Meet The Coaches of
Team Write The Damn Dissertation
Click on one of the photos below to know more about the coach.
Meet The Coaches of
Team Write The Damn Dissertation

Dr. Amy Boyd
Founder and CEO of Write The Damn Dissertation
Coach, Motivational Speaker, Podcast Host
about Amy

Dr. Amy Boyd
Founder and CEO of Write The Damn Dissertation
Coach, Motivational Speaker, Podcast Host
about Amy
Dr. Tara Sievers-Hunt
Director of Mentorship; WTDD Coach
about Tara
Following the closing of the Detroit liberal arts college where she was a professor and the passing of her father, Tara’s progress on her dissertation had come to a complete stand-still. As she entered the Stuck to Unstoppable program in January 2020, Tara was ashamed to admit that she had been in the drift for nearly three years. She not only questioned her ability to finish the dissertation, but her right to do so. Through her work with Dr. Amy, Tara learned how her perfectionism was creating the anxiety, avoidance, and hopelessness that was keeping her from Phinishing. She established a new “Why” for completing the dissertation and learned how to manage her Inner Jury, which had been cruelly and unfairly passing judgment on her efforts. Over time, she came to embrace the discomfort and uncertainty that comes with personal transformation. Then, working Pom by Pom, she submitted her proposal, her chapters, her edits over the next 18 months. Finally, with the insights of the S2U curriculum and the support of her S2U sisterhood, Tara not only became Dr. Tara in August 2021–but her dissertation study was later awarded the 2021 Outstanding Dissertation Award by her institution, Oakland University.
In her work with the WTDD community, Dr. Tara employs a conversational and collaborative approach to coaching. She loves to help members find a stronger writer-researcher identity and improve their self-accountability through a renewed sense of agency within and passion for their area of inquiry. She encourages her 1:1 clients to develop mindsets, fashion work habits, and set goals that go beyond the limiting beliefs of “should'' so they may enter into more authentic, empowering ways of Being. With qualitative researchers, Tara strives to help them to embrace the messy, iterative journey that comes with exploring their unique lens as a researcher and the emergent nature of storied data analysis. Dr. Tara can help you untangle the knots keeping you in the drift and get you back on your journey to “Dr. You”.


Dr. Tara Sievers-Hunt
Director of Mentorship; WTDD Coach
about Tara
Following the closing of the Detroit liberal arts college where she was a professor and the passing of her father, Tara’s progress on her dissertation had come to a complete stand-still. As she entered the Stuck to Unstoppable program in January 2020, Tara was ashamed to admit that she had been in the drift for nearly three years. She not only questioned her ability to finish the dissertation, but her right to do so. Through her work with Dr. Amy, Tara learned how her perfectionism was creating the anxiety, avoidance, and hopelessness that was keeping her from Phinishing. She established a new “Why” for completing the dissertation and learned how to manage her Inner Jury, which had been cruelly and unfairly passing judgment on her efforts. Over time, she came to embrace the discomfort and uncertainty that comes with personal transformation. Then, working Pom by Pom, she submitted her proposal, her chapters, her edits over the next 18 months. Finally, with the insights of the S2U curriculum and the support of her S2U sisterhood, Tara not only became Dr. Tara in August 2021–but her dissertation study was later awarded the 2021 Outstanding Dissertation Award by her institution, Oakland University.
In her work with the WTDD community, Dr. Tara employs a conversational and collaborative approach to coaching. She loves to help members find a stronger writer-researcher identity and improve their self-accountability through a renewed sense of agency within and passion for their area of inquiry. She encourages her 1:1 clients to develop mindsets, fashion work habits, and set goals that go beyond the limiting beliefs of “should'' so they may enter into more authentic, empowering ways of Being. With qualitative researchers, Tara strives to help them to embrace the messy, iterative journey that comes with exploring their unique lens as a researcher and the emergent nature of storied data analysis. Dr. Tara can help you untangle the knots keeping you in the drift and get you back on your journey to “Dr. You”.

