What Brynnah Glas most enjoys about her positions as a professional consultant at the Writing Center and as a Teaching Assistant for the English Department is using her knowledge and expertise to support students in their learning and skill development. Glas is a graduate student seeking her master’s degree in the English Department, so she has first-hand experience of CLAS from several vantage points.
Glas says she appreciates the awesome communities she is part of at CU Denver, and the support she receives from her colleagues and supervisors. She credits her community with helping her overcome burnout. She deeply values what she has learned by working at CU Denver and is proud to embrace continued education, adding, “Stories, connection, and learning are some of the best parts of humanity and I am privileged to be surrounded by those things.”
Glas’s contributions to the community at CLAS have not gone unnoticed. Drew Bixby, Assistant Director of the Writing Center and Lecturer of English, revealed, “Brynnah has been with the Writing Center before, during, and now after our move to remote teaching and learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Brynnah benefitted from the tight, supportive community at the Writing Center, and students benefitted from Brynnah’s dedication and support during a difficult, confusing time. We are grateful for her and this partnership and know that the students she works with feel the same.”
Similarly, Miranda Egger, who is Glas’ supervisor and mentor — as well as Senior Instructor and Assistant Director of Composition in the English Department, explained, “Brynnah is dedicated to her students’ wellbeing, growth, and sense of belonging in this academic culture. She’s a young teacher, but already has a strong sense of what it takes to balance her high standards with providing students with the kind of support necessary to reach them.”
Brynnah Glas’ varied connections with CLAS and CU Denver – as a professional, teaching assistant, and graduate student – demonstrate how staff contribute to a culture that fosters and sustains learning and growth.
A welcome side benefit of the CLAS Staff Profile series is the chance to remind people about valuable programs and resources within or available to the college. A case in point is the Writing Center, which is a free service that supports students at all levels working on any type of writing and at any phase of the writing process. Professional Writing Consultants meet with students one-one-one or in small groups – online or in-person – to provide collaborative feedback, instruction, and discussion; visit classrooms to support faculty instruction via presentations; and host interactive workshops on a variety of topics for students across the curriculum.
CLAS Staff Council is pleased to feature a staff member each month in the Dean’s Notes. Staff are invited to be profiled by random selection and participation is voluntary. We encourage staff who would like to be profiled to reach out to us directly! If you are interested in sharing your story in a future edition of Dean’s Notes, email clas.staffcouncil@ucdenver.edu or Anne.Beard@ucdenver.edu.
