Staff
Rachel Olsen
Communications Lab Supervisor
Rachel comes from an instructor position at Kansas State University's English Language Program (ELP). While she taught classes in all English skill sets, her specialty was writing. During her time in the ELP, she also developed curriculum for three brand new classes offered in the program. Her informal designation as "the project lady" ultimately led to a chance to work in the English department's Writing Center last spring as an experimental tutor for international students who had tested out of the ELP and were enrolled in composition classes. Rachel completed her master's degree in English at K-State, where her training as a teacher and tutor was firmly rooted in student-centered approaches. As for her academic interests, she loves cultural studies theory, contemporary women's literature, gender studies, and film adaptations. In her spare time, Rachel enjoys cooking, reading, movies, yoga, and drinking lots of coffee. She is also determined to make sense of the lab staff's endless supply of inside jokes.
Brandon Isaak
Senior Communications Lab Assistant
Brandon has been a part of the Comm Lab staff since May of 2007. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2004 with a degree in English literature and creative writing. Music is very much a part of his life as a songwriter, but he is also interested in: painting, writing fiction/poetry, recycling, scooters, bocce ball, meditation, juggling, and activism. He has also served as the Green Task Force Chairperson on campus since the summer of 2009. Brandon sponsors the College Democrats on campus, supports the students in Advocates of Peace, and invites everyone to celebrate the Earth by not consuming so much.
Lydia Rucker
Communications Lab Assistant
Lydia Rucker has been a Lab Assistant in the Communications Lab since 2007. She has a Bachelor's degree in English literature from Grand Canyon University and is the coordinator of the Communications Lab's English Second Language program. Lydia is a photographer and loves black and white photography. She appreciates the great works of artists like Klimpt, Van Gogh and Monet. She is eclectic with her movies and music, but she is especially fond of 80's hair bands. She also likes to write and is constantly revising her novel and coming up with new things to write about (we are trying to keep her focused). She has been married twelve years to her husband, Brandon, and is the mother of two absolutely beautiful, smart children.
Nicholas Webb
Communications Lab Assistant
Nick graduated from Oklahoma State University in May of 2006 with a bachelor's degree in journalism and broadcasting with a focus in broadcasting and film. Upon graduation, he pursued a career in radio broadcasting only to find himself working for Oklahoma City Community College in Employment Services in the Fall of 2006. Nick has been a Communications Lab Assistant since September of 2007. Nick is currently pursuing a master's degree in mass communications management at the University of Oklahoma with a focus in communication technology. Nick likes helping students online through ECHO 2.0, serving on the President's Advisory Council and maintaining the Communications Lab Facebook page. Nick also enjoys exercising, video games, and supporting Brandon's strange endeavors.
Amin Shariat-Zadeh
Communications Lab Assistant
Since he came to the United States, Amin has devoted his time to furthering his education. He got his associate's degree in philosophy at OCCC and then went to OU. He received his Bachelor's in philosophy, while he was working on his minors in Arabic and Middle Eastern studies. Currently, he is a graduate student at OU, majoring in international area studies. His hobbies are reading, writing, news, traveling around the world, having conversations with friends, and educating himself about other cultures. Amin started working for the Communications Lab in 2007. He enjoys helping students in different areas such as logic, Arabic, Persian, and their writing assignments in English. Since education is an essential value for Amin, he passionately loves his job. His goal is teaching at a university after finishing his Ph.D program.
Tonja Nelson
Communications Lab Assistant
Tonja graduated Oklahoma City Community College in May 2009 with a degree in business. Prior to graduation, Tonja's love for helping fellow students directed her towards the Communications Lab. Starting as a work study tutor in the Communications Lab on February 12, 2007, she was promoted to Lab Assistant in October of 2008. A wife and mother of three beautiful children, Tonja aspires to one day attain a Bachelor's degree and own a business.
Tutors:
Marijah Adams
Sarah Baker
Courtney Crites
Jade Garten
Kasey Handley
Philip Jecty
Jamie Keenan
Cassandra Powers
Joshua Shultz
Bill Smiley
Bethany Vander Schans
James Williams
Abigail Wiseman
