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Get hands-on help from your own dedicated Dissertation Coach, whenever you need it. It’s like having a professor in your pocket.

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Client pass rate, trustpilot score, facebook rating, what is dissertation coaching .

Here’s a quick explainer…

Why Grad Coach ?

It's all about you

We take the time to understand your unique challenges and work with you to achieve your specific academic goals . Whether you're aiming to earn top marks or just need to cross the finish line, we're here to help.

An insider advantage

Our award-winning Dissertation Coaches all hold doctoral-level degrees and share 100+ years of combined academic experience. Having worked on "the inside", we know exactly what markers want .

Any time, anywhere

Getting help from your dedicated Dissertation Coach is simple. Book a live video /voice call, chat via email or send your document to us for an in-depth review and critique . We're here when you need us. 

A track record you can trust

Over 10 million students have enjoyed our online lessons and courses, while 3000+ students have benefited from 1:1 Private Coaching. The plethora of glowing reviews reflects our commitment.

Chat With A Friendly Coach, Today

Prefer email? No problem - you c an  email us here .

Have a question ?

Below are some of the most popular coaching-related questions we're asked.

Dissertation Coaching

How does coaching work.

Working with Grad Coach means you get a dedicated, highly-qualified research specialist to help you through any stage of your research.

Whether you just want a little initial guidance to make sure you're headed in the right direction, or you want hands-on, ongoing support throughout your entire research journey, your coach will be there for you whenever you need help.

Your dedicated coach will work with you using three channels: live sessions, content reviews and email support.

Live Coaching Sessions

A live coaching session is a real-time online meeting (audio or video) with your coach. In these sessions, you can discuss anything you need assistance with. For example, you might discuss topic ideas, how to structure your next chapter, how to undertake a specific analysis, etc.

Content Reviews

A content review is an offline review, where you send your document to your coach and they’ll meticulously review it at the scheduled time. They will provide extensive commentary within the document (including what’s wrong, why it’s problematic and how to correct it), and then email it back to you (see an example here ). If you want to have a call in addition to the content review, you can do that too.

Email Support

In addition to these two options, you can also email your coach at any time to ask any questions you have, so you'll never be left feeling unsure.

How is coaching different from a university-allocated supervisor?

There are a few key differences:

On-demand access

A university-allocated supervisor can only spend a limited amount of time with each student and their support is usually limited to a certain amount of time per section of content. Also, support is often limited to one or two formats (e.g., email).

Conversely, we provide unlimited , multi-channel, on-demand support . You can book a live coaching session anytime you need to, get your work reviewed as many times as you like (see an example here ) and drop us an email whenever you have a question or concern.

Plain-language advice

Supervisors often communicate in complex “ivory tower academic-speak” that is difficult to understand and not particularly actionable. Students often struggle to make sense of their supervisor’s advice and feedback, due to this language barrier and experience gap.

Conversely, we provide you with plain language, actionable advice and feedback, with lots of examples and analogies to help you grasp concepts as quickly and easily as possible.

A safe, confidential space

The supervisor-student relationship is a tricky one to navigate, as the supervisor is often the first/primary marker or will be assessing you in some way. This creates an awkward dynamic, where it can feel somewhat risky to ask certain questions or propose ideas.

Conversely, your dedicated coach is your “partner in research” and there are no power dynamics. We create a 100% safe, comfortable space for you to ask questions, learn and grow. No question is a "stupid question".

Combined research expertise

Your supervisor will generally be allocated based on your area of research (your topic), not your methodology. This means that oftentimes (not always) they are not methodology experts and cannot provide the best possible guidance regarding your research design.

Conversely, the Grad Coach team consists of methodology experts across the spectrum of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. While you'll usually only work with one dedicated coach, you'll have access to the combined knowledge pool, which means you'll get the best possible advice.

How is coaching different from editing and proofreading?

Editing and proofreading services focus purely on language, formatting and technical presentation requirements, such as referencing. In other words, the focus is on the language , not the content itself. As a result, a dissertation can be perfectly edited and proofread but still fail, as the content itself is poor.

With coaching, on the other hand, the focus is on content . In other words, we focus on the quality of the research itself. For example, we look at things like:

• Is the research topic well-defined and justified?
• Are the research aims, objectives and research questions well-articulated and aligned?
• Is the literature review comprehensive, integrative and well-structured?
• Is the methodology well-considered and executed?
• Is the analysis sound and do the conclusions make sense?

Simply put – coaching focuses on the things that earn the majority of the marks . Additionally, we do offer a separate editing and proofreading service to polish the document, once the content is finalised.

Is coaching allowed by universities?

Yes . In fact, many universities refer students to us and some institutions even use our content (articles and videos) as part of their curriculum.

We provide dissertation coaching to help you improve the quality of your work. Importantly, all work must be your own – we do not write for you . While there are organisations that will cross this ethical boundary, we refuse to engage in any activity which may be considered as academic misconduct.

WARNING - If you are considering any academic writing service, please be aware that the use of such services can lead to expulsion or even revocation of your degree years after the fact. Many websites offering such services provide extremely low-quality work that is unlikely to pass and some websites are outright scams preying on desperate students.

What's included in the (free) initial consultation?

The purpose of the initial consultation is for us to assess your specific situation , needs and wants, and then e xplain how we can help you .

Please note that the initial consultation is not a coaching session. Naturally, we cannot provide accurate guidance without first having a sound understanding of your project, and we need to charge for such services.

Why should I work with Grad Coach specifically?

There are a few factors that distinguish Grad Coach from the alternatives:

On-demand, online service

Grad Coach was built to give you the help you need, whenever you need it, wherever you are. You can book live audio/video sessions, get your written work reviewed and sent back to you, or just drop your coach an email whenever you have a question. 1-on-1, hands-on help is always just a click away.

