Email: ryanmadan@wpi.edu
Phone: +1 (508) 8316561
When new acquaintances find out I teach writing, it’s not unusual for them to lament a broad decline in the nation’s writing skills. How does it make me feel, they ask, that students, say, don’t know the difference between adjectives and adverbs? Or, can I believe it that people hardly even know what apostrophes do, let alone where to put them? As someone who treasures good, careful prose, I’m sympathetic to these worries. But as an educator, I think it’s important to steer the conversation in a different direction. What makes us think that students’ knowledge of the parts of speech ...
view profileGraduate Tutors
Sahil Nawab
Education: MEng Biomedical Engineering (WPI), BS Biochemistry and Professional Writing (WPI)
Academic writing experience: business writing, medical writing, visual rhetoric, application materials
Fun fact: I've worked on kid's books about marine biology (Jonathan Bird's Blue World)
Madelyn Marcotte (she/her/hers)
Program: MS in Data Science
Undergraduate Major: Data Science
Other Academic Interests: Professional Writing, Computer Science
GPS: Heal the World (A&B 2020)
HUA Depth: Writing & Rhetoric
IQP: Hawaii, C'23
Extracurriculars: Data Science Council, Running Club, Outing Club
Hometown: Jackson, NH
Fun Facts: A few years ago I spent two weeks camping on the West Coast in a Honda Civic with three other people
Undergraduate Tutors
Ryan Dillon (she/her/hers)
Year: Senior
Major: Computer Science and Professional Writing
Minor: N/A
Other Academic Interests: Data Visualization, Behavioral Economics
HUA Depth: English
IQP: Cape Town, B’23
Extracurriculars: Varsity Rowing, Phi Sigma Sigma, Women in Computer Science
Hometown: Rutland, MA
Fun Facts: I used to dance competitively for 12 years
Alexandra (Alex) Weiss (she/her/hers)
Year: Junior
Major (intended): Electrical and Computer Engineering
Other Academic Interests: Renewable energy and energy sustainability
HUA Depth: Spanish
IQP: TBD
Extracurriculars: Outing Club, Green Team, WECE, IEEE
Hometown: Santa Cruz, CA
Fun Facts: I love rock climbing, hiking, and cooking.
Danielle Cook (she/her/hers)
Year: Senior
Major: Biomedical Engineering and Professional Writing
Minor: N/A
Other Academic Interests: Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering
HUA Depth: Writing and Rhetoric
IQP: White Mountains, NH, A'23
Extracurriculars: BMES, SWE, ACS on Campus
Hometown: Coventry, RI
Fun Facts: I have a fraternal twin sister and a serious coffee addiction.
Kashish Gupta (she/her/hers)
Year: Senior
Major: Biomedical Engineering and Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Minor: N/A
Other Academic Interests: Professional Writing,
HUA Depth: Writing & Rhetoric
IQP: TBD
Extracurriculars: Biomedical Engineering Society, Engineers Without Borders, Society of Martial Artists, Rangeela
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Fun Facts: I love watching thunderstorms and will go outside to walk in the rain any chance I get.
Nate Randa (he/him)
Year: Junior
Major: Civil Engineering and Professional Writing
Minor: N/A
Other Academic Interests: Urban planning, linguistics
HUA Depth: Writing & Rhetoric
IQP: London C'25
Extracurriculars: WPI Campus Radio
Hometown: Sherborn, MA
Fun Facts: I'm a DJ and have a twin brother who also goes to WPI.
Ava Waddell (she/her/hers)
Year: Sophomore
Major: Mechanical Engineering and Professional Writing
Minor: N/A
Other Academic Interests: Aerospace Engineering
GPS: N/A
HUA Depth: Writing & Rhetoric
IQP: Pending
Extracurriculars: Alpha Phi, SWE, CHA, ISC
Hometown: Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
Fun Facts: I was on the national water polo team for my home country
Grace Ghaly (she/her/hers)
Year: Sophomore
Major: Biomedical Engineering
Minor: N/A
Other Academic Interests: Bioinstrumentation
GPS: N/A
HUA Depth: Writing & Rhetoric
IQP: I don't know yet!
Extracurriculars: BMES, SWE, Coptic Club
Hometown: Marlborough, MA
Fun Facts: I have collected over 70 keychains from all the different places I've visited!
Ally Paik (she/her/hers)
Year: Sophomore
Major: Computer Science and Professional Writing
Minor: N/A
Other Academic Interests: Software engineering
GPS: N/A
HUQ Depth: Writing & Rhetoric
IQP: TBD
Extracurriculars: Engineering Ambassadors, Christian Bible Fellowship
Hometown: Sharon, MA
Fun Facts: I was born in Canada and grew up in Washington state
Arayah Remillard (she/her)
Year: Senior
Major: Computer Science
IQP: White Mountains, NH, A'23
Hometown: Ludlow, MA
Fun fact: I'm allergic to cats but I can't help but adore them. I have one named Carlos!
Charles Dugaw (Any/All)
Year: Sophomore
Major: Interactive Media and Game Design, Computer Science
Minor: N/A
Other Academic Interests: Accessibility in games
Extracurriculars: IGDA
Hometown: Spartanburg, SC
Fun Facts: You can find my personal game dev projects at https://dugawdev.itch.io/
You can also find me in the Creative Writing Club's zines!
Elizabeth Papa (she/her/hers)
Year: Senior
Major: Interactive Media and Game Development (BA)
Minor: Computer Science
Other Academic Interests: My degree concentration is in writing.
GPS: N/A
HUA Depth: Writing & English
IQP: On campus, A'23-C'24
Extracurriculars: Creative Writing and Women in Computer Science
Hometown: Johnston RI
Fun facts: I earned my black belt when I was 13 years old after 8 years of experience in Karate.
Melica Zekavat (She/her/hers)
Year: Junior
Major: Data Science
Minor: Bioinformatics
Other Academic Interests: Political Science
GPS: N/A
HUA Depth: Art
IQP: Upcoming - Thessaloniki, Greece, D’25
Extracurriculars: Ketones A Capella
Hometown: Natick, MA
Fun Facts: I have 4 cats, I built a skateboard this summer, and I took piano lessons for 8 years.