Meet Our Editors
BetterEdit draws on a network of tertiary-qualified and industry-experienced editors, writers and other skilled individuals. Each editor is carefully tested during a hiring process.
Editors
- Alexa Grunner - [ Read more about Alexa ]
BA (UQ), DipEd (UQ), MA (Bond). - Amy Gralewski - [ Read more about Amy ]
BA, English, University of Illinois; MA, Counseling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology. - Bonnie Mancini - [ Read more about Bonnie ]
BA International Journalism, Biola University; Perpetual Member, Torrey Honors Institute, Biola University; Semester abroad in Cairo, Egypt through the Council for Christian Colleges and University's Middle East Studies Program. - Cherry Russell - [ Read more about Cherry ]
BA, Indonesian and Malayan Studies (First Class Honours), University of Sydney; PhD, Social Anthropology, University of Sydney. - Craig Moore - [ Read more about Craig ]
PhD, Geochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, U.S.; MS, Geology, University of Akron, U.S.; BS, Geology, University of Akron, U.S. - Eric Reeder - [ Read more about Eric ]
Bachelor of Arts - English - Western Carolina University, Master of School Administration - University of North Carolina at Greensboro. - Jennie Townsend - [ Read more about Jennie ]
BA (with distinction) Cross-Cultural Communications, Mary Baldwin College; American International University in London; Graduate Diploma International Trade Law, American University of Paris; Certificate, Graduate Center for Intercultural Studies, Georgetown University. - Kelle Aspinall - [ Read more about Kelle ]
MArch, Architecture, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban South Africa; BArch (hons), Architecture, University of Auckland, NZ; GradDipTchg, Visual Arts, Graphics, Art History, Massey University, NZ. - Keith McLennan - [ Read more about Keith ]
BA (First Class Honours in English Literature; Modern History, French), University of Sydney, MA (First Class Honours in English Literature, University Medal), University of Sydney. - Lauren Methena - [ Read more about Lauren ]
B.A., English Literature (minors: Music and French), Randolph-Macon Woman's College; Junior Year Abroad at University of Reading, England. - Liz Johns - [ Read more about Liz ]
ISTQB, Software Testing Accreditation, Australia New Zealand Testing Board; Adobe InDesign, NatColl, Wellington; MA, Information System, University of Brighton, U.K.; BS, Accounting and Business Finance, Portsmouth Polytechnic, U.K. - Maggie Lyons - [ Read more about Maggie ]
BA, French (German and music minors; University of Wales); MA, Public Communication (American University, Washington DC). - Mendi Blue - [ Read more about Mendi ]
A graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School. - Peter Stephan - [ Read more about Peter ]
PhD, American Studies, University of New Mexico; MA, English and History, North Texas State University; BS, Electrical Engineering, Southern Methodist University. - Philip Michael Brown - [ Read more about Philip ]
PhD, Molecular Biology, University of Southampton, U.K.; BSc, Biochemistry with Pharmacology, University of Southampton, U.K.; MBA, Oxford Brookes University, U.K.
Head Administrator
Fiona Marissa, CPA Support and Admin Staff
 Joyce May contact@betteredit.com |
 Susan contact@betteredit.com |
Editor Profiles
Alexa Grunner
BA (UQ), DipEd (UQ), MA (Bond)
Alexa's love of language began with teaching German, French and English for four years at high school, followed by 16 years' teaching English as a Second Language to Bond University students, as well as privately. While at Bond, Alexa
taught Academic English, using a communicative task-based philosophy of language learning. Alexa's Applied Linguistics courses consisted of teaching linguistics, computer-enhanced language learning, language testing, and her responsibilities included theses supervision and examination as well as language teacher training. Naturally, writing is a large part of academic work, especially as Alexa was constantly developing new teaching materials and course outlines.
Proofreading and editing essays, reports and theses also became an ever-growing responsibility and interest for Alexa, so after her semi-retirement in 2001, she continued to work as an editor of student work. Alexa is fascinated by the vast array of topics she encounters and enjoys working with students from all nationalities.
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Back to TopAmy Gralewski
BA, English, University of Illinois; MA, Counseling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology
Amy is a seasoned technical writer and editor, having worked for over a decade in the information technology, communications, and healthcare industries. She has written and edited numerous types of user documentation, and is an expert in MS Word. In addition, Amy is the Director of PR and Marketing for a skydiving center in Wisconsin. In this capacity, she has extensive experience creating marketing materials and managing social media.
