Writing Tutors
Kaushar Mahetaji is a third-year PhD student in the Media, Technology & Culture concentration. She holds a Master of Information in Critical Information Policy Studies from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science from McMaster University’s Integrated Science program, where she focused on biochemistry. Her research interests include platform evolution and historiography, platform infrastructure, political economy, digital methods, and interdisciplinary and open research. Kaushar is also familiar with academic librarianship, having completed a two-year internship at the Gerstein Science Information Centre. She continues to support teaching and learning in librarianship at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) Library.
Outside of work, Kaushar enjoys creating digital art, learning about languages, drinking coffee and bubble tea, and exploring bookshops and museums.
Kaushar is fluent in Gujarati and would welcome speaking to students in Gujarati if preferred.
Writing and Tutor Specializations
Her expertise lies in scientific scholarly conventions. She has applied both quantitative and qualitative methods to her past work and enjoys assisting students with finding and evaluating resources, formatting citations, and forming arguments using data. She is passionate about interdisciplinary work and open research.
Cate Alexander (she/her) is a is fifth-year PhD candidate in the Faculty of Information. Prior to U of T, Cate obtained a BA Combined Honours in History and Classics and a MA in Digital Humanities at the University of Alberta. Cate’s research expertise is in digital history, cultural memory, social media platforms/platform theory, political economy, and digital humanities. Cate’s research was generously supported by SSHRC in both her Masters’ and her PhD, and she is the coordinator for the GLAM Incubator.
When she is not working on her dissertation, Cate can be found watching spooky movies, wandering museums, or social dancing.
Writing and Tutor Specializations
Cate’s expertise is in writing for the humanities, drafting grant applications like SSHRC and OGS, and using research management software like Obsidian, Scrivener, and Zotero. She can also provide advice for overcoming procrastination and public speaking.
Ayla Morland is a second-year PhD student in the Cultural Heritage concentration and the Book History and Print Culture collaborative specialization. She obtained her Master of Information from the University of Toronto and her Bachelor of Arts from McGill University. Her research interests include feminist theories and methodologies, and their applications to book history and practices of reading and writing. Ayla has worked in public, academic, and special collections libraries.
Besides school and work, Ayla loves Earl Grey tea, the band Lord Huron, and spending time outside on hikes and bike rides.
Ayla is fluent in French and would welcome speaking to students in French if preferred.
Writing and Tutor Specializations
- Humanities writing conventions and citation styles
- Library and Information Science (LIS)
- Interdisciplinary research approaches
- Project and paper proposals, including for scholarship and grant applications
- Developing literature reviews and research assignments
- Applying feedback to future work
How can writing tutors help?
Before Writing
Not exactly sure how to begin an assignment or a chapter? Stuck staring at the blank page? Bring an assignment to a writing tutor to brainstorm ideas, develop a generative argument, structure your paper, identify appropriate assignment models, and find useful sources. Spend time with a tutor describing your writing goals and have them help you bring your ideas into focus and onto the page.
During Writing
No matter how far along you are in an assignment, meeting with a writing tutor can be useful. You can come to a tutor with a specific request – like refining your argument, helping with transitions, or checking citations – or with a full or partial draft for them to review for feedback.
After Writing
Have you received feedback from your instructor or committee member, but you’re not exactly sure how to apply it to future work? Is some of the feedback confusing? Writing tutors can help you learn from feedback, apply those suggestions to future writing, and more generally integrate those lessons into your toolkit as a writer.
Tech Tutors
Sai Shailesh Nanisetty
Sai Shailesh Nanisetty is a second-year Master of Science in Applied Computing student in the Artificial Intelligence Concentration at UofT’s Department of Computer Science. Prior to UofT, Shailesh obtained a Bachelor of Technology (Honors) and Master of Technology in Industrial and Systems Engineering at IIT Kharagpur. His research interests include interpretable machine learning, computer vision, generative learning, and solving cutting-edge problems through applied research. Alongside his academic pursuits, Shailesh works as a Machine Learning Engineer at a MedTech startup., where he contributes to developing innovative solutions that transform cardiovascular health, making advanced, continuous health monitoring accessible to everyone.
In his free time, Shailesh enjoys playing tennis, exploring nature through hiking and travel, discovering new places, and is a movie buff. Alongside English and Hindi, Shailesh is fluent in Telugu and would welcome speaking to students in Telugu if preferred.
Writing and Tutor Specializations
His expertise lies in Machine Learning and Data Science, Data Communication, Research design encompassing various methods, analysis, sampling and data management plans; Data Cleaning and Analysis: Python, R, Excel; Database Querying: SQL ; Data Engineering, Data Visualization: Python, R, Power BI. He is also passionate about interdisciplinary work and open research.
Harleen Kaur
Harleen Kaur is currently pursuing her Master of Science in Sustainability Management (MScSM) at the University of Toronto Mississauga, where she combines her passion for sustainability with her technical expertise. She holds a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science with a specialization in Oil and Gas Informatics, which provided her with a strong foundation in software development and machine learning, particularly within the energy sector. Harleen also brings professional experience as a Software Engineer at LTIMindtree, a global technology consulting firm, where she developed predictive models.
As an international student who recently moved from India, Harleen understands how overwhelming it can be to balance multiple responsibilities. She is happy to assist fellow students in creating manageable schedules, dealing with academic pressures, or even overcoming presentation or public speaking fears. Harleen is fluent in English, Hindi, and Punjabi and is always available for casual conversations about good places to visit in Canada or discussions on political affairs, nature walks, sustainability, and more!
Technical Tutor Specializations
- Programming (Python, Java)
- Data Visualization (Tableau)
- SQL Databases and Data Analysis
- Cloud Technologies (Microsoft Azure)
- Machine Learning Approaches
- Microsoft Office Applications (Excel and others)