Essential Essay Writing Skills

Maggie Sokolik serves as Director of College Writing Programs at UC Berkeley, where she has taught writing and technical communication since 1992. After earning her Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics from UCLA, she completed postdoctoral work in Paris and held faculty positions at prestigious institutions including Harvard, MIT, and Texas A&M. Her extensive publication record includes more than thirty ESL and composition textbooks, notably "Sound Ideas" co-authored with Michael Krasny, and groundbreaking work on MOOCs and online education. As an English Language Specialist for the U.S. Department of State, she has developed innovative approaches to language education, including several successful MOOCs through edx.org such as "How to Write an Essay" and "English for Journalists." Her expertise spans second language writing, cross-cultural education, and educational technology, with recent focus on LLMs and AI in writing. Her international impact includes speaking engagements worldwide, from New Zealand to Belarus, while her leadership at Berkeley has shaped writing education through both traditional and digital platforms. Her work earned her recognition as a finalist for the Prize for Exceptional Contributions in Online Teaching and Learning from edx.org in 2016.