Renee Cote, MFA

Renee provides administrative support, manages various projects to support the work of EICI, and facilitates workshops. With over two years’ experience with CTEL, and as an alumnx and undergraduate research assistant, she brings a wealth of talent, creativity, and institutional knowledge to EICI. Renee earned a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Creative Writing from USM, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the Solstice MFA Program of Lasell University. 

She is the Vice Chair of the Classified Staff Senate, the Chair of the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Staff Senate Committee, Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Neurodivergent & Disabled Faculty & Staff Affinity Group, and a member of the LGBTQIA+ Affinity Group and the Wellness Committee. Renee is a certified trainer and member of the USM National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) campus affiliate team. She is a passionate social justice advocate across many aspects of society, including anti-racism, educational access, disability rights, accessibility, and destigmatizing mental health.

Renee lives in a solar-powered home with her husband, dog, and cat, on unceded Wabanaki land near the Portland campus. She writes YA Fantasy, Prose Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction, and teaches writing workshops. In her free time, she plays the ukulele and Dungeons & Dragons, reads (so much), and is the World’s Okayest Runner. 

Pronouns: she or they series