Meet the writing and presentation coaches

Danielle graduated from McMaster University with a PhD in English & Cultural Studies in 2023. In addition to working with students at Rotman, Danielle also serves as a Sessional Lecturer at the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy at UTM and as a Writing Instructor at both UTM and St. George. Her research explores discourses of well-being, with a focus on their relationships with economic trends. 

Emily (she/her) holds a PhD in English with a specialization in Disability Studies from the University of Manitoba. Emily is a writing and presentation coach at the Rotman Commerce Centre for Professional Skill, a writing instructor at the Health Sciences Writing Centre, and a sessional lecturer at the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy. Her writing centre experience has included intensive work with upper-level undergraduate and graduate business students. 

Judith Muster is a PhD candidate at Western’s Centre for Theory and Criticism, and she holds a Master’s in English and Cultural Studies from McMaster and a BA from McGill. She currently works with the University College Writing Centre and Rotman’s Centre for Professional Skills. Previously, she was a writing tutor and course instructor with the University of Toronto’s Engineering Communication Program. She is also an experienced proofreader and freelance writer. 

Marvin Lam holds a Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics, specializing in Language and Communication, Discourse Studies, English for Academic and Specific Purposes, and Linguistics. His professional experience includes roles as a grant-maker and project manager, where he developed expertise in corporate communication within the philanthropy sector. In addition to his work at the Rotman Commerce Centre for Professional Skills, he is a writing instructor at the Health Sciences Writing Centre and the Robert Gillespie Academic Skills Centre, and teaches courses and delivers workshops on writing and communication at the School of Graduate Studies and the Institute for the Study of University Pedagogy. 

Barisha Towhid is a recent Rotman MBA alumna who graduated with a specialization in Finance. With 4-year experience in Corporate and Institutional Banking, she currently works at RBC as an Associate in Credit Management for mid-market corporate clients. She looks forward to bringing the insights she’s learned as a student and as a banking professional through various deliverables including business presentations and reports, to help students refine their writing, speaking and presentation skills for school and beyond. Experiencing different responsibilities in her current position, she believes that the foundation of effective communication lies in structure, clarity and audience-awareness, and she looks forward to fostering those skills in her role as a CPS coach.

Joseph Sproule earned his PhD at the University of Toronto in 2019, following an MA from Leiden University, an MSc from University College London, and a BA from the University of Toronto. His research has appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, and he has presented at conferences across North America and Europe. He is also co-author of a forthcoming book on culinary history, to be published by the University of Toronto Press in early 2026. 

Joseph has been employed as a writing instructor since 2019, and he enjoys working closely with students—whether one-on-one, in small groups, or in larger workshops—to develop strong written and oral communication skills. He also teaches in Woodsworth College’s Academic Bridging Program, New College’s International Foundation Program, and, on occasion, the Department of History. In all of his teaching, Joseph is committed to fostering clarity, confidence, and critical thinking, helping students to build the skills they need for both academic and professional growth. 

Jade Kim has previously taught writing at various writing centres at the University of Toronto, supporting both undergraduate and graduate students across diverse disciplines. She also teaches courses on multilingualism in urban centres, language and power, and research methods in education. In addition to providing writing support, she is passionate about helping students develop effective visual communication and presentation skills for academic and professional contexts.

Patti Luedecke provides writing and presentation skills support at teaching centres across UofT. She enjoys coaching at CPS and teaching graduate courses at the GCAC in both areas. At Victoria College, in addition to working with students one-on-one, Patti delivers yearly seminars on writing abstracts to the Summer Undergraduate Data Sciences program at UofT’s Data Science Institute and co-teaches a biannual seminar series on research and writing in collaboration with the Pratt Library.

Patti continues to write and to present her research. She completed her Ph.D. in English at Western University in 2019, and her essays appear collections such as The Nonhuman in American Literary Naturalism (2023) and Haunting Realities (2017) as well as in journals such as Studies in American Naturalism and the Edith Wharton Review. Conferences on American literature have taken her from San Francisco to Ireland and even to Iceland.