Meet Our Staff

Jason McCormick, M.F.A.

Director, University Writing Center

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 Jason McCormick is the director of the Writing Center and an assistant professor of English. They earned a PhD from the University of Nebraska in composition and rhetoric.

Specialties: Jason’s scholarship and practice focuses on ways to increase access in non-traditional spaces of higher education, especially developmental writing classrooms and writing centers. Through the use of critical disability frameworks, they try to imagine possibilities for these non-conforming spaces, ultimately with the goal of making education more accessible for all.

Specialties in the Writing Center: Jason has taught at multiple institutions for over a decade and has also played several roles in writing centers in New York and Nebraska. Their background as a critical scholar and creative writer is useful in imagining writing across multiple contexts and for many audiences.

In addition to their work and research, Jason enjoys cooking, collecting trading cards, swimming, and traveling.

Lila Gordon, M.A.

Assistant Director, University Writing Center

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I am full-time professional staff and am the Assistant Director of the University Writing Center. My professional writing background includes journalism and technical writing. I have been with the Writing Center 12 years. When not working, I enjoy cooking, spending time with my family, and gaming.

Rheagan Case, Graduate Student

Coordinator, University Writing Center

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Specialties: My areas of study are African American Lit, gender, queer, and disability studies, and poetry. I have presented at Southern Literature, Creative Writing, and Writing Center conferences. I have been an editor-in-chief for USM's PRODUCT magazine and an associate editor for both of Mississippi State University's literature journals. I am the Writing Center Coordinator for the fall 2026-spring 2027 semesters. I look forward to working with amazing tutors who create an exciting, fulfilling, and comfortable space for students and faculty alike to come in at any stage of the writing process.

Specialties in the Writing Center: I love to work on brainstorming projects in the Writing Center. I love brainstorming for any sort of project, such as semester-long research papers, short stories where one is working out the plot or character arcs, group presentations, or other things! I also enjoy doing general feedback work, such as reading through essays with students and noting things like organization, transitions, and connections between ideas. Also, of course, I love any sort of creative work! I would be willing to approach any sort of writing students and faculty approach me with.

Ray B.

Rank and Area of Study: Graduate Student, English Literature

Specialties: My research interests include medieval and early modern literature, disability studies, the history of medicine, drama, fantasy, and folklore. My work analyses the reception of the Middle Ages as manifested in early modern drama via their shared ideas of disability and disease.

Specialties in the Writing Center: I am familiar with MLA and Chicago citation styles and can aid in research, source evaluation, literary analysis, and assignments for first-year composition and technical writing.

Marissa D.

Lead Tutor

Rank and Area of Study: I am an undergraduate student majoring in elementary education with a focus in English.  

Specialties: In my spare time, I enjoy reading and writing flash fiction and poetry. I am also interested in literary and film analyses, as well as research on early and middle childhood education.  

Specialties in the Writing Center: I would love to work with you on brainstorming, creating an outline, or any other activity to get the writing process started. I’m pretty good at finding online resources, and I am familiar with both MLA and APA. I also find workshopping personal essays and creative works to be very fun!  

Jo H.

Rank and Area of Study: Undergraduate Student and Library and Information Science major (University of Southern Mississippi)

Specialties: I specialize in research and writing, particularly in literary and composition papers.

Specialties in the Writing Center: I am familiar with both MLA and APA formats and have some knowledge of the Chicago format. I excel at brainstorming ideas and solutions with others for various projects.

Lee J.

Rank and Area of Study: Undergraduate English Education Major

Specialties: I am a creative writer and enjoy reading others' creative works. Alongside that, I am preparing for my English Education licensure, so I am familiar with various scholarly and literature works. 

Specialties in the Writing Center: I can easily help others brainstorm topics for whatever project they are working on. Additionally, I am well versed in MLA format, but I can also help students with APA format. 

Meredith M.

Rank and Area of Study: Undergraduate Student (English Major) 

Specialties: In addition to the field of English, I have also received recognition from The University of Mississippi for a short story I wrote. I also enjoy reading, staying busy and involved around campus, overall love to write in general. 

Specialties in the Writing Center: I am particularly good at outlining, brainstorming, and feel happiest when working with research projects and papers. Though I am a bigger fan of writing realistic fiction, I do enjoy writing informational and argumentative pieces. Additionally, I am familiar with both MLA and APA citation forms and am confident in any part of the resumé building process.

Caden R.

Rank and Area of Study: Junior Digital Journalism B.A

Specialties: Outside of academic writing, I also have a specialization in journalism and media writing, specifically in AP (Associated Press) formatted writing. Another specialization I have is in media creation such as videography and graphic design. My work has been published in the Student Printz and non-profit websites.

Specialties in the Writing Center: I pride myself in my ability to organize thoughts into a linear idea. I specialize in AP and MLA formatting, but I also have familiarity with APA formatting as well.

Sarah Runnels

Rank and Area of Study: Graduate Student, English Literature

Specialties: Children's literature, Young Adult literature, queer and disability theory

Specialties in the Writing Center: When it comes to brainstorming, editing papers, giving helpful feedback, or just providing a supportive presence, I can certainly help. I very much enjoy reading undergraduate writing, and I look forward to working with you on your writing journey!