Staff list
| Andrew Pyke Originally from England I have worked in the Education sector in the UK, USA and Singapore before moving to Australia in 1999. I have a BEd (Hons) in English and a MEd in Educational Leadership and an extensive background in Tertiary and ESL Education with over 15 years’ experience in the field of Educational Project Management. My current role as the Manager of UTS HELPS is primarily looking at effective, student focused ways of providing language and academic literacy support to all UTS students, as I am committed to making HELPS a place where students receive support in a friendly, welcoming and respectful environment. |
| Ashleigh Mendoza-Fortunado Admin Officer 9514 9733 Asheigh.Mendoza-Fortunado@uts.edu.au | |
| Carol Charman My career in adult education spans corporate, community and academic settings. Like many of the HELPS staff I have studied here at UTS which gives me an understanding of academic requirements from the inside. Often I find that just talking through an assignment problem with students who come to HELPS will make things clearer and I love seeing students' confidence improve. My main interest outside of work is travel, so meeting so many different students each day makes my job fascinating. |
| David Sotir Hello! I’m David Sotir and work full-time as a HELPS Advisor assisting students via drop-in and 1:1 consultations, workshops, writing clinics as well as developing academic learning resources. Feel free to come and talk to me about issues with your assignments or ways to improve your writing, presentation and study skills. |
| Daria Vylegzhanina HELPS Learning Advisor 9514 7790 Daria.Vylegzhanina@uts.edu.au | |
| Jeff Millar Jeff (he/him) splits his time between tutoring Digital and Social Media subjects and working as a Learning Advisor at UTS:HELPS. He wrote his master’s thesis on misogynist subcultures on Reddit and completed his undergraduate degree in linguistics at Wake Forest University. He has been teaching at UTS since 2015, where he has primarily worked teaching English language for academic purposes. |
| Fotini Sidiropoulos Hello. I have been teaching for more than 20 years in a variety of contexts and roles. I have taught Basic English skills to new migrants as well as English as a Foreign Language (EFL), English in the Workplace, Adult Literacy reading and writing and now Academic Writing and Research Skills. At UTS, I am a HELPS Advisor (Part-Time) and aim to assist students to write clearly, coherently and in their own voice. I believe academic writing is about expressing your understanding of ideas and outlining your position without being unnecessarily complex. |
| Georgina Barratt-See I manage the UTS U:PASS (UTS Peer Assisted Study Success) program, which assists students in 50 first and second year subjects with study sessions run by trained student facilitators. I have 20+ years experience in the Higher Education sector with interests in student leadership, mentoring, first year experience, and teaching and learning. I hold a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry/UNSW) degree, a Masters in Educational Leadership (UNSW), Cert IV in Training and Assessment, and CELTA qualifications, as well as a certificate in Christian Counselling. I love my job and find it very rewarding to see students and student leaders grow to understand how to be an independent learner in this complex world. |
| Glen Geor Greetings! I am a part-time Advisor at HELPS and am particularly interested in working with students in the areas of pronunciation and making academic presentations. I meet students at drop-in advice sessions, one to one consultations, writing clinics and workshops. I have worked in education for many years including secondary and tertiary teaching and management and also as an educator in the corporate world. My qualifications are in teaching, Social Ecology, TESOL, and speech and drama. I love helping students reach their full potential and I look forward to meeting you at HELPS. Please wave out to me if you see me on campus. |
| Joshua Dymock I started teaching English as a Second Language in 1999 and have been working in the University sector since 2008, working in a variety of roles including Learning Adviser, Lecturer in Academic Language and Learning and several management positions. After more than 20 years working with students, I still enjoy seeing that ‘aha!’ moment when a student suddenly understands something that they had been struggling to make sense of. |
| Julie Hartigan Hello! I have extensive experience in teaching both English literature and language skills to secondary, vocational, tertiary and migrant students, and also in program design and development. I am committed to developing students’ confidence in their spoken and written English and to assisting the very challenging transition to tertiary study for our local and international students. Education and communication transform our lives - I feel privileged to play a part in that process as one of your HELPS Advisors. |
| Kaitlin Moore I am currently coordinating promotions for HELPS. My background is in research and evaluation project support and coordinating student support programs at Higher Education institutions in Australia and the USA. I have a BPsych (Hons) and am slowly working towards a Master of Public Health. I am also a member of the UTS Ally network. See you at HELPS! |
| Kelvin Wong Hello! I am Kelvin and I am currently supporting Sang and Georgina at HELPS and U:PASS. I have working experiences in Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia and I also studied abroad in the United States. I love travelling and enjoy meeting with people from different cultures. It is rewarding to help and connect with students in HELPS in a positive and inclusive environment. Feel free to reach out! |
| Linda Ozers I have always had a genuine interest in empowering students with skills to be as successful as they possibly can. I have worked in various roles in education: as a teacher librarian, careers advisor, teacher training consultant, retail trainer and was a study skills course designer and teacher in my own business. Experience as an academic writing tutor and mentor led to further studies - an MA TESOL and completing a PhD, and the opportunity to continue to help students with writing and language issues at HELPS. |
| MaryAnn McDonald I've worked in English language and settlement programs for nearly 30 years and currently manage the HELPS speaking programs for international students and our Peer Advisor team who offer assignment writing advice. I'm amazed each year that 300+ people take time away from work or study to help UTS students develop their academic writing and speaking skills. |
| Robyn Taylor I have loved working with students over many years and my teaching experience has been shaped by many challenges—distance education, numerous and varied face-to-face classes, curriculum development, teacher mentoring, along with executive management roles in education. I am fortunate to have had recent Industry experience, working with travellers from overseas, especially from the USA and Europe, showcasing Australia through diverse and tailor-made itineraries. I have a Masters Degree in Educational Management and my teaching qualifications cover the areas of Communication, Management and Administration. I am also an Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management. |
| Samantha Wong Hello! I work as the student admin officer at HELPS and act as the main contact point for student enquiries and bookings. I graduated with a Bachelor in Management in Tourism back in 2018 at UTS and started off volunteering at HELPS as a peer advisor. I hope to create a comfortable and safe space for students to freely ask for support when needed - there is no such thing as a stupid question! Feel free to contact us, we're always happy to help. |
| Sang-Eun Oh Hi, I am Sang-Eun and I manage HELPS programs to be comprehensive and accessible to all UTS students. I have a diverse education background (MA in Applied Linguistics, MEd, BPsych (Hons) & BA in English Literature) and I have more than 30 years of experience in the education sector in Korea, Taiwan and Australia. I am a firm believer in inclusive education and passionate about facilitating learning through community interactions, which enables a sense of belonging. |
| Simon Au Hello, I'm Simon and I have taught English professionally since 2008 and Academic English since 2010. Besides Australia, I have experience working in English instruction in China and South Korea. Please come by to HELPS and I will do my best to help you improve your academic skills! |
| Susan Merhi I have over 30 years’ experience teaching adults in vocational education. As well as teaching, I have experience in a variety of educational management roles and am particularly interested in workplace learning and mentoring. My qualifications are in Administration, TESOL (Adults) and Leadership and Management. As a HELPS Advisor, I am particularly interested in helping students to develop the skills required for successful and sustainable study in higher education. I am also keen for students to understand that these skills contribute to their graduate attributes upon completion of their studies and will enhance their job readiness. |
| Veronique Conte HELPS Learning Advisor 9514 1877 Veronique.Conte@uts.edu.au |
