About the Cooper Center

Located on the first floor of the Cochrane-Woods Library, the Cooper Foundation Center for Academic Resources is staffed by highly trained peer writing consultants who were selected for their outstanding academic work. We are eager to help clients improve academic performance. Many of our peer consultants have taken the classes you’re in now; so, they can speak from direct experience about a professor’s expectations and preferences.

The Cooper Center also houses all tutoring on campus to increase student performance and retention. Our Cooper Tutors provide individual and small group, out-of-class, peer-facilitated sessions.

We use two online scheduling systems—one for writing consultations with our Cooper Center writing consultants, WC Online, and the other, Tutor Matching Service, for tutoring appointments with a Cooper Tutor. You can access both sites by clicking on the appointment buttons and making an account.

Melissa Hamilton Hayes, Ph.D. is the director of the Cooper Center at Nebraska Wesleyan University. The Cooper Center serves as both a writing and academic resource center on campus. As director, she directly trains and supervises the students that work in the writing center and those who tutor within various disciplines. She also runs the day to day operations and manages the mission, vision, and outreach of the Cooper Center.

Dr. Hayes has specialties in 20th century American literature and rhetoric and composition, with an interest in women writers, spirituality and memoir. She teaches the Archway Seminar, Identity: Exploration and Discovery, and Masterpieces of Literature. As a certified yoga instructor, she also teaches Yoga I: Theory and Practice for the HHP Department.

When she is not on campus, she loves kayaking, hiking, sewing, reading, hanging out with her kids, and walking with her rescue dog, Penny.

She is a proud Virginian who strongly identifies with her Mid-Atlantic roots growing up on the Chesapeake Bay. However, she loves living in the Midwest and appreciates the beauty of the prairie.

Tracy Ensor is the assistant director of the Cooper Center at Nebraska Wesleyan University. She trains and supervises both writing and discipline-specific tutors, assists in day-to-day operations and manages the website and social media accounts for the Cooper Center.

Tracy has as master's degree in Applied Science, and specializes in science communication and educational outreach. She also has a background in experiential learning, facilitation and program management. When not on campus, she enjoys outdoor adventures and board games with her family.