Friendly, plain-language coaches

At Grad Coach, our goal is to bring academia "back down to earth". While our coaches have over 100 years of combined experience within academia (including dissertation supervision, marking and lecturing), we always aim to simplify the content as much as possible, using plain language, actionable advice and feedback. You can download a sample content review here to see this in practice.

More than just coaching - a one-stop-shop

In addition to our flagship dissertation coaching service, we also provide a suite of time-saving services such as interview transcription, qualitative coding, survey design, statistical testing, and editing and proofreading. This means you get everything you need under one trusted roof. You can visit the services page to learn more about our full offering.

An accredited, award-winning operation

We take our work seriously, which is why we're accredited by the Tutors' Association UK and subscribe to their extensive code of ethics. We've also won multiple awards, including " Best Dissertation Coaching Service 2021 " (AI International), " Best Dissertation & Thesis Coaching Specialists 2020 " (MEA) and " Top 50 Student Blog " (Feedspot). To date, we've supported over 3000 students with private dissertation coaching and approximately 7 million students with video lessons.

To learn more about Grad Coach and the team behind it, visit the “About Us” page .

Which universities and degrees do you support?

We can provide coaching for a wide range of dissertations, theses and research projects/assignments at Bachelors , Honours , Master's and Doctoral -level degrees, especially (but not limited to) those within the social sciences.

Importantly, our expertise lies in the research process itself , especially research design, methodologies and academic writing – rather than specific research areas/topics (e.g. psychology, management, etc.). In other words, the support we provide is topic-agnostic , which allows us to support students across a very broad range of research topics.

If you’re unsure about whether we’re the right fit, feel free to drop us an email or book a free initial consultation .

Can I get a coach that specialises in psychology/marketing/etc.?

As we mentioned previously, our expertise lies in the research process itself , especially research design, methodologies and academic writing – rather than specific research areas/topics (e.g., psychology, management, etc.).

Simply put, the support we provide is topic-agnostic , which allows us to support students across a very broad range of research topics. That said, if there is a coach on our team that has experience in your area of research, as well as your chosen methodology, we can allocate them to your project (depending on availability).

Can I work with multiple coaches at once?

No. We work on a 1-on-1 basis, where each client has a dedicated coach assigned to their project, to ensure that they receive the highest possible quality of service.

How much does coaching cost?

Since our coaching services are completely custom-tailored for each student, they are billed on a time basis (as opposed to a project basis). This allows you to engage as much or as little as you want, with no long-term commitments or tie-downs.

The hourly rate itself depends on whether you purchase single hours or a discounted package. Please visit the pricing page for more information.

Do you have any testimonials or reviews?

Yes - you can view our Facebook and Trustpilot reviews here . You can also read about our accreditations and awards here .

Will my work be treated confidentially?

Absolutely. Your work will be treated completely confidentially and will not be shared with any third parties, nor published anywhere. We can sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) if you wish. Once you have completed your project, we can delete all content from our servers.

Do you offer other services?

Yes, in addition to dissertation coaching, we provide a suite of time-saving services , including:

• Interview transcription
• Qualitative data coding
• Survey design and hosting
• Statistical testing (SPSS & R)
• Editing and proofreading

If you have any other requirements, feel free to contact us to discuss them.

Can you write (or rewrite) sections for me?

No - all writing must be your own. We can hold your hand throughout the research process, but we cannot write for you as that would constitute academic misconduct.

WARNING - If you are considering any academic writing service, please be aware that the use of such services can lead to expulsion or even revocation of your degree years after the fact. Many websites offering such services provide extremely low-quality work that is unlikely to pass, and some websites are outright scams preying on desperate students.

English is not my first language (ESL student). Can you help me?

Yes , we can. In fact, many of our students are international ESL students. We can assist both with the academic aspects (e.g., coaching) and the English communication aspects (e.g., editing and proofreading).

My work is due in the next few days. Can you help me?

It’s not ideal, but we will do our best to help. Please email us or book an initial consultation as soon as possible.

Can you help me apply for a degree programme?

If your application requires a research topic or proposal (as is common for Master's and PhD applications), we can assist with that aspect of the application. However, if you require admissions-specific advice and guidance, that is not our area of expertise.

Please book a free initial consultation with us to discuss.

I still have questions…

No problem. Feel free to email us or book an initial consultation to discuss.

What our clients say

We've worked 1:1 with 3000+ students . Here's what some of them have to say:

David's depth of knowledge in research methodology was truly impressive. He demonstrated a profound understanding of the nuances and complexities of my research area, offering insights that I hadn't even considered. His ability to synthesize information, identify key research gaps, and suggest research topics was truly inspiring. I felt like I had a true expert by my side, guiding me through the complexities of the proposal.

Cyntia Sacani (US)

I had been struggling with the first 3 chapters of my dissertation for over a year. I finally decided to give GradCoach a try and it made a huge difference. Alexandra provided helpful suggestions along with edits that transformed my paper. My advisor was very impressed.

Tracy Shelton (US)

Working with Kerryn has been brilliant. She has guided me through that pesky academic language that makes us all scratch our heads. I can't recommend Grad Coach highly enough; they are very professional, humble, and fun to work with. If like me, you know your subject matter but you're getting lost in the academic language, look no further, give them a go.

Tony Fogarty (UK)

So helpful! Amy assisted me with an outline for my literature review and with organizing the results for my MBA applied research project. Having a road map helped enormously and saved a lot of time. Definitely worth it.

Jennifer Hagedorn (Canada)

Everything about my experience was great, from Dr. Shaeffer’s expertise, to her patience and flexibility. I reached out to GradCoach after receiving a 78 on a midterm paper. Not only did I get a 100 on my final paper in the same class, but I haven’t received a mark less than A+ since. I recommend GradCoach for everyone who needs help with academic research.

Antonia Singleton (Qatar)

I started using Grad Coach for my dissertation and I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for them, I would have really struggled. I would strongly recommend them – worth every penny!

Richard Egenreider (South Africa)

Kickstart Your Dissertation, Today

Enter your details below, pop us an email, or book an introductory consultation .

