English Professor Peshe Kuriloff plans to leave the University's writing program after 15 years to write a book and do consulting. After 15 years as director of the Writing Across the University Program, English Professor Peshe Kuriloff is stepping down as head of the University-wide program. Kuriloff, who took over the "fledgling" WATU program in 1983, said the responsibility of overseeing the initiative distracted her from pursuing other interests. WATU sponsors a number of the seminars used to satisfy the writing requirements in the undergraduate schools. It recently grew to encompass residential-based and 24-hour electronic writing advising as part of the student-run Wheel program, which aims to provide academic support services in dormitories. "It is time to move on," she said. "As the program has become more complicated and more and more demanding, I've had less time to do my own writing." With more time to pursue her own interests, Kuriloff -- who is very active in local Democratic party politics -- said she plans to do "a fair amount of work" as a freelance consultant for public officials and businesses. She also plans to work on a new book on women in politics. But Kuriloff stressed that she will stay affiliated the University, where her husband, Peter Kuriloff, is a professor in the Graduate School of Education. She plans to continue to teach a class intended to train student writing advisers. Kuriloff said she was pleased with WATU's growth, noting its tenfold budget increase since 1983. She praised WATU as a "successful model of how different departments and different schools can cooperate" and predicts a "very bright" future for the program. The University began a "national search" for her replacement this week, including running an advertisement in Almanac, Kuriloff said. She officially leaves office in June. Kuriloff has authored numerous academic essays and is a frequently contributor to The Philadelphia Inquirer. She has written one textbook, Rethinking Writing, published in 1989. English Professor Al Filreis, the director of the University's Writing Program -- which includes WATU and the English Writing Program -- praised Kuriloff's long service with WATU. "She's been one of the most innovative people here at Penn," he said, adding that the program has benefited both the undergraduate advisees and the graduate students who receive teacher training to work with undergraduates. Filreis and Kuriloff have applied jointly for a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to create "electronically-based collaborative writing groups" at the University. Filreis said participating students would bring regular coursework for evaluation in non-credit writing seminars conducted in small groups and over e-mail. A decision on the funding request is expected within two weeks.
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