Meet the Staff & Tutors
Professional Staff
Our professional staff members have particular roles and expertise. See how to connect with them in their bios below.
Jennifer Liese
Director
401-277-4829
jliese@risd.edu
Before coming to RISD, I was an editor at Artforum and Cabinet, wrote about art, and worked in museums and galleries. I recently edited an anthology of artist's writings called Social Medium: Artists Writing, 2000–2015 (Paper Monument, 2016). At RISD, I've taught courses on graduate thesis writing, professional practices, and experimental publishing. Whether working with individual students or on institutional publications, I try to provide tools and inspiration for artists and designers to share their work and perspectives with wide and varied publics.
Anne West
Graduate Written Thesis Faculty Mentor
awest@risd.edu
Request a biweekly meeting
As a faculty member in Graphic Design and the Graduate Commons, A&L faculty mentor, and author of Mapping the Intelligence of Artistic Work, I support students across disciplines in conceptualizing and writing their Master's thesis. Using a process of appreciative inquiry, we work together to draw out, clarify, and nurture the root of your work, locate and build ideas, develop a voice, and give meaningful form to the thesis document.
Maya Krinsky
Associate Director,
Multilingual Learning and Inclusive Teaching
401-277-4935
mkrinsky01@risd.edu
Additional Languages: Spanish, French
With a background in both art and language learning, I organize and provide support for multilingual learners. I am trained in communicative and experience-based pedagogy by the International Language Institute of Massachusetts, and have taught English and Spanish for adults in part-time, intensive, workplace and university programs. I engage students with the perspective that relationships are built through language, communication involves cultural awareness, and language is connected to identity. I am available to consult on student learning.
Alden Taylor
Multilingual Learning Specialist
ataylo03@risd.edu
Formally trained in history, peace studies, and US-China relations, I most recently spent several years in Taipei working simultaneously as a Chinese language fellow and English language teacher. This cohabitation of perspectives continues to inform my approach to multilingual learning: I learn as a teacher, and I teach as a learner. I specialize in collaborating with multilingual students to develop and achieve actionable language goals in academic, professional, and creative contexts.
Meredith Barrett
Associate Director
Writing & Related Literacies
401-277-4829
mbarrett01@risd.edu
My background in literature, education, and writing center theory and practice taught me that tutoring is not just about improving form, content, or even process; it is pursuing the human connection possible in communication—an interpersonal means to an interpersonal end. I carry this philosophy into all my efforts, from training tutors to supporting faculty to assisting students. Reach out to me for help matching with a tutor or support in your own communication.
Peer Tutors
Peer tutors are undergraduate and graduate students with strong communication skills who also take part in ongoing training in tutoring theory and best practices. Any of them can support you in all aspects of communication—written, spoken, and visual. In the bios below, you’ll learn about each tutor’s major and interests.
See someone you want to work with? You can filter availability for specific tutors when you make an appointment.
Interested in becoming a tutor? See our hiring page.