The Auditorium: a research culture and researcher development blog

a research culture and researcher development blog

Thesis Mentoring: a route to supervisory good practice

By Dr Kay Guccione, Head of Research Culture & Researcher Development and Dr Jennifer Boyle, PGR Writing Adviser

Research Staff play a vital role in the day-to-day support and development of doctoral researchers and with the right training and framing they can deliver thesis support that makes a big impact! The Thesis Mentoring programme has piloted at UofG over the last few months and the outcomes show exactly this.  

Evaluation data show that working with a postdoc in a Thesis Mentoring programme supports PGRs to navigate the process of writing, improve their relationship with writing, develop their confidence as a writer, and improve their ability to track and monitor progress towards their thesis deadline. Every mentee who completed our pilot programme and evaluation agreed that the Thesis Mentoring programme had had a positive impact on their ability to complete their thesis. There were further benefits for mentees too, taking to a mentor reduced stress and increased perceptions of well-being, self-awareness, positivity and confidence:

Read examples of the positive impact of our Research Staff on the Thesis Mentor Hall of Fame board – click the image below read more.

Thesis Mentoring uses supportive Solutions Focused coaching conversations to enable mentees to take a deliberate and planned approach to writing. Mentors support reflective action-orientated learning in line with the writing objectives set by their mentee. For more detailed information on the programme structure see here . 

What about the mentors’ own development?  

Data from the pilot programme also confirms that mentoring offers benefits for mentors – our brilliant Research Staff, who volunteer their time. The benefits mentors reported centred on a greater sense of recognition, career development and developing their capacity for research/team leadership, including honing their listening skills, their ability to build confidence and motivate others and their approach to supporting creative problem solving for their mentees. 

All mentors who responded agreed that being a thesis mentor had improved their understanding of and ability to support or supervise PGRs, as well as a tranche of additional personal benefits. 

Building supervisory practice

In line with my statement at the opening of this post, UofG mentors also told us something really important about how their ability to support and supervise PGRs is developed through having real opportunities to do this work in practice: 

“I have a deeper understanding of the issues affecting PGRs and not only think in the science behind the Thesis but also the human being that is putting lot of effort to archive the PhD.”  

“I have a better understanding about the fact that what works for one person doesn’t work for others and sometimes advices are overrated as the person experiencing the issue is the only one that can really know how to get out of it. My role as a mentor/supervisor should be more about asking the right questions and be there to listen when needed.”  

“It has reminded me of the little struggles all PhD go through when navigating a PhD/writing and it reminded me of how important the support I had from my group was. I am encouraged to keep that support going for new members of my research group.”  

Research Staff have been telling us for a long time now that they view experiences of supervision and teaching gained during the post-doctoral period, as core to succeeding with their academic career. We also know that the development of an academic sense of self is, in part, a result of being offered the right formal institutional responsibilities and resources. Yet, Research Staff as a group aren’t always afforded these formal opportunities to contribute to supervision. In many other ways we are preoccupied with the development of Research Staff, and their ‘transferable skills’. For the last decade plus (of Roberts funding, and post-Roberts funding) UK Universities have been crafting bigger and better development provision, but we seem to have got stuck in a training trap – offering plentiful workshops, but far fewer opportunities to put the learning into practice, and contribute in the real world. 

I would like to see universities take a broad-minded approach to the development of Research Staff and recognise what they can contribute. To achieve this, I’d like to see an increase in the range of experiences and responsibilities Research Staff are permitted to take on within our universities. If we want to encourage the embedded development of sophisticated leadership and team working practices (which is what mentoring and supervision are), we as a sector need to embed development opportunities within the expectations of the Research Staff role, acknowledge that they can supervise, and permit Research Staff to supervise in practice. 

The July-November cycle of the Thesis Mentoring programme is now underway, with similar positive results expected thanks to the excellent mentoring skills of our Research Staff. A huge thank you and well done to all involved. 

If you’d like to know more about underpinning rationale behind the design, and some early findings from a previous research project, see the video below. Thesis Supervision: the educational value of postdocs in supporting research writing.  

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More From Forbes

Why red lobster is closing 93 restaurants.

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(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

93 Red Lobster restaurants have closed in 27 states. Red Lobster is owned by the Thai Union Group, and there is clear indication that the company will seek protection by filing for bankruptcy according to the Wall Street Journal.

As early as 2014, there was an effort to sell the company by the owners. Since that time, the company has faced internal challenges. Between 2021 and 2022, the company welcomed a fresh lineup of executives, including a new CEO, CFO, CMO, and CIO; this according to CNN. All of them reportedly left within two years and that created huge leadership disruption.

Red Lobster was founded in 1968 by Charley Woodsby and Bill Darden. It started in Lakeland, Fla. and now is headquarters in Orlando, Fla. Salli Setta is the current president.

Of course, times have changed and the restaurant chain that had grown quickly has been impacted. Madonna is now 65 years old and the original ‘material girl’ approach to life has given way to new priorities; our values have changed. Lobster is now viewed as being very expensive and a luxury meal that many people cannot afford. So, a seafood restaurant with that name has turned into a luxury restaurant in the eyes of consumers. After all, perception is reality.

As a result, despite all efforts by management to attract customers, Red Lobster is now a money loser. The reason for the unit closures is high debt. The closures are in 27 U.S. states that include Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Going forward, the need is to change the menu focus and encourage young people to hang out in the place. Maybe the name has to be changed to “Fresh Seafood and Lobster too.” Then management could introduce a variety of terrific seafood, well prepared, at affordable prices. With young, friendly service that menu offering could be a winner. Keeping lobster in the name tells customers that the restaurant has leveraged its past but changed for the better.

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POSTSCRIPT: The company was popular, there were 649 Red Lobster Restaurants, but during the Covid period prices rose and customers were scarce. This is a company that expanded too quickly and lost control of its balance sheet. One hopes that the remaining stores will find a new direction to get customer support and stay in operation.

