• What is PWR? (movie). This movie, produced by the PWR Undergraduate Advisory Board, explains the PWR requirement from a student perspective.

• The Stanford University Program in Writing and Rhetoric (film). This longer film is also produced by the PWR Undergraduate Advisory Board. It provides a more in-depth examination of the Program in Writing and Rhetoric, including interviews with the Director of PWR, PWR instructors and UAB students.

Meryl Holt

Chair

Hello! I am a junior from Los Angeles, and I am serving as the 2007-2008 Chair of the PWR UAB.  My major is Public Policy, and I recently returned from a quarter at Stanford in Washington, where Iworked on foreign policy for Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR).   Myconcentration is in International Policy and National Security, and I am particularly interested in gender equality, democratic development,and human rights.   In addition to my work with the UAB, I am Co-President of Stanford Student's for Choice and Co-Director of National Fellowships for Stanford in Government.  As Chair of the UAB, I am committed to ensuring that PWR equips every Stanford student with the tools she or he needs for effective writing and research.

Delford Williams

Chair Emeritus

Hi, I'm currently a first year student in the J.D./M.B.A. program, and I served as Co-Chair of the board last year as a Senior. As an undergraduate at Stanford I was a psychology major and completed an Honors Thesis examining consumer product preferences. This year I will be continuing my involvement with the board as Chair Emeritus. During my previous time on the board I have been involved in a number of projects designed to improve the program.

Notably, I served as Director, Producer, and a cast member in two films about PWR: “What is PWR?” and “The Stanford University Program in Writing and Rhetoric.” I look forward to continuing my involvement with the board this year and helping to further improve Stanford’s exceptional Program in Writing and Rhetoric.

Kashmira Daryanani

Vice Chair

My name is Kashmira Daryanani and I was born and raised on the island of Curacao in the Caribbean.  I am currently a Junior at Stanford majoring in Economics and minoring in Communication.  In my free time I enjoy playing basketball, hanging out with friends, and travelling.  In the future, I hope to work at the forefront of the technology and global finance industry.  My passion for studying market trends and conducting product and brand analyses bloomed after I wrote an extensive research report in my PWR class, where I argued the need for Apple Computer to revise its marketing strategy.  As an energetic and enthusiastic individual, I hope to bring new, creative ideas to the board to ensure that my peers gain as much from the PWR program as I did.  Furthermore, as an international student, there are a number of things I would like to see the program do to improve the way it targets international students so I feel I can aid in this pursuit.

Stephanie Vezich

Director of Advertising

Hi, I'm Stephanie and I'm proud to serve as PWR UAB's Director of Advertising this year. I grew up in Orange County, California, and am currently a sophomore majoring in Psychology with plans to Co-term in Communication. Besides working for the UAB, I enjoy volunteering with the American Red Cross, working for the IT division of PWR, volunteering with the international English instruction program Learning Enterprises, and serving as a research assistant for the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab. I'm so excited to be a member of this board, and I hope we can be helpful for any and all of your PWR needs!

Maya Wolpert

Director of Communications

Maya Wolpert, Director of Communications, is a current sophomore majoring in Human Biology. She spent the summer doing AIDS relief and research in South Africa on a Haas African Service Fellowship, and works part-time as a research and administrative assistant at the Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics. In her free time, she loves being with her friends, throwing parties, cooking, and traveling. And, of course, helping to make PWR an enjoyable and valuable experience for undergrads!

Kate Powell

Director of Recruitment

My name is Kate Powell, and I hail from Los Altos, California.  I'm a sophomore majoring in History and minoring in Political Science or Arabic.  After I graduate, I hope to pursue a career in US foreign policy in the Middle East.  Beyond academics, I love to dance and am a member of Cardinal Ballet Company.  This is my first year with the UAB, and I'm extremely excited to be working with such a fantastic group of people.

Melissa Bishop

Hi! My name is Melissa and I'm an International Relations major and a Spanish Language minor. I am a junior, so I have already gone through the PWR1 and PWR2 programs. Also, I am an Oral Communication Tutor, so I still work with PWR2 classes to this day to help the students polish their presentations for class. I was abroad in Chile during the fall quarter, and am very excited to be back on campus and working with the PWR UAB again this winter.

Andy Dow

My name is Andy Dow and I am Junior majoring in Chemical Engineering.  I grew up in Connecticut but now live in sunny Irvine, California when not at Stanford.  An avid musician by hobby, I enjoy singing with the Stanford Chamber Chorale and with Side by Side, a community service group that performs for the elderly.  I also lead Stanford's chapter of IAESTE, which is an organization devoted to "developing global skills in tomorrow's technical leaders," primarily through a reciprocal internship exchange program.  My PWR 2 course on Cross-Cultural Rhetoric—in which we collaborated with students in Sweden via live webcasts—has provided a useful background in this endeavor.  In fact, my positive experiences with both PWR 1 and PWR 2 inspired me to join the UAB.  I look forward to working with my peers on the UAB to help build upon the strengths of the PWR program.

