission to graduate school, or landing their first job. Despite the incredible support she has provided to so many people, Carolyn refuses to take credit, preferring instead to see her students in the spotlight. That kind of quiet humility exemplifies the very best of our writing center: centering our students, believing in them, and celebrating their successes.

As one of our original and longest-serving tutors, Carolyn helped shape our center and set an example followed by tutors who have had the privilege to learn from her and work alongside her. Her warmth and kindness set the tone for the many spaces occupied by The Writing Center from Olin Library to Eads, back to Olin Library and finally to Mallinckrodt. And during the Covid-19 pandemic when so many international students were unable to come to the United States for the academic year, she projected that warmth across the globe to make sure they felt seen and supported.

As Carolyn nears her final writing center tutorial, there is literally no way to capture the impact she has had on so many people. Below, some of her colleagues try their best to offer a glimpse into what Carolyn means to all of us:

Places become special because of the people who inhabit them. For many years, the Writing Center has been a special place in large part because of Carolyn’s presence: Carolyn welcoming every student who ever worked with her with the same warm, open friendliness; Carolyn, talking about her interest in a student’s paper with genuine and heartfelt curiosity; Carolyn, answering every grammar question put to her with patience and grace, many of them repeatedly, and not always but frequently by me. If our Writing Center has become a special place, and I would argue it has, then Carolyn, there from the beginning, has been an irreplaceable part of that becoming. -Steve Pijut, associate director

Once, back when we were still in Eads, a former peer tutor who had also been a student in my Intro to Women’s Studies class, came in for a visit (he was by now in grad school). I thought he’d come to say hi to me, but he ignored me and made a beeline for Carolyn. He clearly felt a strong connection to her, and I recall, back when we had only 2 or 3 peer tutors and many unfilled hours, that she spent no-show hours listening to the peer tutors’ woes and giving them sympathy and understanding. I don’t think she ever gave any student the feeling that, because of their age difference, their experiences or ideas were not interesting to her. -Ruth Berson, senior tutor

I’ve known Carolyn as long as I’ve known anyone at Washington University, and I’ve enjoyed working with her for many years at The Writing Center. Her patience, kindness, and pragmatism have inspired my own tutoring. She has often provided a sanity check to my occasionally loopy claims and analogies, and has always offered helpful, clear advice, whether I knew I needed it or not! I will miss her calm, good-natured presence in this space — we’ve all been lucky to have her as our colleague. -Roy Kasten, senior tutor

A Writing Center without Carolyn? Say it isn’t so! To me, she is The Writing Center. Indeed, the very first time I set foot in The Writing Center – in any writing center – Carolyn was the one who warmly welcomed me and introduced me to the very concept. In those days, the Center was tucked away in a far corner of the fifth floor of Olin Library, in a tiny cubbyhole of a room designed as a faculty carrel. I had heard about this fledgling new Center and was curious to learn what it was all about. Carolyn showed me around the small space and described the center’s philosophy. A few semesters later, I joined the Center, now located in a comparatively luxurious space in Eads, with all of four desks, squat blueberry-colored iMacs, and a tiny office. And once again, Carolyn warmly greeted me and made me feel at home. In my third and last foray into the Center, now in its palatial basement quarters, Carolyn’s was again one of the first faces I saw. Sitting at her preferred corner desk right by the front door, she is a calm presence, speaking quietly with students while unknowingly also sharing her vast knowledge of the ins and outs of English grammar, as I eavesdrop and steal yet another of her techniques and explanations. -Fran Ho**er, senior tutor

Carolyn has been a constant, positive presence throughout the years that I’ve been lucky enough to tutor alongside her at The Writing Center. Watching her work with students, centering each session with her patience, warmth, and poise, has influenced the tutor I am today. Little moments, like Carolyn asking after my family and children or catching up during staff meetings, always remind me just how deeply thoughtful and considerate Carolyn is. The Writing Center won’t be the same without Carolyn, and we are lucky to call her our friend. -Jo Ell, undergraduate support coordinator

Carolyn is such a calm, steady presence, and an absolute grammar queen! A pillar of our Center with a wealth of experience, she has guided so many students through stress or uncertainty around their writing, offering generous feedback and support. With her encouragement, countless WashU students’ academic experiences, not to mention their papers, have improved. Carolyn is an excellent tutor and a lovely coworker! We’ll all miss her! -Kate Harnish, graduate support coordinator

I always brightened when I saw Carolyn walk into our staff meetings or if I noticed that we overlapped during tutoring hours. She is such a gentle, sharp, and kind presence—I always knew that if I had a question or, most often, just wanted to chat, she would be the perfect person to turn to. I learned a lot just by overhearing her tutoring sessions and reading her student notes. She always made The Writing Center feel like an even more fun and welcoming place and she helped me immensely, simply by example, back when I was a brand-new tutor. -Sara Brenes Akerman, senior tutor

Through leading by example, Carolyn has been a large part of the welcoming environment at The Writing Center. I have learned how to be a better tutor by observing how she interacts with students. When I encourage students to get another set of eyes on a piece of writing, it is often Carolyn that I suggest. Enjoy your well-earned retirement, Carolyn! -Kyria Brown, senior tutor

Although I only had the privilege of meeting Carolyn a couple months ago, I appreciate how welcoming she’s been during my transition into The Writing Center, and I admire her calm, steady demeanor. When I observed one of her sessions earlier in the fall, a long-time regular student of hers raved about how helpful and kind she is. It was obvious that she had made a positive impact on him and no doubt countless other students as well. -Kelly Janis, senior tutor

When I came to The Writing Center, there were four senior tutors who had already been here for many years. I came to see them as the four pillars of our center. Carolyn is one of those great pillars and combines incredible insight and experience with a genuine interest in the perspectives, ideas, and successes of her students and colleagues. As I think about what our writing center will look like the day after her retirement, I am grateful that although Carolyn is a bit on the quiet side, she casts a long shadow that will always keep us true to The Writing Center’s and Carolyn’s values. -Rob Patterson, director

Congratulations, and thank you for giving so much to our center!

https://writingcenter.wustl.edu/carolyn-smith-to-retire-after-29-years-at-the-writing-center/

04/29/2024

Susan Lowther to retire after 25 years at WashU.