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Roger Corman, Hollywood mentor and ‘King of the Bs,’ dies at 98

Roger Corman, the Oscar-winning “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors early breaks, has died. He was 98. Corman died Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, his daughter Catherine Corman said Saturday in a statement.

FILE - Roger Corman addresses the audience during the awards ceremony of the 76th international film festival, Cannes, southern France, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Corman, the Oscar-winning “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors an early break, died Thursday, May 9, 2024. He was 98. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole, File)

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FILE - Producer Roger Corman poses in his Los Angeles office, May 8, 2013. Corman, the Oscar-winning “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors an early break, died Thursday, May 9, 2024. He was 98. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon, File)

FILE - Roger Corman arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Irishman,” Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019, at the TCL Chinese Theatre. Corman, the Oscar-winning “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors an early break, died Thursday, May 9, 2024. He was 98. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Roger Corman, the “King of the Bs” who helped turn out such low-budget classics as “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Attack of the Crab Monsters” and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors early breaks, has died. He was 98.

Corman died Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, according to a statement released Saturday by his wife and daughters.

“He was generous, open-hearted and kind to all those who knew him,” the statement said. “When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that.’”

Starting in 1955, Corman helped create hundreds of B-movies as a producer and director, among them “Black Scorpion,” “Bucket of Blood” and “Bloody Mama.” A remarkable judge of talent, he hired such aspiring filmmakers as Francis Ford Coppola, Ron Howard, James Cameron and Martin Scorsese. In 2009, Corman received an honorary Academy Award.

“There are many constraints connected with working on a low budget, but at the same time there are certain opportunities,” Corman said in a 2007 documentary about Val Lewton, the 1940s director of “Cat People” and other underground classics.

“You can gamble a little bit more. You can experiment. You have to find a more creative way to solve a problem or to present a concept,” he said.

The roots of Hollywood’s golden age in the 1970s can be found in Corman’s films.

Jack Nicholson made his film debut as the title character in a 1958 Corman quickie, “The Cry Baby Killer,” and stayed with the company for biker, horror and action films, writing and producing some of them. Other actors whose careers began in Corman movies included Robert De Niro, Bruce Dern and Ellen Burstyn.

Peter Fonda’s appearance in “The Wild Angels” was a precursor to his own landmark biker movie, “Easy Rider,” co-starring Nicholson and fellow Corman alumnus Dennis Hopper. “Boxcar Bertha,” starring Barbara Hershey and David Carradine, was an early film by Scorsese.

Corman’s B-movie directors were given minuscule budgets and often told to finish their films in as little as five days. When Howard, who would go on to win a best director Oscar for “A Beautiful Mind,” pleaded for an extra half day to reshoot a scene in 1977 for “Grand Theft Auto,” Corman told him, “Ron, you can come back if you want, but nobody else will be there.”

“Roger Corman was my very first boss, my lifetime mentor and my hero. Roger was one of the greatest visionaries in the history of cinema,” Gale Anne Hurd, whose notable producing credits include the “Terminator” film franchise, “The Abyss” and “The Walking Dead” television series, said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Initially only drive-ins and specialty theaters would book Corman films, but as teenagers began turning out, national chains gave in. Corman’s pictures were open for their time about sex and drugs, such as his 1967 release “The Trip,” an explicit story about LSD written by Nicholson and starring Fonda and Hopper.

Meanwhile, he discovered a lucrative sideline releasing prestige foreign films in the United States, among them Ingmar Bergman’s “Cries and Whispers,” Federico Fellini’s “Amarcord” and Volker Schlondorff’s “The Tin Drum.” The latter two won Oscars for best foreign language film.

Corman got his start as a messenger boy for Twentieth Century-Fox, eventually graduating to story analyst. After quitting the business briefly to study English literature for a term at Oxford University, he returned to Hollywood and launched his career as a movie producer and director.

Despite his penny-pinching ways, Corman retained good relations with his directors, boasting that he never fired one because “I wouldn’t want to inflict that humiliation.”

Some of his former underlings repaid his kindness years later. Coppola cast him in “The Godfather, Part II,” Jonathan Demme included him in “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Philadelphia” and Howard gave him a part in “Apollo 13.”

Most of Corman’s movies were quickly forgotten by all but die-hard fans. A rare exception was 1960’s “Little Shop of Horrors,” which starred a bloodthirsty plant that feasted on humans and featured Nicholson in a small but memorable role as a pain-loving dental patient. It inspired a long-lasting stage musical and a 1986 musical adaptation starring Steve Martin, Bill Murray and John Candy.

In 1963, Corman initiated a series of films based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe. The most notable was “The Raven,” which teamed Nicholson with veteran horror stars Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and Basil Rathbone. Directed by Corman on a rare three-week schedule, the horror spoof won good reviews, a rarity for his films. Another Poe adaptation, “House of Usher,” was deemed worthy of preservation by the Library of Congress.

“It was my privilege to know him. He was a great friend. He shaped my childhood with science fiction movies and Edgar Allen Poe epics,” John Carpenter, director of “Halloween,” “The Thing” and other classic horror and action films, said on X. “I’ll miss you, Roger.”

Near the end of his life, Karloff starred in another Corman-backed effort, the 1968 thriller “Targets,” which marked Peter Bogdanovich’s directorial debut.

Corman’s success prompted offers from major studios, and he directed “The St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” and “Von Richthofen and Brown” on normal budgets. Both were disappointments, however, and he blamed their failure on front-office interference.

Roger William Corman was born in Detroit and raised in Beverly Hills, but “not in the affluent section,” he once said. He attended Stanford University, earning a degree in engineering, and arrived in Hollywood after three years in the Navy.

After his stint at Oxford, he worked as a television stagehand and literary agent before finding his life’s work.

In 1964 he married Julie Halloran, a UCLA graduate who also became a producer.