In addition, she has been editing doctoral dissertations for students in the fields of psychology, education, and business for the last few years. She enjoys working with different students and learning about new subjects.
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Amy was lucky enough to be able to travel to Europe during her high school years—twice! She had amazing experiences on her trips to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Because she loves SCUBA diving, Amy is partial to visiting the Caribbean. Her travel wish list includes going to Africa for safari and visiting the Galapagos Islands. As far as her travels in the USA, the most amazing place Amy has visited is Alaska where she had the opportunity to skydive into the middle of a glacier! Amy especially likes traveling out West to Moab, Utah, and to Colorado—where she gets to ski! Amy's exposure to Spanish in high school and college has opened up her interest in learning more about the Spanish language. ¡Qué bién Amy!
Bonnie Mancini
BA International Journalism, Biola University; Perpetual Member, Torrey Honors Institute, Biola University; Semester abroad in Cairo, Egypt through the Council for Christian Colleges and University's Middle East Studies Program.
A rigorous classical course of study at Biola University's Torrey Honors Institute taught Bonnie the basics of how to read well, think well, and write well. Helping writers express their stellar ideas in stellar words is her passion. She is equally acquainted with academic papers and journalistic pieces.
In pursuit of her degree in International Journalism, Bonnie spent a semester abroad in Cairo studying Arabic and Middle Eastern culture. This, combined with extensive travel in the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, fuels her understanding of intercultural communication and adjustment. She is currently polishing up her knowledge of Spanish language and Latin American culture through involvement with her children's dual immersion school.
Bonnie is engaged in paid and volunteer editing work that includes trade magazine articles, an arts blog, training manuals, and newsletters. She also writes occasional newsletter articles and website content.
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Cherry Russell
BA, Indonesian and Malayan Studies (First Class Honours), University of Sydney; PhD, Social Anthropology, University of Sydney
Cherry is a retired professor with more than 30 years' experience teaching undergraduate and postgraduate coursework
and research students. She is also a researcher in her own right, having published two books (The aging experience and Where it hurts: An introduction to sociology for health workers), six research monographs and 40 scholarly papers in
journals and books.
She has supervised 16 research students to successful completion of their theses (PhD, Master) and subsequent publication of their work. For some years she ran a series of workshops on 'Writing for Publication' at the invitation of the Faculty of Nursing, University of Sydney. As part of her extensive involvement in public sector committees, government advisory bodies and community groups, she has also written numerous reports for non-academic audiences.
Cherry's early love was languages. She studied European and Asian languages and linguistics for her undergraduate degree, then worked for several years as an editor for commercial publications. After completing a PhD in social science, she embarked on her academic career in the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney where she taught health sociology, gerontology and qualitative research methods.
Since her retirement Cherry has continued to work as a freelance editor. She is highly experienced in guiding students for whom English is a second language to improve the accuracy and clarity of their written work.
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Craig Moore
PhD, Geochemistry, Indiana University, Bloomington, U.S.; MS, Geology, University of Akron, U.S.; BS, Geology, University of Akron, U.S.
Craig's career in the geological sciences has included stints as an exploration geologist (precious and base metals) in the continental US, Alaska, Brazil, and South America; as a field geologist for the Indiana Geological Survey; as an independent contractor performing computer simulations for major oil companies; and as the director of the stable isotope research facility at Indiana University, Bloomington. Craig was the Energy Industry guide for About.com and has written scripts for two audio books - one on wine and one on oil. He has coauthored a number of articles published in scientific journals and several that appear as chapters in books.
Craig has presented talks at many national and international meetings and at several universities. He has edited a number of journal articles, extended abstracts, and dissertations that were written by students and professionals whose native language is not English.
Craig is an avid reader of classic science fiction novels, an accomplished cook, and is currently establishing an experimental vineyard at his home in Indiana. He loves to travel and has traveled throughout the United States and in over 20 countries-usually far from the typical tourist areas.
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Eric Reeder
Bachelor of Arts - English - Western Carolina University, Master of School Administration - University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Eric has been involved in the field of English for over 12 years, formerly as an educator for 10 years and now a full-time editor and proofreader. He enjoys editing all sorts of texts, from academic writing in the field of sociology to science fiction short stories. He is interested in a wide variety of topics and enjoys helping clients improve their written work.
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Jennie Townsend
BA (with distinction) Cross-Cultural Communications, Mary Baldwin College; American International University
in London; Graduate Diploma International Trade Law, American University of Paris; Certificate, Graduate
Center for Intercultural Studies, Georgetown University.
