Administration
Dr. Grace Pregent, Interim Director
I’m Grace Pregent (she/her/hers), one of the Associate Directors of The Writing Center at Michigan State University and affiliate faculty in Rhetoric, Writing, and American Cultures and in Global Studies. Since joining MSU, I’ve taught WRA 395: Writing Center Theory and Practice and WRA 495: Organizational Storytelling and am co-teaching WRA 495: Community Literacies and Engagement Across Borders and WRA 899: Writing Center Administration. I’m also the Co-Director of the Community Writing Center and the Program Director for Community Literacies in Canada.
I received my PhD in English (2020) from Loyola University Chicago, and I also have an MA in English from the University of Dallas (2010) and an MS in Higher Education Administration from the University of Dayton (2014). Some of my recent publications have appeared in The Writing Lab Newsletter, Evelyn Waugh Studies, The Thomas Hardy Review, and Victorians. I’m interested broadly in rhetorical narrative theory and higher education and particularly in the connections between storytelling, management, and strategic planning. Currently I’m the Conference Chair for the 2022 ECWCA Conference.
Before joining the Spartan community, I worked in writing center administration at Loyola University and international programming. When not teaching, traveling, or being present in the writing center, I’m usually spending time with my family, enjoying the beautiful state of Michigan, and training with friends in RunGR.
You’re welcome to connect with me at pregentg@msu.edu
Josh Kim, Assistant Director
I’m Josh (he/him), one of the Writing Center @ Michigan State University’s Graduate Assistant Directors for the 2023-2024 academic year. I am a third-year student in the School of Social Work, working towards a Master’s in Social Work with a concentration in Organizations and Community Leadership, where I study substance use and addiction, mental health, and public health policy. I have been with the Writing Center since Fall 2021. In that time I have helped plan the 2022 East Central Writing Centers Conference that the Writing Center hosted as Conference Committee Coordinator and served as the Operations Coordinator for the Bessey Hall writing center.
The Greater Lansing Area has been my home since I was a child, and some of my earliest memories are of living on campus when my dad was a Hall Director in several of the campus dorms. I graduated from East Lansing High School in 2009 before earning a BA in English Language and Literatures from the University of Michigan and an MA in medieval literature and rhetoric from Penn State in 2015. Throughout all of the twists and turns my path has taken me down, Writing Centers have been there with me, something for which I am constantly grateful.
In my role as Graduate Assistant Director, I work to enact values of empathy, collaboration, justice, and equity for our community, both clients and staff alike. I believe people know best what they need for themselves and their own work; I lead with this belief and strive to follow it through transparency, open dialogue, and the facilitation of collaborative planning.
When I’m not in the Writing Center, I enjoy trying different restaurants in the area, playing all sorts of games with my partner and friends, watching reruns of reality TV, and spending too much time on PetFinder.
I invite you to connect with me via email at kimjosh@msu.edu.
Bethany Meadows, Assistant Director
I’m Bethany (she/they), one of the Graduate Assistant Directors and a PhD candidate in Writing and Rhetoric. I also have a graduate specialization in Women’s and Gender Studies here at MSU. My dissertation and current research focuses on the intersections of feminisms, administrative work, and sexual violence rhetoric and policy. Specifically, I examine how mid-level university administrators interpret and respond to sexual violence policy in their working lives. Since joining MSU in 2020, I have served in this writing center in several graduate coordinator roles, including Mentor Program Coordinator, Graduate Writing Coordinator, and Operations Scheduling Coordinator. At MSU, I have taught WRA/ENG 395: Writing Center Theory and Practice and WS 301: Sexual Violence against Women & Children.
Before MSU, I received my BA in English and my BS.Ed in Integrated Language Arts Education from Ashland University in Ohio. There, I worked in their writing center for all four years, with my fourth year serving as the Student Director. I then continued my tour of the Midwest by doing my MA in Rhetoric and Composition at Ball State University in Indiana. At Ball State, I worked as a tutor and in my second year, was the Assistant Director of the center. In my career, I have taught a wide range of courses in K12, community college, and university contexts as well. I have presented at conferences for Feminisms and Rhetorics, Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC), East Central Writing Center Association (ECWCA), and International Writing Center Association (IWCA). More recently, my publications have appeared in Peitho, The Journal of Multimodal Rhetorics, Present Tense, and Praxis.
In my free time, I enjoy playing board games and card games, roleplaying in D&D, watching ice hockey, and hanging with my friends, partner, and pets. You’re welcome to contact me at meadow53@msu.edu