He is survived by his wife, Julie, and children Catherine, Roger, Brian and Mary.

This obituary was written by the late Associated Press reporter Bob Thomas, who died in 2014 .

The story was first published on May 11, 2024. It was updated on May 13, 2024, to correct the middle name of producer Gale Anne Hurd.

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Eleven graduating seniors honored with top yale college prizes.

Top row, from left, Maile Somera, Carter Sundown King, Ariana Reichler, Resty Fufunan, Eliza Kravitz, and Xavier Blackwell-Lipkind. Second row, from left, Jimmy Hatch, Jasselene Paz, Jordi Bertrán Ramirez, Matt Brandau, and Andrew Milas. (Photos by Dan Renzetti)

Eleven members of the Yale College Class of 2024 who distinguished themselves in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in their communities were honored with top prizes today in one of Class Day’s most treasured traditions. The prizes were awarded by Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis and other Yale leaders.

The recipients of the top five academic prizes will have the privilege of carrying an official flag or banner during the Yale Commencement procession on May 20. The winner of the Warren Memorial Prize carries the American flag. The winner of the Russell Henry Chittenden Prize carries the Connecticut flag. The winner of the Arthur Twining Hadley Prize carries the Yale College banner. The winners of the Sudler Prize carry the president’s banners. Finally, the winner of the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize carries the Yale University banner.

The names of the prizewinners, and their citations, are listed below, in the order of their presentation.

The Nellie Pratt Elliot Award

Awarded to a senior woman whose excellence on the field of play, and in her life at Yale, best represents the highest ideals of American sportsmanship and Yale tradition .

MAILE SOMERA, Pierson College

“ Maile Somera is the team captain of the 3-time Ivy League championship volleyball team, which won the Ivy League tournament this year for the second year in a row. She was the 2023 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and is 2nd All-time at Yale in number of aces served to opponents — who watched the balls whiz by, unable to return them. And, Maile is graduating with distinction in her Architecture major!

“ In recognition of her record as a fearless opponent, a consummate leader, a fine student, and a selfless example, Yale College is proud to award the Nellie Elliott Award to Maile Somera.”

The William Neely Mallory Award

Awarded to a senior man whose excellence on the field of play, and in his life at Yale, best represents the highest ideals of American sportsmanship and Yale tradition .

MATT BRANDAU, Benjamin Franklin College

“ Matt Brandau is a 3-time NCAA tournament participant, a 3-time All-American, the 2023 New England Player of the Year, the All-time leading scorer in Yale men’s lacrosse and the All-time leading scorer in Ivy League history, and the 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year.

“ For his truly extraordinary athletic accomplishments, and for the qualities that make him a quintessential teammate, and the epitome of the scholar-athlete ideal, Yale College takes pride in honoring him with the William Neely Mallory Award.”

The Nakanishi Prize

Awarded to two graduating seniors who, while maintaining high academic achievement, have provided exemplary leadership in enhancing race or ethnic relations at Yale College .

RESTY FUFUNAN, Trumbull College

“ Resty Fufunan has embodied the Nakanishi Prize through his activism, grounded in equal parts of listening, critical thinking, and hard, pragmatic work. He has been a community builder through his many roles on campus, among them First-Year Counselor, Co-Head Counselor for Camp Yale’s Cultural Connections program, and choreographer and dancer for DanceWorks. Thanks to him, this community has become more open and welcoming.

“ Resty has also been a pillar of the Asian American community. He has served as a first-year liaison; President of the Filipino student organization, Kasama; student co-head of the Asian American Cultural Center; and co-moderator of the Asian American Students Alliance. He has coordinated an inter-group trip to Washington, D.C., to protest the Supreme Court's oral arguments in cases about affirmative action, in the process building a foundation for future coalitions on ethnic relations and advocacy.

“ Resty’s two majors — Ethnicity, Race, and Migration and Data Science — have enabled him to promote ethnic and racial relations by focusing on the policy intersections between data and social justice. He has also applied that knowledge through internships, analyzing census data to prepare a national survey of Asian American voters. Now that he is graduating, he will continue his studies in China next year as the recipient of a Richard U. Light Fellowship.

“ For his transformational work advancing ethnic and race relations, and his unforgettable impact on ethnic relations in our community, Yale College is proud to bestow the Nakanishi Prize upon Resty Fufunan.”

JASSELENE PAZ, Silliman College

“ Jasselene Paz is a community builder who has forged partnerships, re-examined histories, and created new communities for Yale’s campus culture. She has dedicated herself to making Yale a place where multiple and intersecting identities — around race, gender, sexuality and ethnicities — can take root, bloom, and flourish.

“ Jasselene is the founder and president of Central Americans for Empowerment; a radio host with WYBCx Yale Radio; a co-head counselor for Camp Yale’s Cultural Connections program; a Peer Liaison for La Casa Cultural; a Silliman Latine Affinity Group Co-Founder & Event Coordinator; a dancer and leader in the dance groups Sabrosura and Rhythmic Blue; and a Community Consent Educator.

“ An Ethnicity, Race, & Migration major and a Human Rights scholar, Jasselene has brought the theory and practice of community building to a global context. She has studied at Yonsei University, South Korea, as a recipient of a Richard U. Light Fellowship, and also in Cartagena, Colombia, working with community members and organizations to understand how the country’s armed conflict and its subsequent 2016 Peace Accords have affected Black, Indigenous, Brown, urban, rural, and gender- marginalized communities.

“ For her many contributions to Yale’s campus culture, Yale College is honored to bestow the Nakanishi Prize upon Jasselene Paz.”

The James Andrew Haas Prize

Awarded to that member of the senior class in Yale College whose breadth of intellectual achievement, strength of character, and fundamental humanity shall be adjudged by the faculty to have provided leadership for his or her fellow students, inspiring in them a love of learning and concern for others .

