WAC LIAISONS - Student Writing Mentorship Award

Jaya Dofe

Assistant Professor Jaya Dofe centers her mentoring philosophy around creating “a personalized and intentional approach to each student, encouraging them to become better writers through active listening, questioning, and reflection... [She] believes that setting clear expectations is …important, and …empower[s] students to take ownership of their writing.”  Because she knows firsthand the challenges confronting women, first-generation, and underrepresented minorities in engineering, she has sought training to help these groups and all students succeed.

She has honed her mentoring skills by pursuing professional development programs such as the Grant Writing Workshop Series by Quality Education for Minorities Network, the Faculty of Color Learning Community Writing Retreat, the RACE Writing Retreat, and the Developing Research Question Program by HSI STEM Hub.  

Her dedication and training have led her to mentor over forty undergraduate and graduate students outside the classroom over the past five years, resulting in multiple professional conference presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals by these students.

Please join the WAC Advisory Committee in congratulating Dr. Dofe for a well-deserved honor!

Yours in partnership,

• Leslie Bruce, Faculty Fellow for WAC (HUM)
• Sapna Chopra, Sapna Chopra, HUSR Assistant Professor (HHD).
• Jonathan Cornforth, Student Success Librarian (LIB)
• Eric Furlong, Lecturer (CBE)
• Joanna Roche, Professor of Art History, (COTA)
• Jutara Srivali Teal, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing (HHD)

Parvin Shahrestani

Dr. Shahrestani is an Associate Professor of Biological Science who strives to “meet each student where they are and believe in them loudly.”  They believe their “role is to help [their] students recognize their own abilities, identify where they need help, build the confidence to ask for and receive feedback, and build innate motivation for completing projects.”

Intentionally pursuing mentorship training, Dr. Shahrestani has “participated as a mentor and received mentor training in the faculty/grad student mentorship program, Pa’lante fellowship, Mentor Connext, and the CSU Alliance for Diversity & Strengths of STEM Early-Career Faculty.”  They also completed Safe Space, Veteran’s support, and Allyship trainings on campus.

The diversity of genres Dr. Shahrestani has mentored enriched their application.  Since 2015, they have mentored over 100 students as they published in peer-reviewed journals or CSUF’s undergraduate research journal (Dimensions), or as they wrote conference presentations and abstracts.  They supplemented these familiar genres with senior Honors projects, grant writing, and even a children’s book for the EAGR STEM student organization. 

Please join the WAC Advisory Committee in congratulating Dr. Shahrestani for a well-deserved honor!

Yours in partnership,

• Leslie Bruce, Faculty Fellow for WAC (HUM)
• Sapna Chopra, Sapna Chopra, HUSR Assistant Professor (HHD).
• Jonathan Cornforth, Student Success Librarian (LIB)
• Eric Furlong, Lecturer (CBE)
• Joanna Roche, Professor of Art History, (COTA)
• Jutara Srivali Teal, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing (HHD)

Chelsea Reynolds

Chelsea Reynolds, Ph.D., is an associate professor of Communications and an affiliate faculty member in Human Communication Studies. She teaches courses in journalism, sexual communication, and media studies, and she serves as advisor to CSUF's Tusk magazine, named College Media Association's four-year university magazine of the year in 2021.

Dr. Reynolds is an elected member of the Publications Committee and past-Head of the LGBTQ Interest Group at the Association for Education in Journalism & Mass Communication. She earned a Ph.D. in mass communication at the University of Minnesota (2017) and an M.A. in journalism at the University of Missouri (2012).

Dr. Reynolds has mentored many students over several years, has received and provided mentorship training, and has helped students publish or present their writing in a variety of genres and venues, all of which contribute to students’ integration into their fields. In her mentoring of marginalized students, Dr. Reynolds “empower[s] young writers to find their voices and advocate for themselves.”

Using writing in her classrooms and at Tusk magazine, she strives to build students’ confidence as they learn the “unwritten norms” of their future professions in communication. Dr. Reynolds is committed to mentoring marginalized student writers as they investigate structural inequities and advocate for a more just and sustainable future. She lives in Los Angeles with her partner, Nilofar.

Please join the WAC Advisory Committee in congratulating Dr. Chelsea Reynolds for a well-deserved honor!

Yours in partnership,

• Leslie Bruce, Faculty Fellow for WAC and Lecturer in English (HSS)
• Sinan Akciz, Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences (NSM)
• Sapna Chopra, Assistant Professor of Human Services (HHD)
• Jonathan Cornforth, Student Success Librarian (LIB)
• Teeanna Rizkallah, Vice Chair, Marketing: Business Communication (CBE)
• Joanna Roche, Professor of Art History, (COTA)
• Jutara Srivali Teal, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing (HHD)

Alison Marzocchi

The WAC Committee reviewed eleven applications representing five colleges and nine departments.  All the applications highlighted the important role the mentoring of writing plays in disciplinary learning and professionalization, but one stood out.  

The WAC Committee is excited to announce the Award’s inaugural winner: Dr. Alison Marzocchi.

Dr. Marzocchi is an Associate Professor of Mathematics who has mentored many students over several years, who has received mentorship training, and who has helped students publish or present their writing in a variety of genres and venues, all of which contribute to students’ integration into their fields.

Dr. Marzocchi’s record of mentorship showcases her dedication to disciplinary writing.  Using writing in her classrooms, she increases the understanding and accessibility of mathematics.

Please join the WAC Advisory Committee in congratulating Dr. Alison Marzocchi for a well-deserved honor!

Yours in partnership,

• Leslie Bruce, Faculty Fellow for WAC and Lecturer in English (HSS)
• Sinan Akciz, Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences (NSM)
• Sapna Chopra, HHD Writing Coach/MS COUN Professor (HHD)
• Jonathan Cornforth, Student Success Librarian (LIB)
• Teeanna Rizkallah, Vice Chair, Marketing: Business Communication (CBE)
• Joanna Roche, Professor of Art History, (COTA)
• Jutara Srivali Teal, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing (HHD)
• Chris Street, Professor of Secondary Education/MA Program Director (ED)
• Ying-Chiao Tsao, Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders (COMM)
• Hope Weiss, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering (CSE)