Kathleen (she/they) is the Project Director and writing instructor for TRIO Student Support Services (SSS), having formerly served for two years as the program’s Writing Specialist while working toward a Ph.D. in English: Composition & Rhetoric. Through their Writing Specialist role, Kathleen also worked with Educational Talent Search and Upward Bound, our pre-college TRIO programs, giving advice on college writing and study skills and supporting students in drafting their UNL admissions and scholarship essays. Kathleen was thrilled to return to working for TRIO full-time, as before coming to UNL for doctoral studies, Kathleen was a Tutoring Coordinator, then Academic Advisor, and then Assistant Director for the TRIO SSS program at Loyola University Chicago. Here at UNL, Kathleen served for four years as the graduate advisor to Spectrum, UNL’s LGBTQ+ student organization, and is currently a member of UNL’s Disability Community & Advocacy group and Retention Leaders Council.  

Kathleen is passionate about disability justice, labor history & rights, mutual aid, slowing down in the hustle & bustle of daily life, and teaching writing as a tool for connection, reflection, discernment, and advocacy. Kathleen loves supporting students with writing tasks (essays, speeches, resumes, scholarships, appeals, emails, etc.), connecting students to all their great colleagues around campus, and helping foster an office where students can come in for support, rest, and community.