JIMMY HATCH, Timothy Dwight College

“ Jimmy Hatch entered Yale at the age of 52, after a long and distinguished career as a Navy SEAL in the United States military. He graduates with a degree in Humanities, concluding an undergraduate career that began in Directed Studies — he was the first Eli Whitney student to enroll in the program — and culminating in a senior thesis exploring the interplay between literature and lived experience, with a particular focus on depictions of combat in classical Greek, Roman, and Italian texts.

“ Jimmy’s extracurricular life on campus has been rich and varied, ranging from his partnership with the Jackson School in creating an “After Action’ class immediately following the U.S. exit from Afghanistan to his collaboration with the Yale University Art Gallery on a ‘Public Plato’ project, for which he recently hosted a conversation with Dean Tamar Gendler on ‘Ancient Thinking and the Modern Human.’

“ Jimmy is invested in the life of the mind, in the creation of community, in often winding pursuit of light and truth. For the depth and breadth of his commitments, Yale College is proud to bestow the James Andrew Haas Memorial Prize upon James Hatch.”

The Warren Memorial Prize

Awarded to the senior majoring in the humanities who ranks highest in scholarship .

ELIZA KRAVITZ, Morse College

“ Eliza Kravitz graduates summa cum laude with distinction in her History major. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year, she is also a member of the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society. Eliza is a recipient of the Yale Review of International Studies Acheson Prize for her essay in international affairs. This year, she also received the Carlos R. Morena Prize, given annually to the best student paper focusing on the field of Latinx Studies.

“ Outside the classroom, Eliza has made a significant impact in the surrounding communities of Connecticut. As a first-year student, she helped students incarcerated in the Manson Youth Institution pass the GED. She has also volunteered as a tax preparer with organizations that assist under-served families in preparing their taxes, and she has worked as a Spanish interpreter for the New Haven Legal Assistance Association.

“ In recognition of her extraordinary scholarly achievements, Yale College is proud to award the Warren Memorial High Scholarship Prize this year to Eliza Rose Kravitz.”

The Arthur Twining Hadley Prize

Awarded to the senior in Yale College majoring in the social sciences who ranks highest in scholarship .

ARIANA REICHLER, Trumbull College

“ Ariana Reichler was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year and graduates summa cum laude with distinction in her major, Cognitive Science, and a certificate in Education Studies. Her academic pursuits have been broad and interdisciplinary, with a steady focus on cognitive development.

“ As a member of theClinical Affective Neuroscience & Development Lab since her sophomore year, Ariana’s research has focused on child and adolescent development and its intersection with mental health, specifically examining mechanisms linking childhood adversity exposure with risk for posttraumatic stress disorder.

“ Outside of the classroom, Ariana’s extracurricular commitments have often focused on children, too. From serving as a Community Mental Health Fellow with Dwight Hall and the Connecticut Mental Health Center Foundation to volunteering as a swim instructor to local children with special needs or disabilities, Ariana has made a significant impact in the broader New Haven community.

“ For her exceptional scholarship, Yale College proudly awards the Arthur Twining Hadley Prize to Ariana Reichler.”

The Russell Henry Chittenden Prize

Awarded to the senior majoring in the natural sciences or in mathematics who ranks highest in scholarship .

ANDREW MILAS, Grace Hopper College

“ Andrew Milas graduates summa cum laude, with distinction in both his majors, Computer Science and Mathematics. He has distinguished himself as one of the most outstanding scholars in his fields of study, showing extraordinary talent in his demanding coursework, much of it at the graduate level, and far exceeding the requirements for the major or the undergraduate degree. Whether studying economics or artificial intelligence, deep learning theory or statistics and data science, he has done, in the words of one of his instructors, ‘spectacularly.’

“ Andrew is the recipient of numerous awards and prizes, among them a first-place win in the Jane Street Electronic Trading Challenge Final Hour. At the William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, he and his teammates took fifth place in the 2022 Putnam Exam, he received an honorable mention, and Yale’s Department of Mathematics praised Andrew and his team as placing Yale among ‘the top five for the first time since 1991,’ a first in over three decades.

“ For his exceptional scholarship and future promise in his field, Yale College proudly awards the Russell Henry Chittenden Prize to Andrew Milas.”

The Louis Sudler Prize

Awarded to two seniors for excellence in the performing or creative arts .

CARTER SUNDOWN KING, Pauli Murray College

“ Carter Sundown King graduates with distinction in his major, Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies. Admired by faculty and students alike, he is not only a costume designer who raises the standard of every production he joins; he also has a deep respect for the materials, histories, and bodies with which he works. Moving between rigorous research and ‘intuitive leaps of the imagination’ his costumes demand to be seen and understood.

“ An enrolled member of the Oneida Nation, Carter King's design practice centers his Oneida experience, drawing on lessons in creativity, community, integrity, and ingenuity he learned while being raised on the Oneida Nation Reservation in Wisconsin. If you find yourself anywhere in his vicinity, you cannot help but notice him. He wears his Nation and his art form everywhere he goes, teaching us all how to carry elements of what we love with us, on our very bodies.

“ For his unwavering dedication to the highest standards of his art form, Yale College is honored to award the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Performing and Creative Arts to Carter Sundown King.”

JORDI BERTRÁN RAMIREZ, Trumbull College

“ Jordi Bertrán Ramirez of Trumbull College graduates with a double major in Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies and in History of Science, Medicine, and Public Health. In his doubled studies he has investigated popular and political cultures of information, identity, and representation, using not only classrooms and computers but also stages, voices, and bodies to explore urgent questions.

“ Anyone who has seen Jordi on stage (in his over 30 productions at Yale), knows that he has ‘It’ — the ‘it’ of a theater actor’s magnetic force that compels audiences to watch and listen; the ‘it’ of an actor’s grace, charisma, and artistic intelligence; the ‘it’ that Professor Joseph Roach has called ‘easy to perceive but hard to define, possessed by abnormally interesting people.’ Jordi is not only such a person; he brings his own interests and ethics alive in his performances; he plays the stage as a virtuoso plays the piano; he channels his talent into projects that matter — to him, to his community, and to our changing and challenging world.