Dr. Yvette Morrell
Community Ambassador; WTDD Coach
about Yvette
Dr. Yvette began her doctoral journey in January 2015. She easily navigated her way through the coursework then became hopelessly stuck in the drift when it was time to write her dissertation. In January 2020, she came to the harsh realization that she made a mistake and had traveled down the wrong path. After a heart-to-heart with her husband, she decided that the spring 2020 term would be her last. Then one day she was scrolling through Facebook and an advertisement for Write the Damn Dissertation popped up. Dr. Amy was offering the 5-Day Think Like a Phinisher Workshop, and it was FREE. She decided to give it a try. After all, what did she have to lose? She wrote more in those 5 days than she had in the previous 2 years. She was reinvigorated and remembered her reason why. She was immediately sold on the program and never looked back. When she started the program, she didn’t even have an approved prospectus. She defended her dissertation on May 17, 2021.
From the moment Dr. Yvette signed up for this program, she knew she wanted to not only be helped but also help other women on this journey. She was excited to join the Stuck to Unstoppable team as the Community Director in May 2020 and later joined the team as a private coach. Dr. Yvette is a no-nonsense coach. She offers a balance of tough love and a gentle nudge. As a mom, wife, and full-time educator, she understands the difficulties of balancing it all and has sound, practical advice for how to navigate the many roles we often play. She can help you develop SMART goals and create a schedule that will help you organize your time, so you can write, work, spend time with the kids, and schedule the occasional date night.

Dr. Yvette Morrell
Community Ambassador; WTDD Coach
about Yvette
Dr. Yvette began her doctoral journey in January 2015. She easily navigated her way through the coursework then became hopelessly stuck in the drift when it was time to write her dissertation. In January 2020, she came to the harsh realization that she made a mistake and had traveled down the wrong path. After a heart-to-heart with her husband, she decided that the spring 2020 term would be her last. Then one day she was scrolling through Facebook and an advertisement for Write the Damn Dissertation popped up. Dr. Amy was offering the 5-Day Think Like a Phinisher Workshop, and it was FREE. She decided to give it a try. After all, what did she have to lose? She wrote more in those 5 days than she had in the previous 2 years. She was reinvigorated and remembered her reason why. She was immediately sold on the program and never looked back. When she started the program, she didn’t even have an approved prospectus. She defended her dissertation on May 17, 2021.
From the moment Dr. Yvette signed up for this program, she knew she wanted to not only be helped but also help other women on this journey. She was excited to join the Stuck to Unstoppable team as the Community Director in May 2020 and later joined the team as a private coach. Dr. Yvette is a no-nonsense coach. She offers a balance of tough love and a gentle nudge. As a mom, wife, and full-time educator, she understands the difficulties of balancing it all and has sound, practical advice for how to navigate the many roles we often play. She can help you develop SMART goals and create a schedule that will help you organize your time, so you can write, work, spend time with the kids, and schedule the occasional date night.
Dr. Amber Kelly
WTDD Coach
about Amber
Having spent most of her masters and doctoral studies as a focused, working mom, Dr. Amber lost her educational groove in spring of 2019 when, days after sailing through her qualifying exam defense, her dissertation chair departed the university. Shortly thereafter, one of her children had a mental health crisis that put everything else on the back burner. The dissertation fell down the list of priorities until it became neglected aside from the ever-present sense of shame. When the pandemic hit, Dr. Amber decided to say yes to opportunities, which brought her to the 5-Day Think Like a Phinisher Workshop. Skeptical of self-help, she realized the first day that Dr. Amy was a smart woman talking to smart women—the guide so desperately needed. Dr. Amber joined the August 2020 Stuck to Unstoppable Cohort and eventually the Private Coaching program under Dr. Tara. With the help of Dr. Amy, her team, and the ladies in the program, she went from almost no proposal to a defended proposal by the beginning of November 2020, defending her dissertation in October 2021.
Dr. Amber subscribes to a down-to-earth, approachable coaching perspective. Her research areas are in adult learner creativity and writer identity, fields that color her coaching as well. She believes in practical, realistic strategies and goal setting, catering to individual needs. Because the dissertation process is so grueling, she attempts to help clients find the joy in their work, navigate the discomfort with humor, and develop a trust in their abilities to cross the finish line. Her frequent co-coach is her shepherd mix, “Dogtor” Randi, who has been an essential part of her dissertation journey. Like Dogtor Randi, Dr. Amber offers non-judgmental support through the good days and the not-so-good days.