Jennie has contagious enthusiasm and expertise developed through a lifetime of global experience as an expatriate. Australian by birth, European by education and American by nationality, Jennie earned her credentials by living, learning and working in Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, Australia and North America. She brings this wealth of knowledge and experience to bear on her editing work.
Jennie's specialty in cross-cultural communications allows her to work with people of diverse backgrounds and variations of English skills and she has the innate ability to form win-win situations with people, leading to enhanced writing products. Her first writing accolade was winning a national writing competition in Australia when she was eleven years old, and she continues to write hoping one day to produce the "great published novel".
Serving on the board of the Middle East Council of American Chambers of Commerce (MECACC) in various capacities and currently as a member of the US Advisory Board, Jennie founded, edited and published the organization's quarterly journal, The Gulf View. She also served on the board of the American Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates in various capacities.
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Kelle Aspinall
MArch, Architecture, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban South Africa; BArch (hons), Architecture, University of Auckland, NZ; GradDipTchg, Visual Arts, Graphics, Art History, Massey University, NZ.
Kelle is a full time freelance editor/proofreader. She has worked and studied in several disciplines, enabling her to comfortably proofread and edit documents in a wide range of fields.
Kelle has taught in the fields of architecture, visual arts, graphics and art history. She has published articles in architecture and has attended and contributed to numerous conferences around the world.
After graduating, Kelle worked as an architect for 7 years in various practices both in New Zealand and Australia. In 1994 she decided to finally embark on her 'big OE', which landed her in Durban, South Africa, working as a tutor in architecture at the School of Architecture, University of KwaZulu Natal. She later finished her travels around Africa, Europe and Ireland to return to Durban in 1996 to take a full time lecturing position. She held this post for 10 years before she decided to return home to New Zealand in 2005. She has since had a varied career in tertiary education, tutoring in architecture, visual arts, art history and graphics, and has enjoyed a short time working as a co-ordinator of tertiary students' studies.
These days, Kelle focuses mainly on proofreading and editing as she has developed a passion for this role. She feels she is making a difference by helping others attain a higher standard in their academic writing by sharing her experience and skills with others. She says it is very satisfying and rewarding to be able to help other writers who have great ideas and sound research but struggle to be able to express themselves effectively in an academic style. Kelle says, "I really enjoy transforming a sentence from a group of confusing words that are struggling to be heard into a sentence that flows, and is efficient and effective."
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Keith McLennan
BA (First Class Honours in English Literature; Modern History, French), University of Sydney, MA (First Class Honours in English Literature, University Medal), University of Sydney
Having taught English literature for ten years in the universities of Sydney and NSW, Keith is well acquainted with both the major writers in English and the needs of students generally. He is particularly well acquainted with political and military history, modern German history, and art.
Keith has edited several company annual reports and two PhD theses, one on Japanese craft and the other on Taiwan art history in the twentieth century. He has also worked on business documents for Chinese companies, e.g. the California Gardens real estate development in Beijing and the Baoshan industrial district in Shanghai. In April 2004 Keith published an article on a Sydney Holocaust survivor ("Walking among the Shadows") in the Sydney Morning Herald.
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Lauren Methena
B.A., English Literature (minors: Music and French), Randolph-Macon Woman's College; Junior Year Abroad at the University of Reading, England.
Lauren is "A Writer Who Knows How to Sell." Her areas of expertise are in selling and marketing through powerful, persuasive copy.
Lauren also has extensive print and web journalism experience, going all the way back to her high school days. She keeps
her formal writing skills sharp by taking on feature articles for local websites in her home base. Lauren takes on diverse
writing assignments, including editing and proofreading books and helping individuals in job transition write and improve their cover letters and resumes.
One of Lauren's talents is being able to take complex topics and make them easily readable and understandable to a general audience. Her fields of expertise and research skills expanded greatly while working for a corporate training and publishing company where she booked speakers for a wide variety of training topics that ran the gamut from OSHA safety training to HR and leadership. Once she booked the speakers, she also edited and collaborated with them on writing their marketing copy, often becoming familiar with the topic while learning on the fly. Lauren's unique selling point is her ability to get up to speed rapidly.
What's more, having traveled and studied abroad in Europe and Canada and having a diverse group of friends from around the world, Lauren has an inclusive, global outlook on communication.
