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). - Allen Oakley - [ Read more about Allen ]
PhD, BEc (Hons), University of Adelaide. - Clare Rudkin - [ Read more about Clare ]
BSc Zoology, University of Sydney; MSc Applied Ethology, University of Queensland; PhD in field of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, University of Queensland; High Distinction in Professional Communication (WRIT 6030), University of Queensland. - Geoffrey Alan Foster - [ Read more about Geoff ]
PhD (IT) and DipCompSc, University of Queensland; BA and MA in Mechanical Sciences, Cambridge University. - Janelle Maree Dahler - [ Read more about Janelle ]
BSc (Hons I) (Botany), University of Queensland; Graduate Diploma of Library and Information Studies, Queensland University of Technology. - Janet Hussein - [ Read more about Janet ]
PhD Land Management University of Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K., MSc University of Stellenbosch, SA., Diploma in Proofreading & Editing, Australian College of Journalism, Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training, Certificate in University Teaching. - 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. - Terry Martin - [ Read more about Terry ]
BA (Monash), Grad. Dip. Adult and Further Ed. (U. of S.A), Grad. Dip. Multicultural Ed. (U. of New England).
Administration
 Angela Vinkcontact@betteredit.com |
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Fiona Marissa 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 TopAllen Oakley
PhD, BEc (Hons), University of Adelaide.
Allen's experience with writing and editing was integral to his 30 years as a university researcher and lecturer.
Although his particular discipline was Economics, most of his research and teaching extended into cognate fields. These included Economic Philosophy, Intellectual History, including the History of Economic Thought, and Business Finance.
His record as a published writer includes eight sole-authored books and one edited book, together with many articles contributed to academic journals and edited book collections.
Writing for many different academic publishers exposed Allen to a large range of very strictly applied editorial processes and standards, as well as to an equally large range of editors and proofreaders. Academic writing also demanded that he develop extensive referencing and indexing skills.
Writing and editing were part of the everyday routine for a university academic. Allen's work included the writing of conference papers, the writing and re-writing of his own lectures for a wide range of university courses in economics and related fields, and the writing of research grant applications.
A significant amount of his time was also spent dealing with the written work of others. This included the assessment of student essay writing and the supervision of students writing dissertations and theses up to and including PhD level.
Among the students with whom he worked were many whose first language was not English. This posed additional challenges and exposed Allen to the particular editorial requirements of this group of students.
In much of this day-to-day university work, there were particular editorial standards to which Allen was expected to conform. This served to broaden and compound the experience Allen had with the processes of editing as part of his research writing and publishing.
It was because Allen found all the editorial aspects of his research, writing, and teaching so interesting and challenging that he chose to take up editing as a part-time profession in retirement.
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Clare Rudkin
BSc Zoology, University of Sydney; MSc Applied Ethology, University of Queensland; PhD in field of Veterinary Science and Animal Production, University of Queensland; High Distinction in Professional Communication (WRIT 6030), University of Queensland.
Clare has worked on her own and others’ writing for the past 20 years. She teaches a wide variety of biological subjects at the University of Queensland, working together with students at the tutorial level. She sets and marks assignments and exams and is familiar with students’ difficulties. Many of her students are from non-English speaking backgrounds and she is familiar with their forms of English.
Writing is an important part of her studies. She has written two theses and two large scientific reports as well as many scientific papers for journals and conferences. Two scientific papers are in the pipeline, one on her own work in the area of animal production, and the other as a coauthor in the area of veterinary medical science. Her own specialization is in the field of Applied Ethology, in particular the interphase between animals and humans. She is familiar with the use of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) and Excel spread sheets and graphing programs. Her experience in teaching a wide variety of biological subjects gives her familiarity with many areas.
Clare has completed a course in professional communication, enhancing her expertise in writing, proofreading, and style editing. While editing, Clare corrects mistakes in spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Where necessary, she reconstructs sentences into idiomatic English while being careful to retain the original meaning. She edits undergraduate essays, post graduate theses, and academic papers.