“ For his luminous accomplishments in theatrical performance, Yale College is honored to award the Louis Sudler Prize for Excellence in the Performing and Creative Arts to Jordi Bertrán Ramirez.”

The Alpheus Henry Snow Prize

Awarded to the senior who through the combination of intellectual achievement, character, and personality, shall be adjudged by the faculty to have done most for Yale by inspiring in his or her classmates an admiration for the traditions of high scholarship .

XAVIER BLACKWELL-LIPKIND, Davenport College

“ Xavier Blackwell-Lipkind graduates summa cum laude and with distinction in his major, Comparative Literature. Elected to Phi Beta Kappa in his junior year and serving as its president in his senior year, Xavier has also completed an Advanced Language Certificate in French. Next year, he will pursue a Masters in Comparative Literature at Oxford as a Marshall Scholar.

“ Xavier has devoted much of his undergraduate years exploring languages. He has received numerous awards for his work in Spanish, French, and Portuguese, including the Scott Prize for the best essay in French and the Bildner Prize for ‘an outstanding essay in Spanish on any subject in Latin American Literature and/or Culture.’ The English department has also recognized Xavier, twice awarding him the John Hubbard Curtis Prize ‘for love of the English language and facility in writing’ as well as the sophomore C. Wyllys Betts Prize and the Elmore A. Willets Prize for Fiction. His love of languages continues with ongoing study of Italian and Amharic.

“ Awards from outside Yale have also been bestowed on Xavier for his fiction and non-fiction prose stories, which have been published in literary journals such as The Threepenny Review, The Drift, Gulf Coast, West Branch, and Brevity, to name just a few. He won the Editors’ Prize in Prose from the Copper Nickel.

“ Xavier’s deep belief in the value of language and literature ties directly to his enthusiastic service as a mentor to others. On campus, Xavier tutors students in French and Portuguese. In the New Haven community, he uses his talents and expertise to serve as a volunteer translator and interpreter for immigration nonprofits and asylum attorneys.

“ Xavier has contributed to the life of Yale through his writing as well. Since May 2023, he has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Literary Magazine, having previously occupied the roles of managing editor and literary editor. In addition, he has worked as a staff writer for the Yale Daily News Magazine and as a reporter for the YDN. Somehow, he has also played the viola in the Yale Symphony Orchestra for two years.

“ For his remarkable achievements and his promise for the many more to come, Yale College takes great pleasure in bestowing the Alpheus Henry Snow Prize upon Xavier Blackwell-Lipkind.”

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• ‘The Apprentice’ Review: Sebastian Stan And Jeremy Strong Soar As Young Donald Trump And His Ruthless Mentor Roy Cohn In Devilish Origin Story – Cannes Film Festival

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Don’t be confused about the title The Apprentice . This is not a movie version of the NBC reality TV series in any way, but instead a smart, sharp and surprising origin story of the man who hosted it. In this case the actual “apprentice” is Donald Trump , infamous real estate developer, former President of the United States and current presumed GOP nominee for 2024.

Trump and Cohn would become an odd couple, helping each other achieve their end goals at the time. That is the story of The Apprentice , which had its world premiere in competition at the Cannes Film Festival on Monday and still has its U.S. distribution rights for sale.

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Will it sell, and will it be released before November’s election? We shall see, but this is not a hit job on Trump, and actually considering the 77-year-old we see today at MAGA rallies and dozing off in courtrooms defending his indictments on various charges including starting an insurrection to overturn the 2020 election. Instead, it presents a person somewhat driven but awkward, a man striving for the approval of a tough-love father, unsure but determined to succeed and even oddly charming at times. Yes, I said that. Cohn, responsible for helping Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s reprehensible anti-communist crusade in the ’50s as well as putting away convicted spies Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, was the man pulling the strings — until he wasn’t. Think of it as a twisted Pygmalion with Cohn tutoring and training Trump the way Henry Higgins did with Eliza Dolittle.

The latter was the one Cohn emphasized above all as the most important thing to remember. He also told Trump no one likes a loser. “Everyone wants to suck a winner’s cock,” he tells Trump, who convinced his cold-hearted father Fred Trump (Martin Donovan) that they needed a lawyer like Cohn to take on a case the DOJ had launched over their housing developments (after being indicted for discriminating against Black tenants). In his own inimitable way he got the government to settle with no fines, thus endearing him to Donald. “You have to be willing to do anything to anyone in order to win,” Cohn says.

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The lawyer even dresses his mentee, who was born in Queens; not exactly the right breeding ground. “Is this gonna be a guy from Flushing or 5th Avenue?” he asks, getting an affirmative on the latter. He then puts him on the phone with a New York Times society columnist, and the result is a puff piece comparing his looks to Robert Redford and marking him as an up-and-comer. One of the key Cohn lessons is always chase the press, be in the newspapers every day.

Trump started moving up the ladder, with Cohn bringing him to a party with Rupert Murdoch, George Steinbrenner and others, cheekily (and now ironically in hindsight) telling him, “If you’re indicted, you’re invited.” Cohn himself had been in major legal hot water for tax evasion and also handled shady underworld characters, but he knew how to help Trump’s dreams of finishing Trump Tower come to fruition, essentially rigging a planning commission meeting to get $160 million tax abatement for which Trump was begging.

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Separately, he introduced him to a friend, Roger Stone (Mark Rendall), whose “specialty” is dirty tricks and who touts candidate Ronald Reagan’s campaign slogan “let’s make America great again” (a slogan Trump would later steal as his own when he ran for president). And when the top of the still unfinished first-ever all-concrete hotel in NYC is set on fire, Cohn brings Trump to a meeting with some of his mob clients who deliver Trump a come-to-Jesus moment demanding the “f*cking concrete guy” gets paid. Trump is shown already as being notorious for not paying his construction workers.