Dr. Amber Kelly
WTDD Coach
about Amber
Having spent most of her masters and doctoral studies as a focused, working mom, Dr. Amber lost her educational groove in spring of 2019 when, days after sailing through her qualifying exam defense, her dissertation chair departed the university. Shortly thereafter, one of her children had a mental health crisis that put everything else on the back burner. The dissertation fell down the list of priorities until it became neglected aside from the ever-present sense of shame. When the pandemic hit, Dr. Amber decided to say yes to opportunities, which brought her to the 5-Day Think Like a Phinisher Workshop. Skeptical of self-help, she realized the first day that Dr. Amy was a smart woman talking to smart women—the guide so desperately needed. Dr. Amber joined the August 2020 Stuck to Unstoppable Cohort and eventually the Private Coaching program under Dr. Tara. With the help of Dr. Amy, her team, and the ladies in the program, she went from almost no proposal to a defended proposal by the beginning of November 2020, defending her dissertation in October 2021.
Dr. Amber subscribes to a down-to-earth, approachable coaching perspective. Her research areas are in adult learner creativity and writer identity, fields that color her coaching as well. She believes in practical, realistic strategies and goal setting, catering to individual needs. Because the dissertation process is so grueling, she attempts to help clients find the joy in their work, navigate the discomfort with humor, and develop a trust in their abilities to cross the finish line. Her frequent co-coach is her shepherd mix, “Dogtor” Randi, who has been an essential part of her dissertation journey. Like Dogtor Randi, Dr. Amber offers non-judgmental support through the good days and the not-so-good days.

Dr. Stephanie L. Silva-Del Toro
WTDD Coach
about Stephanie
Dr. Stephanie grew up in the southwest corner of Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo. She pursued a Biology/Microbiology bachelor’s degree at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, followed by a two-year post-baccalaureate program at Mayo Clinic to further explore host-pathogens interactions. Stephanie then pursued a PhD in Immunology at the University of Iowa where she studied white blood cell responses (neutrophils) to a bacterial infection. Stephanie was awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, a Sloan Scholar fellowship, and various presentation awards in national conferences. She has mentored more than a dozen undergraduates and graduate students in the Allen Lab. Today, she is working as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Missouri where she studies neutrophil nuclear morphology. When not involved in her research, Stephanie loves spending time with her favorite people, baking, painting, scrapbooking, listening to good music and eating, all the while taking care of her pup Jelly Bean.
After wrestling with the inner mean girl, Stephanie began a journey of self-discovery and embracing her muchness, joining the Think Like A Phinisher Challenge and Stuck To Unstoppable program in 2020. Here she found a support system, a group of friends; but most importantly, a map to navigate her complex mind, and embrace her limitless self. She also figured out how to get in a daily flow of writing and how to overcome procrastination kindly but effectively. Stephanie struggled with her strong inner mean girl, with her perfectionist tendencies being the reason she felt stuck.
As a coach for Write the Damn Dissertation, Dr. Stephanie strives to help you identify what is holding you back, develop intentional habits, identify short- and long-term goals, and strategies to hold yourself accountable. By learning from the ups and downs of the process of writing the dissertation; Dr. Stephanie will help you map your thoughts, learn from your experiences, and celebrate all the wins; no matter how small or big they are!

