The Graduate Services at Sweetland are continually evolving to better serve our communities both at U-M and beyond. As part of this growth, we’ve expanded our team by hiring several talented graduate students from around the University to contribute to our work. This initiative reflects our commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for graduate students—recognizing their important contributions while providing opportunities for professional development. These new team members bring diverse perspectives and expertise, further enriching the services we offer and strengthening our student support.
In partnership with LSA’a Transfer Bridges to the Humanities program (which strives to increase college access, promote a liberal arts education, and connect transfer students to appropriate campus resources with a firm commitment to those who are underrepresented at the University), we’ve hired five graduate students to provide writing support to undergraduate students at three Michigan community colleges: Grand Rapids Community College, Henry Ford College, and Schoolcraft College. We’re excited to introduce these exceptional new team members:
Luci Cook (Grand Rapids) is a doctoral candidate in Germanic Languages and Literatures. Luci has extensive experience teaching at U-M and serving as an editor for several journals. She is also a Sweetland Graduate Fellow for Winter 2025.
Joshua Schulze (Henry Ford) is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Film, Television, and Media (FTVM). Josh has taught undergraduate courses in both English and FTVM and was a Sweetland Graduate Fellow for Winter 2023.
Varun Srinivasan (Grand Rapids) is a master’s student in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He has a strong background in writing instruction and a passion for supporting ESL learners and fostering student growth.
Sabrina Sugg (Schoolcraft) is completing an Accelerated Master’s Program in the School for Environment and Sustainability. She also works as a high school substitute teacher at Divine Child High School in Dearborn.
Katherine (Kit) Taylor (Schoolcraft) is a graduate student in the School of Social Work. With two years of teaching experience after graduating from Hamilton College, Kit is excited to apply what she has learned working with children and young adults.
In collaboration with the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education (which offers programs that prepare students for leadership in shaping the future of higher education, advancing the role of higher education in supporting the public good, and improving instructional practice), we’ve also hired Autumn Cole, a master’s student in International Higher Education. Autumn is responsible for assessing whether transfer courses satisfy the university’s expectations to meet the first-year writing requirement at U-M. (Learn more about Autumn’s work.)
Through our partnership with the Rackham Graduate School we have hired Farida Bibi Mughal, a doctoral student in Nursing. Farida oversees operations for the Dissertation ECoach, an interactive digital messaging tool that assists graduate students transitioning from coursework to dissertation writing. Farida ensures that all messages are timely delivered to enrolled students, sends emails that address issues that arise in real-time, and moderates the platform’s Discord channel. She also collaborates with Sweetland’s Director to maintain partnerships with the Center for Academic Innovation at U-M.
Sweetland is proud to collaborate with graduate students whose expertise and dedication strengthen our ability to support both undergraduate and graduate learners. Their work extends Sweetland’s reach, enhances our programs, and helps us better serve the diverse needs of U-M students and the broader community. We look forward to seeing the impact of their efforts in the months ahead.