Lauren Hofmayer

My name is Lauren Hofmayer and I am a junior from Orinda, CA majoring in Psychology.  I am a varsity athlete on the Stanford Women’s Crew team and am also a member of the Stanford University Singers.  I like working on projects with other students and playing with children (especially at Bing Nursery School where I am currently assistant teaching). I also love traveling and studying in Spanish-speaking countries.  I’m really looking forward to working with the UAB to help make PWR a more applicable and fun requirement for undergrads. 

Jakki Martinez

My name is Jakki Martinez, and I was born and raised in Brownsville, TX, a border town with Mexico. I am a junior majoring in Biological Sciences, since I hope to enter the field of forensic biology. One day, I hope to become a medical examiner, or forensic pathologist. Forensic science is my absolute favorite topic in the whole world; I can't get enough of shows like "Forensic Files" and "Medical Detectives." Other passions and interests include dance, horror movies, sushi, and gender studies. I joined the UAB since PWR literally taught me how to write. Therefore, I want to make sure that all current and future PWR students have a similar positive experience. :-)

Amir Ravandoust

Hi, my name is Amir Ravandoust and I am a sophomore. I am studying Management Science and Engineering with a minor in International Relations. I spent the last summer working with the U.S. Department of States here in San Francisco. Currently, I work at the Hoover Institution’s Public Affairs Department. I’m also a member of the Stanford Rugby team and Stanford Speaker Bureau’s executive board. As a second language English speaker, I found PWR to be extremely helpful. Not only did it help me hone my writing skills, but it also allowed me to do research on a subject that I was interested in. As a member of the PWR UAB, I would be more than happy to answer your questions or discuss your concerns regarding the program.

Alex Selig

Alex Selig is a Senior at Stanford University studying Product Design. As an active member of the student body, Alex runs ASES (Asia-Pacific Student Entrepreneurship Society) and hopes to help foster a strong environment for entrepreneurship in the Asia Pacific. Alex also founded ( as a sophomore) the Product Design Student Association (PDSA) an organization formed to build the undergraduate Product Design community and now sits on its advisory board. Alex is also actively involved in peer mentoring freshmen and working on a few product concepts. As a world traveler, Alex hopes to explore the world's culture, politics, and economies. His last word: "Never forget that a small group of intelligent people with a common goal can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has..."

Amita Seshadri

Hi, my name is Amita Seshadri. I'm a Californian through and through, and currently in my junior year. Most of my interests and passions cross disciplines; although I am studying Electrical/Chemical Engineering, I love writing and literature, and am a writing tutor at the Hume Writing Center.

I decided to join the advisory board for two reasons: as a writing tutor I started seeing trends in they types of concerns and confusions that students had with PWR and its assignments, and personally, PWR completely revamped my writing style. I hope to take those insights and use them to help refine the PWR experience.

Antonia Sohns

Hi! My name is Antonia Sohns and I am a sophomore from Darien, Connecticut. I am an Earth Systems major and a studio arts minor. In addition to working with the PWR Undergraduate Advisory Board, I am on the Leadership Team of the Green Living Council and a drum in the LSJUMB. I hope to study abroad next year in either Madrid or with Stanford@SEA. I love hiking and waterskiing. I really enjoyed my PWR 1 class and am excited to work with my peers to make PWR programs stronger and more effective for future students.

Ben Tran

Hi , everyone!  I'm a Chemical Engineering junior hailing from Milpitas, California.  When I'm not in lab until the late hours of the night, you can usually find me out enjoying the California sun, running, hiking, or playing tennis.  I'm also involved in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and Stanford Environmental Consulting, and am a proud big sib in the Asian-American Sib Program.  This is my first year on the UAB and am excited to translate my awesome experience in PWR to helping improve the program for future students!

Joanna Tu

I am a sophomore originally from Los Altos, California (ten minutes south of Stanford), but I lived in Singapore for five years.  The experiences from these two different places make me enjoy a wide variety of things, such as the perfect California weather and the intense rainstorms in tropical Singapore, as well as the fresh berries and nectarines in California and the jackfruit and mangosteen in South-East Asia.  I have yet to declare a major, but it is probably going to be Human Biology with a possible minor or double major in Chinese Language.  Although I’m pre-med, I hope that my future career will allow me to travel and experience the world.  In addition to the UAB, I am a tour guide and am involved in the Bridge Peer Counseling Center and the co-ed community service fraternity, Alphi Phi Omega.  This is my first year on the UAB and I’m excited to see how the PWR program can be further improved.