Dr. Stephanie L. Silva-Del Toro
WTDD Coach
about Stephanie
Dr. Stephanie grew up in the southwest corner of Puerto Rico, Cabo Rojo. She pursued a Biology/Microbiology bachelor’s degree at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, followed by a two-year post-baccalaureate program at Mayo Clinic to further explore host-pathogens interactions. Stephanie then pursued a PhD in Immunology at the University of Iowa where she studied white blood cell responses (neutrophils) to a bacterial infection. Stephanie was awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, a Sloan Scholar fellowship, and various presentation awards in national conferences. She has mentored more than a dozen undergraduates and graduate students in the Allen Lab. Today, she is working as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Missouri where she studies neutrophil nuclear morphology. When not involved in her research, Stephanie loves spending time with her favorite people, baking, painting, scrapbooking, listening to good music and eating, all the while taking care of her pup Jelly Bean.
After wrestling with the inner mean girl, Stephanie began a journey of self-discovery and embracing her muchness, joining the Think Like A Phinisher Challenge and Stuck To Unstoppable program in 2020. Here she found a support system, a group of friends; but most importantly, a map to navigate her complex mind, and embrace her limitless self. She also figured out how to get in a daily flow of writing and how to overcome procrastination kindly but effectively. Stephanie struggled with her strong inner mean girl, with her perfectionist tendencies being the reason she felt stuck.
As a coach for Write the Damn Dissertation, Dr. Stephanie strives to help you identify what is holding you back, develop intentional habits, identify short- and long-term goals, and strategies to hold yourself accountable. By learning from the ups and downs of the process of writing the dissertation; Dr. Stephanie will help you map your thoughts, learn from your experiences, and celebrate all the wins; no matter how small or big they are!
Dr. Minnie Quartey Annan
WTDD Coach
about Minnie
Dr. Minnie grew up in Valdosta, GA, but has lived in the Washington, DC area for the last decade. There she has worked full time for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington while completing her doctoral studies) and being Hasana's mommy (her most enjoyable and toughest job ever. Dr. Minnie is a sociolinguist interested in the language of African Americans from the boardroom to the basketball court as well as from the classroom to the courtroom. Her dissertation was a mixed methods exploration of language about change examining older African American women discussing how the city changed after the 1968 riots as well as an ongoing language change in African American English speakers in the Washington, DC area.
Dr. Minnie began her doctoral journey at Michigan State University in 2006, but left right before her comprehensive exams in 2010 due to a rough pregnancy and then subsequent premature birth of her daughter. Once she enrolled in her second doctoral program at Georgetown (where she completed her bachelor's and master's degrees) and reached candidacy in 2016, she dealt with some serious health issues resulting in very little progress on her dissertation. She was "in the drift" for five years, and then she saw a Facebook ad for Stuck to Unstoppable in spring 2021. She attended the free workshop, but she was not ready to fully commit. In November 2021, she made a commitment to finish the PhD as a promise to her daughter. Dr. Minnie signed up with a different coaching program because she knew she needed the support, but soon realized that this coach was not right for her. The ad for Stuck to Unstoppable popped up yet again (like magic at the right time). After doing their weekend retreat to start off the new year, she joined the January 2022 cohort and was part of the inaugural S2U Intensive program. Over the next four months with Dr. Tara as her coach and the women of S2U as her community, Minnie defended her dissertation on May 12, 2022 with nearly 20 of her S2U sisters present at her defense.
As a group leader for the program, Dr. Minnie focuses on tapping into the emotional motivation behind the work of the dissertation with a focus of keeping the WHY top of mind.
She likes to help women develop a systematic and realistic process-driven approach to finishing the dissertation through motivational conversations which include lots of analogies and probing questions. Additionally, Minnie likes to address problem-solving in critical yet creative ways in order to keep authentic voice and value in the process while still getting the project done.


Dr. Minnie Quartey Annan
WTDD Coach
about Minnie
Dr. Minnie grew up in Valdosta, GA, but has lived in the Washington, DC area for the last decade. There she has worked full time for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington while completing her doctoral studies) and being Hasana's mommy (her most enjoyable and toughest job ever. Dr. Minnie is a sociolinguist interested in the language of African Americans from the boardroom to the basketball court as well as from the classroom to the courtroom. Her dissertation was a mixed methods exploration of language about change examining older African American women discussing how the city changed after the 1968 riots as well as an ongoing language change in African American English speakers in the Washington, DC area.
Dr. Minnie began her doctoral journey at Michigan State University in 2006, but left right before her comprehensive exams in 2010 due to a rough pregnancy and then subsequent premature birth of her daughter. Once she enrolled in her second doctoral program at Georgetown (where she completed her bachelor's and master's degrees) and reached candidacy in 2016, she dealt with some serious health issues resulting in very little progress on her dissertation. She was "in the drift" for five years, and then she saw a Facebook ad for Stuck to Unstoppable in spring 2021. She attended the free workshop, but she was not ready to fully commit. In November 2021, she made a commitment to finish the PhD as a promise to her daughter. Dr. Minnie signed up with a different coaching program because she knew she needed the support, but soon realized that this coach was not right for her. The ad for Stuck to Unstoppable popped up yet again (like magic at the right time). After doing their weekend retreat to start off the new year, she joined the January 2022 cohort and was part of the inaugural S2U Intensive program. Over the next four months with Dr. Tara as her coach and the women of S2U as her community, Minnie defended her dissertation on May 12, 2022 with nearly 20 of her S2U sisters present at her defense.
As a group leader for the program, Dr. Minnie focuses on tapping into the emotional motivation behind the work of the dissertation with a focus of keeping the WHY top of mind.
She likes to help women develop a systematic and realistic process-driven approach to finishing the dissertation through motivational conversations which include lots of analogies and probing questions. Additionally, Minnie likes to address problem-solving in critical yet creative ways in order to keep authentic voice and value in the process while still getting the project done.