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Geoffrey Alan Foster
PhD (IT) and DipCompSc, University of Queensland; BA and MA in Mechanical Sciences, Cambridge University.
Geoff has been a lecturer in Mechanical Engineering, University of Queensland, and also at the Tertiary Education Institute, University of Queensland. After retiring in 1995 he worked as a freelance editor until starting PhD studies in 2001.
He worked in the field of aero-engines at Rolls-Royce, Ltd, in the UK. He lectured mainly in thermodynamics and related fields, but has a general acquaintance with other areas of mechanical engineering. He has had an interest in computer-mediated education and has written papers in this field; he has also published in other areas of higher education theory and practice.
Geoff has a general interest in computers and information technology and has just been awarded a PhD in information technology (on the topic of help systems in Microsoft Word).
He has edited books in ecology, psychology and education (amongst other areas), and papers and theses in a variety of fields. He edited and contributed to a house journal at the Tertiary Education Institute and has compiled and written handbooks and collections of seminars. He is familiar with computer based bibliographic tools (EndNote, Bookends) and competent in the use of library research databases as well as the broader Internet.
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Janelle Maree Dahler
BSc (Hons I) (Botany), University of Queensland; Graduate Diploma of Library and Information Studies, Queensland University of Technology.
Janelle has extensive experience through her academic studies and years of employment in the horticultural field. Professional writing and editing of both formal and industry materials have been central components of her academic and work history.
Janelle holds a Bachelor degree (Hons I) from the University of Queensland, with a major in Plant Physiology. She also holds a postgraduate degree in Library and Information Studies from the Queensland University of Technology. She has been a scientific researcher in the field of postharvest plant physiology and has also been employed as an information extension officer, supplying information services to researchers, government staff and members of the horticulture industry. Her experience includes the publication of numerous papers in scientific and industry journals. She has edited a range of manuscript types across a number of professional fields.
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Janet Hussein
PhD Land Management University of Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K., MSc University of Stellenbosch, SA., Diploma in Proofreading & Editing, Australian College of Journalism, Certificate IV in Assessment & Workplace Training, Certificate in University Teaching.
Janet is a Research Fellow at Griffith University and has twenty years of academic experience in the environmental science field, working in U.K., Africa and Australia. Apart from research work, Janet has been involved with lecturing and distance education for many years and has written and edited teaching materials, journal papers, books and conference proceedings. Her work as editor of a small science journal for a number of years, saw her dealing with a wide range of material ranging from infectious diseases to the role of women in science. She is an advocate of open-access archiving which allows world-wide access to research material, particularly important for those researchers working under difficult conditions in developing countries. She is a trustee of the Electronic Publishing Trust for Development (www.epublishingtrust.org) and has been a guest editor for INASP (www.inasp.info) which is an interdisciplinary body of the International Council for Science (ICSU). Janet has worked with students and staff from many different cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds and enjoys helping them to achieve the best possible outcome for their written material.
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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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Terry Martin
BA (Monash), Grad. Dip. Adult and Further Ed. (U. of S.A), Grad. Dip. Multicultural Ed. (U. of New England).
After studying for a BA at Monash University, Melbourne, from 1966 to 1968, Terry completed a Graduate Diploma in Adult and Further Education at the University of South Australia in 1987, followed by a Graduate Diploma in Multicultural Studies at the University of New England, NSW, in 1990. His focus was on language teaching methodology and the psychology of adult learning.
Terry has travelled extensively, living out of Australia for almost half of his adult life in Europe, Asia, North America, Africa and the Pacific Islands. During all this time he developed his love of languages (he speaks four competently). He had periods of teaching English as a second language in Germany, Japan and Australia, including four years in Migrant Education in South Australia and seven years at ELICOS, in the University of Queensland, largely teaching English For Academic Purposes.
Terry published his only book, Wood Dreaming, in 1995 and is working on his second book now. He continues to write on art-related topics for various international magazines. For seven years he was Editor-in-Chief of the US quarterly journal, Turning Points, and is a Contributing Editor to other American journals.
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