The film shows his darker side, that scene included, as he is changing, becoming more ruthless himself — even to Cohn, by double crossing his lawyer whose partner has contracted AIDS and needed help in getting a room at the Hyatt; Trump reluctantly agreed but later sent him a bill. Soon Cohn himself contracts AIDS, but they make up when Trump comes to his birthday celebration with a gift of “diamond” cufflinks that say “Trump” on each one. Ivana later tells Roy they were fake.

This exceptionally well-researched first screenplay by Gabriel Sherman, who had profiled Trump for various publications and thought the Trump-Cohn story would make a good movie, has turned out a tale that is essentially a Faustian deal between the two. Although they have both been described as monsters in different circles, they are really given an empathetic treatment here, at least in part, and at least in an attempt to show us what led to historical change in America, and what may well continue in a story whose end has yet to be written.

Trump has never seemed so, well, human, as his own early years show a man trying desperately for his father’s approval while at the same time trying to come out from under his shadow. Progressively the two-hour film shows him doing just that, but also losing some of that humanity in the process. I wouldn’t describe the portrait as flattering, but it is not a hatchet job — perhaps part of the reason is a foreign director who didn’t even know Trump before he came down those stairs to announce his presidential bid in 2015. The goal is to show the makings of that man, not who he would later become – no matter what your opinion of that man is. I have a feeling his base of voters, the ones he dug up from under a rock, might look at these early years and give their approval, warts and all. Ironically though the first image in the film is that of Richard Nixon swearing “I am not a crook.” What the filmmakers’ intention with that choice is certainly intriguing.

Stan eases into the role, suggesting the young Trump without venturing into an SNL -like impersonation. He captures him precisely and believably throughout. Cohn has been portrayed in other projects like Al Pacino did in Angels In America, but Strong is ideal casting, going all in and delivering a three-dimensional portrait of this complicated man. Bakalova is excellent in her few scenes, as is Donovan as father Fred who early on tries to explain he is not racist. “How can I be racist when I have a Black chauffeur?” he asks at the dinner table while berating his sons. Charlie Carrick as Trump’s older brother Fred Jr. is also very fine, showing a man who just couldn’t live up to his father’s expectations. Scenes between the two siblings show Donald has at least some empathy.

Special notice to Sean Samsom’s seamless hair, makeup and prosthetics work here which never brings attention to itself.

Producers are Daniel Bekerman, Jacob Jarek, Ruth Treacy and Julianne Forde, Louis Tisne and Abbasi.

Title: The Apprentice Festival: Cannes (Competition) Director: Ali Abbasi Screenwriter: Gabriel Sherman Cast: Sebastian Stan, Jeremy Strong, Maria Bakalova, Martin Donovan, Charlie Carrick, Mark Rendall Sales agent: Rocket Science Running time: 2 hr

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Cannes 2024: The Apprentice review – Long shadow of Succession hangs over controversial Donald Trump biopic

Ali abbasi film starring sebastian stan and jeremy strong zones in on a twisted early trump mentor.

Jeremy Strong plays Roy Cohn, a mentor of the young Donald Trump in The Apprentice

Roy Cohn, the closeted scourge of communists and homosexuals during Joseph McCarthy’s witch-hunts, has previously been fictionalised and hung out to dry in Tony Kushner’s Angels in America and National Lampoon’s comic strip, Roy Cohn in Hell.

The Apprentice, which lists Ireland’s Tailored Films among its producers and is showing in competition at the Cannes film festival , zooms in on Cohn’s twisted mentorship of a young Donald Trump . The shadow of Succession casts long over Ali Abbasi’s controversial biopic, not least in the casting of Jeremy Strong as the vulpine Cohn.

Sebastian Stan, who does fine work incorporating Trump’s mannerisms without slipping into parody, can only bumble in Cohn’s presence when they first meet at members’ club in New York. Trump, a rent collector for his father’s property portfolio in a dilapidated city, wants to build a luxury hotel near Grand Central Station. Cohn has the nefarious legal skills to help.

[  Cannes 2024: Kevin Costner’s epic sprawl, Julianne Moore’s return and Kermit’s green coat  ]

A ruthless mentor, he teaches Trump three essential rules: “Attack. Attack. Attack; Admit nothing. Deny everything; Always claim victory and never admit defeat.” In common with many comic books, the dark master, soon enough, is mastered. Trump grows brasher and stronger as Cohn, enfeebled by AIDS and federal investigations, visibly weakens. The commanding Cohn’s decline dovetails with a dip in the film’s dramatic impact.

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Watching how The Apprentice plays in America’s polarised political landscape will be intriguing. The younger Trump recalls nothing if not the ditsy heroines of YA franchises, a harmless haplessness that will not play well with the Blue States. The third-act inclusion of a marital rape scene inspired by Ivana Trump’s divorce deposition – a claim she later retracted – will likely outrage Republicans (and possibly lawyers).

Working in Academy ratio with archival inserts, cinematographer Kasper Tuxen and editor Olivier Bugge Coutté recreate the late 1970s and 1980s to a series of loudly banging tunes selected by David Holmes.

The economical script by Gabriel Sherman, an award-winning biographer and journalist, often strays into a revision of the established story: “You have a face like an orange”, yells Ivana (Maria Bakalova, with a fun performance that lacks the statuesque presence of the first Mrs Trump), during a bust-up.

Director Abbasi has a strong Cannes game. He won the Un Certain Regard award with the disturbing troll picture Border in 2018. Zar Amir Ebrahimi, the star of the Danish-Iranian filmmaker’s impactful serial killer drama Holy Spider, was named best actress on the Croisette in 2022. The Apprentice lacks the gravitas or impact of these earlier films, but it’s a pleasing enough doodle thanks to Stan, Strong, and a lot of period wigs.

The Apprentice is In Competition at Cannes

Tara Brady, a contributor to The Irish Times, is a writer and film critic

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