Frada Harel holds a B.A. in Literature from the State University of New York and an M.S. in TESOL from Hunter College. She has taught every course in Touro's writing sequence, from Level Zero ESL through literature. After her teaching experiences made her aware of how identity politics can marginalize students, while mastering academic writing can provide a source of agency and enable students to alter power relationships, she did post-graduate work in composition and rhetoric at St. John’s University, focusing on literacy, basic writing, and assessment. She presented her research in these fields at the International Assessment and Retention Conference and at the National Association for Developmental Education.  She strongly believes that writing is an important tool that connects us all to culture, identity, and social advancement.