Professional Staff

Michelle Hager

Director

Michelle Hager is the Writing Center Director, and she has extensive experience in writing instruction and writing center administration. She is also a SJSU alum, having earned her B.A. in English (with a Certificate in Professional and Technical Writing) and M.A. in English.

During her 12 years of teaching in higher education (2006-2018), Michelle taught classes in the Department of English and Comparative Literature, ranging from Editing for Writers to Young Adult Literature. Prior to becoming the Writing Center Director in July 2013, she served for four years as the Writing Center Associate Director.

She has worked with the Writing Across the Curriculum director to create the course-embedded writing tutors program at SJSU. She has also presented at numerous national and regional conferences, including the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC). In 2021, she completed the intensive summer institute through the International Writing Centers Association (IWCA).

Michelle sits on multiple committees--both at the university and within her professional organizations. She was also the program chair for the 2019 Northern California Writing Centers Association (NCWCA) Conference, which was hosted at SJSU.

Phone: 408-924-2249

Email: michelle.hager@sjsu.edu

Amy Russo

Coordinator of Multilingual Writing Support Services

Amy Russo is the Coordinator for Multilingual Writing Support Services at the SJSU Writing Center, working with both undergraduate and graduate students. She earned her B.A. in European Studies from Hendrix College and her Master of Library and Information Science from Louisiana State University. In December 2017, Amy earned her M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies (MIIS) at Monterey.

Prior to joining the SJSU writing team, Amy taught English for five years in Japan and tutored for two years at a graduate writing center. Over the last seven years, she has made numerous presentations at conferences about linguistics, language teaching, and writing, including the California TESOL Conference, the UC Davis Language Symposium, and the JET Skill Development Conference for English Teachers. Amy is actively involved in Toastmasters, a public speaking non-profit. In addition, she partners with the San Francisco Japanese Consulate to support the Japanese Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program through teacher training. Amy is the co-founder and former officer of the JET Alumni Association of Monterey Bay (JETAAMB).

In this position, Amy creates workshops and trainings for tutors about working with multilingual students (with Michelle Hager, Writing Center Director). She also builds materials and professional development opportunities for faculty on topics relating to the support of multilingual writers (with Dr. Tom Moriarty, Writing Across the Curriculum Director). Amy’s aim is to promote lifelong learning that is positive, flexible, and meaningful for students through careful content creation, learner strategy training, and collaboration with students, tutors, faculty, staff, and campus organizations.

Phone: 408-808-2101

Email: amy.russo@sjsu.edu

Seher Vora

Coordinator of Online Writing Support Services

Seher Vora is the Coordinator for Online Writing Support Services. She provides training and resources for students, faculty, and Writing Center employees, and oversees the Writing Center's social platforms, including the official blog, "The Write Attitude." She holds a BA in International Studies and Linguistics from UC Irvine, an MA in International Relations from Tufts University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from San José State University.

Seher is passionate about helping students develop a well-rounded approach to writing through a multimodal exploration of writing styles and techniques, informed by diversity, empathy, and digital literacy.

Phone: 408-924-2351

Email: seher.vora@sjsu.edu