Dr. Vicki Pattison Willits
WTDD Group Leader
about Vicki
Dr. Vicki originally grew up in the beautiful Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, UK. Over the last 17 years, she and her American husband Scott have split their time between England, UK and New England, USA! In fall 2021, Scott and Vicki moved to their forever home – an 1800s farmhouse in Vermont - with their two golden retrievers Mojo and Faolan. Two kittens, Ciaran and Nyx, joined the furry family in March 2022. Vicki is a passionate environmental scientist and conservationist, as well as a professional science communicator. Her two decade career has focused primarily on providing experiential environmental education and engaging youth with nature. She is also a passionate mental health advocate and enthusiastic women in STEM mentor.
Vicki’s doctoral research was a quantitative field-based study investigating the effects of urbanization and climate change on breeding success in common garden (backyard) birds.Vicki’s doctoral journey at the University of Birmingham began in 2015 after she decided to take the plunge and apply to PhD programs. This involved an international move from Massachusetts and to cut a long story short anything that could go wrong…did. From the outset, Vicki felt like she was battling against her PhD and was increasingly overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy and failure. In 2019, and well into her writing-up period (with very little progress), she decided to take a leave of absence to concentrate on her mental health. The pandemic hit and before she knew it nearly two years had passed. She was the poster child of ‘being stuck in the drift’ with crushing imposter syndrome, feelings of incredible loneliness and grief, and a total loss of identity and motivation. A Facebook ad serendipitously popped up on her news feed for Stuck to Unstoppable in spring 2021 just as she was returning to her PhD. She immediately joined the free Think Like a Phinisher workshop. After several more stop-starts (because she was not ready to fully commit), she finally joined the October 2021 cohort and made REAL intentions to finally finish her dissertation. With the wonderful support of the WTDD community and using all the tools available, she completed her dissertation less than a year later and successfully passed her viva in November 2022.
Dr. Vicki is REALLY excited to join the program as a group leader having been an incredibly active cohort and alumni member. She hopes that by sharing her own experiences in the WTDD programs, she can help other women stuck in the drift realize their goal of completing their dissertation. As a long-time sufferer of imposter syndrome and with a formerly very loud inner mean girl, her focus is to help women rediscover their belief in themselves and tap into their identity as finishers through compassionate listening, open conversation and creative changes in thinking.

Dr. Vicki Pattison Willits
WTDD Group Leader
about Vicki
Dr. Vicki originally grew up in the beautiful Chiltern Hills in Buckinghamshire, UK. Over the last 17 years, she and her American husband Scott have split their time between England, UK and New England, USA! In fall 2021, Scott and Vicki moved to their forever home – an 1800s farmhouse in Vermont - with their two golden retrievers Mojo and Faolan. Two kittens, Ciaran and Nyx, joined the furry family in March 2022. Vicki is a passionate environmental scientist and conservationist, as well as a professional science communicator. Her two decade career has focused primarily on providing experiential environmental education and engaging youth with nature. She is also a passionate mental health advocate and enthusiastic women in STEM mentor.
Vicki’s doctoral research was a quantitative field-based study investigating the effects of urbanization and climate change on breeding success in common garden (backyard) birds.Vicki’s doctoral journey at the University of Birmingham began in 2015 after she decided to take the plunge and apply to PhD programs. This involved an international move from Massachusetts and to cut a long story short anything that could go wrong…did. From the outset, Vicki felt like she was battling against her PhD and was increasingly overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy and failure. In 2019, and well into her writing-up period (with very little progress), she decided to take a leave of absence to concentrate on her mental health. The pandemic hit and before she knew it nearly two years had passed. She was the poster child of ‘being stuck in the drift’ with crushing imposter syndrome, feelings of incredible loneliness and grief, and a total loss of identity and motivation. A Facebook ad serendipitously popped up on her news feed for Stuck to Unstoppable in spring 2021 just as she was returning to her PhD. She immediately joined the free Think Like a Phinisher workshop. After several more stop-starts (because she was not ready to fully commit), she finally joined the October 2021 cohort and made REAL intentions to finally finish her dissertation. With the wonderful support of the WTDD community and using all the tools available, she completed her dissertation less than a year later and successfully passed her viva in November 2022.
Dr. Vicki is REALLY excited to join the program as a group leader having been an incredibly active cohort and alumni member. She hopes that by sharing her own experiences in the WTDD programs, she can help other women stuck in the drift realize their goal of completing their dissertation. As a long-time sufferer of imposter syndrome and with a formerly very loud inner mean girl, her focus is to help women rediscover their belief in themselves and tap into their identity as finishers through compassionate listening, open conversation and creative changes in thinking.