Faculty consultants work with students and alumni who are writing personal statements for post-graduate opportunities such as graduate school, health professions, law school, or post-graduate fellowships.

The Center for Writing and Learning is open for Fall 2024 starting on Monday September 9, 2024. Current students and alumni wishing to make a 50-minute appointment with one of the CWL faculty consultants may request an appointment by 1) calling us at 253.879.3404, 2) emailing us at cwlappointments@pugetsound.edu, 3) stopping by Howarth 105, or 4) following the instructions our Request an Appointment page.

 

Prof. Lea Fortmann

Lea Fortmann, Associate Professor of Economics

Pronouns: she/her/hers

My training is in environmental economics and public policy. I teach courses in the Economics of Climate Change, Introduction to Econometrics, and Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. I also teach writing focused courses for SSI2 and Senior Thesis. My research interests center on community forest management in the Maya Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala, and more recently, on the relationship between public parks and educational outcomes in Washington state. I enjoy working with students to improve the clarity and organization of their writing. When writing, I believe in following the advice of Matthew Arnold, “Have something to say, and say it as clearly as you can. That is the only secret of style.” 

Fall 2024 Hours: Mon noon-1 p.m.; Tues 2-4 p.m.; Wed 11 a.m.-noon; Thurs 2-4 p.m.
Renee Simms

Renee Simms, Associate Professor of African American Studies

Pronouns: she/her/hers

My training is in creative writing and law, and I teach courses in fiction writing, The Harlem Renaissance, Survey of African American Literature, Black Fictions and Feminisms, and Environmental Racism. My research interests include community writing pedagogy and black feminist interventions in literary canon formation, environmental justice, and law. I enjoy helping students think through choices they’ve made in a draft as well as the expectations of a written genre. I believe all great writing happens during revision.

Fall 2024 Hours: Mon 2-4 p.m.; Wed 10 a.m.-noon.