UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Graduate Writing Center (GWC) is celebrating 20 years of service to graduate students this month. Founded in January 1999, it was one of the first writing centers dedicated to graduate-level communication.
A collaboration between the Graduate School and the Department of English in the 1990s laid the groundwork for Jon Olson to develop the GWC. It is staffed by English doctoral students who work in the Graduate School’s Kern Building.
The GWC has provided two decades of free one-on-one consultations to graduate students. As early as 2000, it increased the accessibility of these tutoring sessions by offering online consultations in addition to in-person ones. All graduate students are welcome to schedule in-person or online consultations with the GWC. To sign up, visit https://gwc.psu.edu/consultations.
Since 2004, GWC staff have assisted faculty in programs ranging from biomedical sciences to international affairs by presenting guest lectures to their students. In addition, the GWC has established a tradition of University-wide outreach by presenting free public workshops on common writing situations facing graduate students, such as publishing research findings and applying for grants and jobs.
The GWC is offering a special series of workshops in January and February to celebrate its 20th anniversary. These workshops are collaborations with writing specialists in Applied Linguistics/EPPIC, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, and the College of Engineering. All graduate students are welcome to participate. To register, visit https://gwc.psu.edu/writing-workshops.
For questions and more information about the Graduate Writing Center, contact Layli Miron, GWC coordinator and consultant, at layli@psu.edu.