Welcome to the Master’s Academic Support Resources website. We’re a team of people from the Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services (OASIS) who are so excited to support you through the academic journey of your master’s program here at Walden. Let us introduce ourselves:
You might recognize Amber because she’s been a familiar face here at Walden University since 2005. Amber started as a writing tutor in Walden’s Writing Center before moving into her former role as Associate Director of Faculty Outreach and Support and now her current role as the Interim Associate Dean for Master’s Academic Support in OASIS. In this new role, Amber leads strategy and direction for the delivery of academic support for master’s students and programs. Amber is a great person to talk to if you have ideas for how our team can best provide academic skills support to master’s students, faculty, and programs. Amber holds a bachelor's degree in music with an English minor from Vanderbilt University and a master's degree in musicology from the University of Cincinnati. She lives in North Carolina, loves to visit roadside attractions with her family, and plays the flute.
Check out this blog post from Amber on an outlining strategy to help you draft and revise papers: Is Your Short Attention Span Showing?: Using a Reverse Outline
Jes joined the Walden community in 2015, starting as an instructor in the Writing Center, then managing the Doctoral Writing Assessment, and now serving as the Lead of Master’s Academic Support. Jes has been a writing teacher and tutor for 15 years and holds a BA and MA in English. She lives in northern Minnesota with her husband and three dogs. A little-known fact is that Jes is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades and has also worked and trained as a math tutor, GRE tutor, birth doula, and certified nursing assistant. In her role on this team, Jes is passionate about helping students develop their writing skills and academic habits so that they can succeed and achieve their personal, professional, and social change goals.
Check out this blog post from Jes: From Prompt to Post: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Effective Discussion Posts
Nykol earned her undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota in rhetoric, creative writing, and journalism and her master's degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh. She joined Walden in 2010 and enjoys providing creative solutions that help students reach their education goals. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and four cats. Outside of work, Nykol is developing her skills as a stained glass artist.
Check out Nykol’s favorite resource: Ask a Librarian
Amanda received her Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Tennessee and Master of Library and Information Science from The University of South Florida. Prior to her career in librarianship, Amanda worked as a Social Worker in therapeutic foster care and adoption. In her role on this team, Amanda enjoys helping students strengthen library research and critical thinking skills to achieve their academic and personal goals. Outside of work, Amanda likes gardening and cooking.
Check out Amanda’s favorite resource: Master’s Research Appointments
Brittany Rogers has a BA in English and Creative Writing from Hiram College and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts (NEOMFA) program at Kent State University. For the past 8 years, she has taught writing at various institutions of higher learning, and she started at Walden in 2019. Her work has appeared in Still, Heartwood, and the ECC Literary Anthology. Brittany believes that great writing comes from hard work and revision, and she provides individualized feedback to students to help them improve their assignment and their holistic writing skills.
Check out one of Brittany’s favorite resources for students: Common APA Style Reference Examples
Emily has always been a strong proponent of online education, mentorship, and individualized instruction, and she brought that passion to Walden when she joined the community in 2020. She has spent the past decade or so providing academic support—in one form or another—to college-level students: whether serving as a writing instructor, tutor, mentor, or advisor, she has always enjoyed guiding others through academic challenges. Emily’s advice to students is this: “Strive to stay engaged with your coursework, your instructors, your support staff, and your classmates— they all matter to your success at Walden and may play an important role in your academic or professional future." Emily lives in Maine with her husband, cat, and dog and can likely be found reading, hiking, or doing yoga when not working.
Check out this blog post from Emily: 6 Tips for Successfully Managing Your Time
James received his MA and MFA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, having first earned undergraduate degrees in both English and Psychology. James joined Walden in 2015 and has taught at the college level for nearly two decades. James is passionate about student learning, mentoring, and helping student writers develop their work. His writing philosophy includes the foundational concept that revision is always a part of writing and that even the best writers must revise.
Check out this blog post from James: Annotated Bibliography Essentials: Analysis Writing
Julie joined Walden in 2017 as a specialist for Nursing and Health Sciences. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and earned degrees in English, Rhetoric, and Library & Information Science. In almost three decades of library experience, she's worked in a variety of settings and loves working with all types of information needs. Julie also enjoys traveling, cooking, yoga, and dogspotting.
Check out her recent publication, Systematic Review of Burnout in US Nurses (2022).
Veronica Oliver received her PhD in Rhetoric and Composition, with an emphasis on community literacy and intersecting rhetorics of identity in 2015, and she started working in the Walden Writing Center shortly after. She also holds master's degree in rhetoric and composition and a bachelor's degree in theater. Born in Minneapolis, Veronica grew up predominantly in Wisconsin, although she has also lived in Los Angeles and Chicago. As a writing specialist, Veronica’s passion is helping students effectively communicate their ideas through writing. When not reviewing student papers or coordinating student support, Veronica can likely be found in a used bookstore, coffee shop, or hot yoga studio.
Check out this blog post from Veronica: Avoid Procrastination and R.E.A.P. the Benefits of Proactivity
For library research and database questions, go to Ask a Librarian
For writing and APA related questions, email us at writingsupport@mail.waldenu.edu
For other academic skills support, email us at academicskills@mail.waldenu.edu
Ask OASIS