Welcome to the USU Writing Center!Freelance Editors

Please note: These directory lists editors who have expressed a desire to take on freelance editing work, and is provided for your convenience in finding an editor, should you need one. Any contract for work is between you and the editor, and the Writing Center does not accept any responsibility for the result of such contracts.
Charlene Hirschi charlenehirschi@yahoo.com 541.889.6226 Editing interests and experience: Book length fiction and non-fiction. Theses and dissertations. Memoirs, family and personal histories. Extensive work with non-native English speaking faculty and researchers. Thirty-five year business middle-management background. Charlene is the previous Director of the Utah State University Writing Center and lives in Ontario, OR. She graduated from USU with her BS in Professional Writing and an MS degree in theory and practice of writing. Her column “Regional Reads” appears in the Cache Magazine twice monthly. Past president of the League of Utah Writers, Charlene is personally acquainted with many Utah writers and publishers. She has reviewed for Prentiss Hall and other publishers. References and rates available on request.
Jacoba Mendelkow Jacoba Mendelkow is experienced as an editor in various genres of creative and academic writing. Her experience includes two years as a graduate editorial fellow for the academic journal Western American Literature as well as three years with the literary magazine Isotope: A Journal of Literary Nature and Science Writing. Additionally, her qualifications include positions such as an editorial consultant for electrical and computer engineering students, an instructor of freshman English courses, and a freelance editor for publications around the state of Utah. Please contact her at jacoba.mendelkow@usu.edu or via phone 435.757.0034.
Lezlie Park Lezlie Park has BS and MA degrees in Literary Studies. She worked as a Rhetoric Associate for two years and co-taught the tutor-training seminar during her second year. She worked for Georgetown University's Asian Studies Department as an editor for two years, and edited Korean Comfort Women of World War II by Dr. Bonnie Oh and Dr. Margaret Stetz. While working at Dongguk University in Seoul, she worked as an editor for the English Language Research Center. She haas done freelance editing work (including creative, academic and ESL texts) for faculty and private clients for over twelve years. She teaches academic and persuasive writing. Please contact her at lezlie.park@usu.edu.
David Christensen dm.christensen@usu.edu 435.890.8269 Editing experience: academic grant proposals, business documents (RFPs, proposals, financial and other reports, business and marketing plans and collateral), engineering documents (proposals, reports, design reviews), general proofing and comprehensive editing. David is a PhD student in professional communication researching the genre and social structures of academic grant proposals. Prior to his doctoral work, he obtained an MA in English (literature and writing) from USU and a BA in public relations from BYU. In addition to writing a freelance editorial column, David has been a successful entrepreneur and continues to work as an independent communication consultant. David also served for three years as Project Lead for the USU English Department’s online editing center working with senior design students in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department.
Sarah E. Velasquez Editing experience and interests: Theses, dissertations, scientific documents, business and technical documents, and fiction. Sarah is a first year master's student in the online Technical Writing program. She has a previous master's degree in agribusiness, and a strong scientific background. She has work experience in food engineering and currently works full time as a technical writer for a small agricultural organization. Sarah composes and edits documents spanning from manuals, to newsletters, to websites, and she is comfortable editing a large range of materials. She can be reached at s.e.velasquez@aggiemail.usu.edu.
Jason Cootey, M.S. Specialization: Software Design Documentation Previous topic experience: Psychology, Legal writing, Computer Science, Economics, and Audiology Editorial experience: seminar papers, theses, dissertations, publications, proposals, procedure documents, and design documents I earned both an English B.A. and Psychology B.A. from the University of Utah in 2001. I earned my English Masters degree from Utah State University in 2006. I am currently a third year doctoral student in the Theory and Practice of Professional Communication. My editorial experience not only references some of my own research work, but also refers to all the writing with which I have experience. jason.cootey@usu.edu
Daniel Nyikos Daniel Nyikos is a graduate student in Literature and Writing. He has experience with literary criticism, poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction of any length. Please contact him at daniel.nyikos@usu.edu.
Ron Shook ron.shook@usu.edu Has experience editing and writing manuals, proposals and environmental documents
David Thompson dpthompsonster@gmail.com Carrie Farmer carrieannfarmer@yahoo.com Carrie earned her B.S. in Professional and Technical Writing from USU in 2002. Since graduating, she has worked as a Technical Writer for a law firm in Las Vegas, a major online retailer, and an environmental remediation company. Carrie has just entered her third year at the Space Dynamics Laboratory, where she handles all of the documentation for the Calibration Unit. She is most recently involved in freelance editing for a professor in the Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who is preparing a number of articles for journal publication. She hopes to do more of this type of work, in addition to helping graduate students with their dissertations and theses.