Meet the Librarians: Part 2

Meet the Librarians is a two-part introduction to the staff at the School of Public Health Library and Graduate Communication Center. Part two features Zhiling “Willa” Wu, ESL training specialist II, Kelsey Koym, liaison librarian for the Texas Medical Center Library and the UTHealth School of Public Health Library, and Patricia Ann McEvoy-Jamil, academic writing specialist. Part one featured Lionel Santibáñez, senior scientific editor, and Angel Hooper, systems analyst II. 

Zhiling “Willa” Wu, ESL training specialist (training specialist II)

I am the ESL Training Specialist on the School of Public Health Writing Support Services (WSS) team, and have a PhD in Composition and TESOL. I mainly work with students who speak English as a second language through one-on-one writing consultations and ESL Conversation Group meetings. In one-on-one writing consultations, in particular, I help students revise their writing assignments, scholarship applications, personal statements, resumes, CVs, cover letters, theses and dissertations. I also offer mini-courses such as Grammar for Academic Writing and Academic Writing Style every year; and facilitate the weekly School of Public Health Thesis/Dissertation Writing Group meeting.

All these services are free and open for UTHealth School of Public Health students at Houston campus and regional campuses. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however, the services are currently mainly provided through phone or online via WebEx. Please keep in mind that even though writing can be hard, revision with guidance will make you a better writer. Visit the WSS LibGuide and take advantage of all the free library and writing services at the School of Public Health. I look forward to working with you!

Kelsey Koym, liaison librarian for the Texas Medical Center Library and the UTHealth School of Public Health Library

I am the Liaison Librarian for the Texas Medical Center (TMC) Library and the School of Public Health Library. I graduated from the University of North Texas with my Master’s in Library Science, and my role at the Libraries is to help users locate the resources and services that are shared between the two institutions. I look forward to working with students, faculty, and my colleagues in joint efforts to conduct research.

Moreover, I assist users with how to search databases, get access to electronic resources, or answer reference questions. I conduct literature searches for faculty and staff, though not for students at this time. I also provide search strategy help for systematic reviews for faculty and students in the fields of medicine and public health. As a School of Public Health student, users can also access the services and resources provided by the TMC Library. Consultations have been conducted primarily through WebEx or other web-meeting platforms, and I highly encourage those at the regional campuses to schedule consultations to take advantage of the Libraries’ services.

Patricia Ann McEvoy-Jamil, academic writing specialist

Because my official name, which is Patricia Ann McEvoy-Jamil, is quite long, I shortened it (unofficially) to Patricia Jamil. Most of my academic training and professional experience are in education. I earned the following academic degrees: a BA in Russian Studies from Edinboro State University, an MA in TESOL from Middlebury College, an MA in English (Harlem Renaissance) Literature from the University of Notre Dame de Namur, and an EdD in Multicultural Education (ESL/Linguistics) from the University of San Francisco. For over forty years, I have taught English and ESL at community colleges and universities. Joining the Writing Support Services (WSS) team has given me the chance to help the UTHealth School of Public Health students from all the campuses with their academic and career writing projects.

In my position of Academic Writing Specialist, I have been involved with assisting students in all aspects of the writing process, from brainstorming to revising. I currently meet with students by WebEx or telephone to discuss their writing and my suggestions for revising their documents. In addition to meeting with students individually for writing consultations, I have developed and taught a class on academic writing. I have also written and taught two grammar classes. All of my classes are offered as tutorials upon personal request. I recommend that students from all the campuses take the opportunity to meet with me about their writing as well as to use the writing resources available, especially the WSS LibGuide. My only aim is to help the UTHealth School of Public Health students achieve their academic writing goals. Working together on the students’ writing skills, we can build a bridge to their future.  I look forward to meeting with you soon!