Working Together to Transform Writers
Since 1852, Antioch University has held the core belief that all adults have the power to transform their lives through their writing. At the Writers’ Exchange, we offer writers full menu of coaching, editing, webinars, and practical writing resources. Whether you’re a doctoral writer or a professional you’ll find the help you need from a trusted name in adult education.
The Writers’ Exchange is a direct response to a growing trend in online professional writing support. The Writers’ Exchange is unique because we’re a university program dedicated to the mission that successful writing is essential to academic and professional success. Our editors and coaches believe that all writers deserve to realize their potential through writing and that having individualized support through an editor or coach can be the catalyst for significant writing growth. Wherever and whoever you are, you will find experts committed to providing specialized writing support at The Writers’ Exchange.
Meet Our Team
Kat Bell, PhD
Director of Writing Support
Kat comes to Antioch with PhD in Rhetoric and Composition, with a focus on graduate education and Writing Center Studies. Most recently, she was a lecturer in the Analytical Writing Program at the University of California, San Diego, but has spent most of her post-graduate career in writing center and writing program administration. Prior to that, she taught public high school in both urban and rural environments. She is passionate about learning and teaching in antiracist pedagogies and truly enjoys collaborating on course design, discussing how to support students from all backgrounds, and doing institutional research to find strengths and opportunities for improving academic culture through increasing equity. As an editor and coach, she focuses on helping students find manageable processes and personal voices in their writing. To her joy and consternation, virtual meetings with Kat almost always feature a four-pawed, tuxedo-ed guest named Aleister.
Anna Paretskaya, PhD Editor / PhD Writing Coach
Anna Paretskaya is an editor, researcher, and educator with a PhD in sociology from the New School for Social Research. She is the managing editor of Social Research: An International Quarterly, published by the New School, and is a co-editor of the open-access, bilingual (English and Russian) journal Laboratorium: Russian Review of Social Research. Her own academic work has won awards from several professional associations. She has taught courses in social sciences and humanities at Eugene Lang College, NYU, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. As an editor, Anna has experience in academic book and journal publishing in a wide range of social sciences and humanities. She especially enjoys working with new scholars and multilingual writers, helping them develop and refine their authorial voice and bring their ideas to readers.
Deborah Parker, PhD Editor / PhD Writing Coach
Deborah Parker is an applied research consultant and academic coach and editor who provides support to authors as they prepare and revise manuscripts for dissertation research, journal submissions, and nonfiction work. She completed a research doctorate at Tulane University, majoring in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, with an emphasis in organizational culture and change management and minors in social psychology and statistics. She has pursued postdoctoral studies in holistic psychology, psychotronics, sustainable agriculture and living, holistic health, and vibrational healing. Deborah also edits journal articles in both the humanities and life sciences for two major academic presses. She uses her multidisciplinary experience, sense of humor, and compassionate approach to help authors establish their unique scholarly voice, organizing their ideas and hard work into compelling, persuasive arguments that are founded on sound methodology and articulated in a well-considered synthesis of the relevant material. Deborah is also currently managing editor for journals produced by the Society for Experimental Behavior Analysis.
Tom Sullivan, MA
Editor
Tom is an independent writer/editor specializing in ESL, academic, and technical texts. After starting out as an engineering student, Tom moved to Kansas City to study literature at Avila University in 2004 and has worked with words ever since. After working in the publishing industry, he studied at the University of Missouri, writing a master’s thesis about aesthetic theory in William Blake’s work. Next Tom taught English as a foreign language with the US Peace Corps in Mongolia. Upon returning to Kansas City, he taught English at a local community college while developing his freelance business. In 12+ years of freelancing, Tom has worked on academic book manuscripts, technical reports, theses and dissertations, academic journals, advertising copy, marketing materials, and more. Tom is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and the Managing Editor and Treasurer at Whispering Prairie Press, which produces Kansas City Voices and KC Voices Youth magazines.
Teresa Hoffman, PsyD
Editor
Teresa is an editor, software engineer, and psychotherapist. She received bachelor degrees in Mathematics and Computer Engineering from the University of Washington and wrote thousands of lines of code before transitioning into academic writing. She has always enjoyed collaboration and spent three years providing writing assistance to peers at Antioch’s Virtual Writing Center while studying for her PsyD in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University New England. Teresa is excited to be a part of the WEX team to continue supporting fellow writers as they add their voice to the ever-evolving conversation.
Nancy Birn Struckman Editor
Nancy Birn Struckman has worked as an editor and proofreader for over twenty years, including as a managing editor for a local newspaper. She is currently the manager of Editing for Style, LLC, where she edits books and monthly blogs, and where she enjoys working with undergraduate and graduate students on formatting and proofreading their dissertations, theses, and papers, according to their pertinent style guides. Nancy understands how difficult and stressful finishing theses or dissertations can be for students, and guides them to their finished product calmly and quickly, thus ensuring their success. She holds a BA in English from SUNY Albany (now UAlbany).
John Dunham, MS
Development Support
John is the Director of the Virtual Writing Center and has supported Antioch students in the Writing Centers for nearly a decade in various capacities. John loves helping people to better develop and communicate their ideas. Background includes writing in a family with an intense interest in language; attending Marlboro College and enjoying the school’s rigorous writing standards; and being the current editor of The Northeastern Caver, a regional publication of the National Speleological Society. Academic studies have included History, Writing, Linguistics, Asian Studies, Environmental Studies, and Social Justice Advocacy, which provide a broad knowledge base and appreciation for multiple kinds of writing, as well as a strong commitment to Antioch’s social justice mission. John’s prior experience also included Wilderness Therapy with at-risk youth in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, which provided invaluable tutoring, coaching, and leadership skills.
China Copperstone, MA
(in progress)
Graduate Assistant
China is currently in pursuit of her master’s degree in Advocacy for Social Justice and Sustainability. As an advocate and a researcher, she is driven to contribute to honest, necessary change. Her future plans involve empowering community involvement through science communications, pragmatic action items, and compassionate perspectives. She values her time at Antioch for the opportunities to collaborate with students and professors who are deep thinkers, strong-hearted, and proud to speak up. China is happy to be working with WEX to support the work of dedicated knowledge sharers.
Christine Hopkins, MA. Psy. (in progress)
Graduate Assistant
Christine is a current student at Antioch University obtaining her Masters in Clinical Psychology. Before this academic endeavor, she was working in the field of architecture and design. As fulfilling as this was, Christine felt the industry did not always cater to the best needs of the clients, and thought the emphasis on mental health was not taken seriously. Building on this lead her to want to learn more about mental health and psychology to enter a field of work that will be more meaningful. She is set to graduate at the end of 2024. Christine’s recreational interests include art, music, yoga, astrology, and psychological thriller novels.