By Sara Brenes Akerman

Susan Lowther, Undergraduate Support Coordinator, plans to retire in May after 25 years at Washington University.

Ms. Lowther came to WashU in 1999 as a graduate student in English. Since 2017, she has been an essential part of The Writing Center.

If you’ve spent any time in The Writing Center over the past seven years, you might have caught a glimpse of one of Susan Lowther’s writing appointments. A student will come in, perhaps a little anxious, often concerned about whether their personal statement has that ineffable quality that will make it that much more likely they will enter medical school or law school—often a dream held since childhood. Susan will greet them and within minutes, you will see the student’s apprehension lessen. It is an almost physical transformation prompted by Susan’s reassuring tone and clear guidance. Helping students find and tell their stories is one of her favorite parts of the job. “I love the moment when I get the email saying ‘Hey, guess what? I got in!” she explains.

As Steve Pijut, Associate Director, remarks, “How many students have been relieved and inspired by hearing Susan say, enthusiastically, ‘I love that!’ in response to some part of their writing? Too many to count.”

A key part of her success when it comes to encouraging writers has been what she denominates The Theory of Cheese. “It first came up when I was talking with an applicant for med school a long time ago. She was afraid of sounding cheesy. I had heard this a lot and I just suddenly got tired of people saying that. I had an epiphany: You should embrace the cheese.”

What Susan realized in that moment is that embracing the cheese is a way for writers to allow themselves to be open. “When we say we’re afraid of sounding cheesy what we’re really saying, I think, is that we’re afraid of being vulnerable on the page. But that vulnerability is what pushes us forward,” she says.

The Theory of Cheese is just like Susan: at once lighthearted and genuinely wise, a wisdom made more affecting by the fact that it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Kate Harnish, current Graduate Support Coordinator, recalls an incident that speaks to Susan’s unique way of ushering in joy. “The first glimpse I got of Susan’s personality was while I was a grad fellow, during the episode with the chia pet. Was it a white elephant gift from the staff and grad gift exchange? The details are hazy, but I remember Susan’s insistence on its pride of place on her desk in the old library location. As it grew and wilted and lingered, it was always fun to check in with Susan about it. Her unabashed enjoyment of it was contagious—both the hilarity of its cheesiness and also some level of real affection for it. Susan always has a little funny talking point or fun seasonal decorations. These things add up.”

Another key principle she imparts on students is to share their writing. Particularly when it feels difficult to do so. “I try to help students become comfortable with the messy part of it. You don’t want to be that writer in the garret all dressed in black with your candle. That’s a miserable process. You want to show your writing to people.” It’s a lesson that didn’t come easily to her and which, as a result, is imbued with the kind of urgency we reserve for the advice we wish we could give our past selves.

“In graduate school, I never showed my writing to anybody because I really identified with the words on the page. I had the sense that if anyone thought the words were wrong, they would think I was wrong. Or if they thought the words were stupid, then that meant I was stupid. It took me a really long time to get to the point of realizing that they’re just words on a page. I want other people to get there faster,” she emphasizes.

Susan understands The Writing Center as a place premised on being welcoming, a friendliness that she has played a key role in cultivating, both through her uniquely generous pedagogy and, often, with a batch of baked goods. “That’s one part of our job here that is so fulfilling, letting people know that this is a space for you. And we do that by helping them talk through their scholarly ideas, whether that be academic essays or personal statements or application essays,” she explains.

As Rob Patterson, The Writing Center Director, highlights, “she leaves behind a place deeply and positively affected by her in every way. Susan joined The Writing Center just as we began a period of change and growth – and along the way, hers has always been the voice keeping the needs of the individual student at the heart of our work.”

Her path to The Writing Center began working with ESL students just outside of Tokyo, where she first discovered her affinity for teaching. “I taught ESL students as young as eight and as old as 80. I loved that sort of English language world which then translated into working on English language writing.”

She first came to WashU to pursue graduate work in English after completing an MA in studies in Fiction at the University of East Anglia, England. Throughout, she focused on medieval studies and realized, serendipitously, that her advisors at both institutions were, in fact, close friends.

Before joining The Writing Center, she served as writing programs coordinator at Cornerstone (a learning center that has since atomized into three separate offices). Alongside her role at The Writing Center, she has also served as an advisor and as a writing instructor for College Writing and for the School of Continuing & Professional Studies (CAPS), receiving the Chair’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

When asked what she will miss the most upon her departure, she points out that, “One thing that I appreciate with The Writing Center is that you get to build relationships, not just with students, but with the tutors. I am really going to miss the people, particularly my colleagues.”

Senior Tutor Roy Kasten echoes the sentiment. “We will all go on without her daily doses of humor, insight, contagious laughter, and pictures of Wellington [Susan’s beautiful dog], but we won’t be the same without her presence.”

“I’ve had a very adventurous life,” she recalls, having lived in France, England, and Japan, and traveled far and wide, “and I found myself, my place, at The Writing Center.”