Meet Our Staff

Kimberly Abels, Director

learning_center@unc.edu, (919) 962-4426

Dr. Abels has led the student-centered, tech-savvy professional and student communities that comprise Carolina’s Writing and Learning Center for over twenty years. She collaborates with colleagues and campus partners to build Writing and Learning Center services and fosters environments where students imagine, discover, reflect, and stretch into new ideas and academic habits.

 

Julie Wilson, Assistant Director

wilsonjc@unc.edu

Julie supports and collaboratively assesses all Learning Center programs, while also providing academic coaching to students. She holds a BA from Oberlin College and an MA and PhD from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Education. She returns to UNC from Warren Wilson College in the NC mountains, where she ran a writing center, supported faculty to teach communication across the curriculum, and brought writing and learning center support into a college in prison program. Inspired by Paulo Freire and bell hooks, she approaches education as a fundamental human right.

 

 

Robin Horton, Peer Tutoring Specialist

robin_horton@unc.edu, (919) 962-7710

Robin has several years’ experience training peer tutors at North Carolina State University and UNC-Chapel Hill. Additionally, she has worked as a writing tutor, an academic coach, and a tutor mentor at UNC-CH’s Writing and Learning Center and at the College of William & Mary, her undergraduate institution. She has also taught a variety of college-level writing and literature courses and been a program assistant for MURAP at UNC-CH, a summer program that promotes diversity in higher education. Robin received her Ph.D. in English Literature from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2018 and her dissertation research focused on working-class poetry in nineteenth-century America. She lives in Chapel Hill with her husband Steven, daughter Ada, and son Graham.

 

Lara Edwards, Academic Coach, ADHD/LD Specialist

laraee@unc.edu, (919) 962-9350

Lara is a UNC alumna who has spent much of her career doing psychoeducational evaluations and counseling with students. She has worked with students across a variety of settings including in schools, learning centers, and private clinics. Most of the students with whom she has worked have had ADHD and/or learning differences, and Lara is excited to bring her prior knowledge and experience with her into her academic coaching at UNC. Lara’s goal is to support students on their academic journey and in achieving their goals. In her spare time, she enjoys art, photography, gardening, the beach, and spending time with her 3 teenage/young adult sons.

John Gill, Academic Coaching Specialist

jtgill@email.unc.edu, (919) 962-7710

Before joining the Learning Center, John was a professor of German Studies at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke University, where he taught German language, culture, and literature classes. He also completed his undergraduate studies at UNC in 2009, and received his Ph.D. from the Carolina-Duke Graduate Program in German Studies in 2020. He is excited to help students create and navigate their own unique path to success, and above all is just eager to support students in any way he can! In his free time, John enjoys doing long bike rides in the woods, or cruising around Carrboro and Chapel Hill on his cargo bike with his partner and their daughter.

 

Meg Orita, Academic Coaching Specialist

hmorita@unc.edu, (919) 843-4553

Meg is a proud two-time Tar Heel, having earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Musicology from UNC’s Department of Music. Prior to joining the Learning Center, Meg taught courses in the Music and Women’s & Gender Studies departments as a Senior Teaching Fellow. As an academic coach, Meg enjoys helping students achieve a sustainable school-life balance that optimizes positive learning outcomes while prioritizing student wellbeing. Meg especially likes working with students on time-management, test-taking, reading, and study strategies. Outside of work, Meg enjoys crafting, baking, and spending time with her dog, Star.

Ben Carpenter, Academic Coach, Chemistry Specialist

bcarpen@email.unc.edu, (919) 966-2143

Ben is a proud alum of the UNC Chemistry Department, having earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry. While working on his degree, Ben was heavily involved with the creation and implementation of the recitation component of CHEM 101 at UNC. He now leads chemistry support at the Learning Center, and he is passionate about working with students and is excited to be running CHEMpossible, which serves CHEM 101 and 102 students at Carolina. Ben enjoys spending time with his wife and high school sweetheart, Robyn, his son Elliot, and their four (yes four…) cats. Aside from his family and degree, Ben’s proudest achievement is that he made wearing mismatched Converse his signature look!

Robin Blanton, Academic Coach, Biology Specialist

rcb@email.unc.edu, (919) 962-8012

Robin’s background is in biological sciences and public health. She enjoys serving students as an academic coach and counselor.  She facilitates the learning group Bio Cell that serves students in the Biology 101 course. She also assists students as they prepare for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT). She is passionate about her three amazing children and wonderful husband.

Isaac Raj Waldstein, Academic Coach, Math-Physics Specialist

isaac14@email.unc.edu, (919) 843-6532

Isaac is an alum of the UNC Physics Department, where he earned his Ph.D. in physics. His dissertation was in two parts: Cosmology (focusing on dark matter in the early Universe) and gravitational physics (the mathematical description of gravity according to Albert Einstein’s theory of General Relativity). After defending, Isaac spent a wonderful year working at Duke and now he’s thrilled to be back at Carolina leading math and physics support at The Learning Center. He is excited to be running Math Plus, serving MATH 231 students, and Vectorious, which he created as a graduate student, serving PHYS 114/118 students. Isaac believes that math and physics are for everyone, and he enjoys helping students cultivate that belief within themselves. Away from the office, you can find Isaac at the beach or restaurant-hopping, watching basketball, exercising, spending time with his loved ones, and eating Ube-flavored ice cream until his mouth turns purple.

 

Robin Thady, Academic Coach, Biology Specialist

rthady@unc.edu, (919) 962-7710

Robin is a Virginia native and an alumna of William & Mary, where she studied biology and environmental science during undergrad and focused her master’s thesis on wildlife conservation (specifically birds!). She loves working with students and has previous roles as a high school science teacher in Atlanta and as a biology lab TA at William & Mary. She is enthusiastic about helping students find ways to connect with the material they learn in class and explore their interests. Outside of work, you might find her making a mess in the kitchen while baking, tackling a new sewing project, wandering in a thrift store, or hanging out with her cat, Maple.

 

 

Donovan Wright, Administrative Support Specialist

donwrigh@email.unc.edu, (919) 962-7710

Donovan provides logistical support to Writing and Learning Center coaches and staff on a daily basis. As the Administrative Support Specialist, Donovan will likely be the first face you see when you visit our location in SASB North. He is passionate about creating a welcoming and collaborative atmosphere for student success. Donovan comes to us from NC State but is excited to be a Tar Heel.

 

Sarah

Sarah is a PhD candidate in the Department of American Studies. Originally from the Gulf Coast, she researches how communities in that region memorialize hurricanes and conceptualize disaster. Prior to becoming a Graduate Learning Coach, Sarah served as a Southern Oral History Program Field Scholar and a graduate teaching assistant. She loves learning about people’s lives and experiences and supporting students as they navigate both challenges and achievements. Outside of work and research, Sarah enjoys crafting elaborate cardboard box Halloween costumes, reading horror novels, doting on her friends’ pets, and taking trips home to spend time with family.

Sierra

Sierra is a PhD candidate in the Department of Anthropology with a specialization in historical archaeology. Her research explores the human-plant relationships present in 17th- and 18th-century Tidewater Virginia and Maryland, emphasizing human ingenuity, well-being, and resilience. Prior to joining The Learning Center as a Peer Tutoring Graduate Assistant, Sierra served as the public outreach coordinator for UNC’s Research Labs of Archaeology and a graduate teaching assistant. Sierra received her B.A. in Anthropology and History from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2017, and earned her M.A. in Anthropology from UNC in 2020. In her spare time, Sierra enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her family.