Summary:
Dr. Shyam Sharma earned his MA and PhD in the English department (2006-2012). He served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) and fellow, College of Business writing consultant, School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies (SIGS) research assistant, and Assistant Director of Composition. As an MA GTA, Sharma first served as a writing consultant and was then asked by Dr. Roser (then Director) to serve as an Assistant Director. Sharma recalls the UWC's former space on Ekstrom library's third floor, which he found accessible to students, but some of his cohort complained about the cramped office space. He speaks from his experience coming to UofL as an international student from "South Asia" with extensive experience in English studies and teaching, but with little experience in American culture. His cohort peers and Writing Center Director showed him kindness and patience in helping him adapt to a new culture and education system. Finally, he describes his work to revise and replace the writing center's handouts, online tutoring, and website. With the website and online tutoring, he talks about the impact of web 2.0's affordances to online tutoring, particularly synchronous online sessions via Skype.