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Liz Johns
ISTQB, Software Testing Accreditation, Australia New Zealand Testing Board; Adobe InDesign, NatColl, Wellington; MA, Information System, University of Brighton, U.K.; BS, Accounting and Business Finance, Portsmouth Polytechnic, U.K.
Liz has a bachelor's degree in Accountancy and Finance and a master's degree in Information Systems. Since then, she has been primarily working in the IT software industry with a focus on systems testing and technical writing. Part of her work
involves writing technical documentation for users with the goal of translating technical information into clear, unambiguous writing. From this experience Liz found that she had an aptitude for such work and, more importantly, enjoyed it. With this in mind, she decided a few years ago to spend part of her working life as an editor and began freelancing for various clients doing academic editing, fiction editing, and copy writing. She continues to receive positive feedback and repeat work. Her subject knowledge covers IT, business, the social sciences and the arts. In addition to IT work and editing, she designs and edits newsletters and brochures on a voluntary basis for an American animal rescue society. Outside of work, her time is taken up with her small menagerie of animals including alpacas, sheep, cats, dogs, chooks and parrots.
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Maggie Lyons
BA, French (German and music minors; University of Wales); MA, Public Communication (American University, Washington DC)
Maggie has more than thirty years of experience as an editor and writer of academic documents, business materials, and fiction. She has served as a marketing and public relations executive and fundraiser for cultural and academic organizations including Oxford University; as a developmental editor for the academic electronic publisher The Teaching Company; as a copyeditor for publishers Palgrave, Continuum, and Simon & Schuster; as a music teacher; and as an English teacher in a French high school. As an academic editor, she has worked with disciplines ranging from geology to advertising theory and from political theory to classical music, and has several years of experience as an ESL editor. She is conversant with both American and British English editorial styles. She is also the author of fiction and nonfiction for children.
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Maggie was born and raised in the UK. She now lives in Virginia in the USA. Maggie has enjoyed her travels in Europe (including Romania), Ethiopia, Mexico, and many states in the USA. Maggie loves French bouillabaisse, Thai coconut chicken soup, and Mexican margaritas. She enjoys exploring the hillside villages of Provence; the gardens of Charleston, South Carolina; and the desert around Tucson—among a million other things. Maggie Lyons—keeping the spark of discovery in her life alive!
Mendi Blue
A graduate of Harvard College, Harvard Law School and Harvard Business School, Mendi has significant experience with academic writing. In addition, she has served as a university admissions advisor and career counselor for more than 5 years. In these roles, Mendi has done extensive editing of admissions essays, personal statements, cover letters and resumes. Having been employed in both the public and private sectors, including work in financial services, information technology, management consulting and legal services, Mendi is experienced in writing for business, technical and legal audiences. Mendi is also a former editor of an online finance portal, published poet and winner of several literary awards
for creative writing. As a university instructor in management and finance, Mendi is knowledgeable about working with adult learners and greatly enjoys helping students and professionals improve their written communication.
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Peter Stephan
PhD, American Studies, University of New Mexico; MA, English and History, North Texas State University; BS, Electrical Engineering, Southern Methodist University
Pete is a retired English professor and technical writer-editor. His varied educational background has enabled him to work comfortably with documents in a variety of fields.
In the academic world, Pete has taught literature, technical writing, composition, and computer documentation. He has published articles and has given presentations at professional society meetings.
In the world of work, Pete has worked for government contractors to the Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Land Management. He has edited environmental impact statements and assessments. He has developed online documentation and edited extensive reports for human exposure studies. And he has written user guides and other documentation for custom-developed software.
As an independent consultant, Pete has taught seminars in technical writing, business writing, and grammar both in government agencies and in industry. He received recognition from the Society for Technical Communication for a maintenance and operation manual he wrote for a complex equipment installation.
As a freelance editor, he has edited term papers and reports, theses and dissertations, journal articles and book chapters in architecture, business, education, and social sciences. He has also edited short fiction and novels. Pete’s goal in editing other people’s documents is simple: He wants the author to be able look at the edited document and say, "Yes! That’s just what I wanted to say."
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Philip Michael Brown
PhD, Molecular Biology, University of Southampton, U.K.; BSc, Biochemistry with Pharmacology, University of Southampton, U.K.; MBA, Oxford Brookes University, U.K.
As well as a strong scientific background Philip has over 12 years experience in healthcare, working in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry. Throughout his career he has published a number of academic research papers and commercially based articles. He has also co-authored an undergraduate text book and several book chapters. Philip has also recently been editing articles for peer reviewed journals.
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