Meet the UOPX Knowledge Network Team

As writing manager for the Knowledge Network Initiative, Dr. Courtney Vien authors a variety of articles, case studies, white papers, presentations, and other publications, drawing on quality research to showcase the ways University of Phoenix serves working learners.

She has extensive experience as a writer, editor, and proofreader, having worked for McGraw-Hill, Eli Research, and the Columbia Granger’s World of Poetry Online. Currently, Dr. Vien acts as a fiction reviewer for the journal Sotto Voce. 

Dr. Vien has received numerous academic awards, including the Hollis Award for best M.A. thesis in the English department at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. While at UNC, she also taught courses in writing, literature, and film.

Dr. Vien holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a B.A. in English from Providence College.

As research manager for the Knowledge Network Initiative, Sheila Bodell is responsible for identifying and obtaining research, data, and statistics from academic and industry sources for use in articles and other presentations. 

For the past 10 years, Bodell has been self-employed as a freelance book and database indexer. In this capacity, she indexes scholarly books, trade non-fiction, and textbooks in various subjects. She is also involved in database taxonomy projects for several large information firms. 

Prior to going freelance, Bodell served as a public librarian for three years for the city of Monrovia in California. There she provided adult reference services, collection development, and audio/visual cataloging. Bodell also worked for three years at City of Hope’s Beckman Library, where she served as the technical services librarian handling all cataloging for the library. 

Bodell holds a master’s degree in library and information science from San Jose State University.

As an analysis manager for the Knowledge Network Initiative, Julie Cho focuses on data collection and quantitative analysis to determine return on investment and return on value of higher education for individuals and the corporations for which they work.

Before joining the University of Phoenix, Cho worked in healthcare in various capacities, ranging from life science research to clinical research and clinical operations.  In this capacity, she worked on cost-benefit analysis, business projections, and other quantitative analysis.

Cho holds a Master of Arts in Social Service Administration, a master of public policy, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago. She also has a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and psychology and a bachelor of science in nutrition from Case Western Reserve University.

As a writer for the Knowledge Network Initiative, Marissa Yaremich pens point-of-view papers, as well as articles for both the Employer and Executive Success Series highlighting the educational and career achievements of University alumni and working students.

For the past 11 years, Yaremich honed her journalism expertise by serving in various positions as a reporter, researcher, or photojournalist at several media outlets, including CBS’s Inside Edition, Lawyers Weekly Publications, The Boston Globe, The Associated Press and the New Haven Register. Yaremich also freelanced for a Connecticut health district, where she wrote emergency communications policies and provided related media training for municipal leaders per a U.S. Department of Homeland Security initiative.

Yaremich has received multiple awards for her work, most recently receiving the distinctive Rube Award for a television investigative series from the Society of Professional Journalists’ New York City chapter, the Deadline Club.

She holds a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University, where she also obtained her bachelor of science in photojournalism with an emphasis on Russian studies.

As a writer for the Knowledge Network Initiative, Anna-Louise Jackson contributes case studies and point-of-view papers that showcase the commitment University of Phoenix has made to the working learner.

Previously, Jackson worked as a composer of research lists for Crain’s Chicago Business, as an investigator at the Chicago Board of Trade, and as a researcher at the National Association of College and University Business Officers. More recently, she has been working as a freelance journalist, and writes for a variety of publications.

She has written extensively about higher education, as well as marketing, banking, personal finance, and the environment. As a case study writer for a business school, she writes about entrepreneurial ventures.

Jackson holds a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism and economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

As Administrative Support Specialist for the Knowledge Network initiative, Angie Sheedy handles administrative procedures and interdepartmental communications to help the team publish articles in a timely and efficient manner.

Sheedy holds a bachelor of science degree from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois. Previously, she worked as a Corporate Recruiter for the Walgreens Corporation for four years, recruiting various types of personnel, with a focus on information technology professionals. Prior to becoming a recruiter, Sheedy was an administrative assistant in the Walgreens Human Resources department.

As a writer for the Knowledge Network Initiative, Jill Elaine Hughes writes point-of-view papers with a focus on healthcare. 

She has worked as a professional writer, journalist, and editor for more than 15 years. Hughes has written business-to-business and educational material for the financial, software, academic, and healthcare fields. Her past healthcare writing clients include the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the ACGME (American College of Graduate Medical Education), and the Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association. 

Hughes has also contributed to the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Reader, New Art Examiner, Cat Fancy, and many other newspapers and magazines. She is also a published novelist under her pseudonym "Jamaica Layne."

As a business writer for the Knowledge Network Initiative, Cheryl Meyer has authored a variety of articles, including point-of-view papers, executive success stories and Q&As. 

She has more than 20 years experience as a journalist. Prior to her work at University of Phoenix, Meyer was a senior writer for The Deal, a New York-based publisher of magazines, daily publications and a website. She has also worked as a business writer for both The News Journal, one of Gannett's flagship newspapers in Wilmington, Del., and the Intelligencer-Journal in Lancaster, Pa. She also worked as an editor at Executive Update magazine, a monthly publication produced by the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives. She has received numerous awards for her writing and photography.

Meyer received her master of arts degree in journalism and public affairs from The American University in Washington, D.C., and her bachelor of arts degree in Political Science from Macalester College in St. Paul.

As a writer for the UOPX Writer Network, Aricka Flowers blogs and writes articles on a plethora of topics, including education, the military and health care.

Aricka has more than 10 years of experience as a journalist, TV and radio producer, on-air reporter, video editor, and media relations specialist. She has produced and reported for PBS, HGTV and CBS among other media outlets. In addition to blogging and reporting for AOL, she has reported for the Public News Service and has been published in Chicago Life, a magazine in The New York Times; EbonyJet.com; the WashingtonPost.com; and the Washington Times.

Aricka earned a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and has a B.S. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has won multiple awards and was also a Northwestern University Newton N. Minow fellow.

For the latest news in education — including reports about scholarships, teaching technologies and legislation — read Aricka's Spotlight on Education blog.

As an analytical writer for the Knowledge Network Initiative, Marina Krylova is responsible for gathering data and quantitative analysis.

Before joining University of Phoenix, Krylova worked as a teaching and research assistant at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she taught seminars in economics, graded for various courses and compiled bibliography for publication. Currently, Krylova has an internship with Economic Development Commission, where she performs data collection and analysis.

Krylova holds a Master of Science in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Bachelor of Business Administration in Economics from New Mexico State University.