The UW-Madison Writing Center Turns 40

Classes, Community Writing Assistance, Events, From the Director, The Online Writing Center, Writing Across the Curriculum, Writing Centers, Writing Fellows / Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Last October the Writing Center held an open house to celebrate the Center’s 40th birthday. Well over 100 students and colleagues came from across campus to—

  • chat with our staff
  • peruse posters about our programs
  • sample our podcasts and our online consultations and videos of in-person consultations
  • nibble on birthday cake from Lane’s Bakery
  • and hear short presentations reflecting on the Writing Center’s history and its impact across campus and beyond

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The presentations featured undergraduate and graduate student-writers, who are at the heart of all that we do (Mitchelle Lyle from Industrial Engineering and Manisha Shelat from Journalism and Mass Communications); an undergraduate Writing Fellow from our staff (Anna Moreland); graduate teaching assistants from our staff (Danielle Warthen and Rik Hunter); career staff from the Writing Center (Melissa Tedrowe, Emily Hall, Nancy Linh Karls, and Brad Hughes); faculty from across campus with whom the Writing Center collaborates (Prof. Kathy Cramer Walsh from Political Science and Prof. Phil Kim from the School of Business); the chair of the English Department (Prof. Tom Schaub); and the Dean of the College of Letters and Science (Dean Gary Sandefur).

Check out some of the great posters that Terry Maggio and colleagues created for our open house–

To the tens of thousands of wonderful undergraduate and graduate students who’ve come to the Writing Center to discuss their work in progress; to the over 500 graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate writing fellows who’ve filled our programs with passion and dedication and intelligence and fun; to the academic and classified staff and the faculty who’ve led and supported the Writing Center; to the over 100 colleagues from around the United States and from Egypt, Japan, South Africa, Sweden, the UK, Namibia,  Qatar, Malaysia, and from other countries who’ve been part of IWCA Summer Institutes here in 2003 and 2008; and to the faculty and campus leaders and alumni and community partners and donors who’ve supported and collaborated with the Writing Center for over 40 years—thank you!

If you have the time, please leave us a comment–we’d love to have your voice be part of our blog.

Thanks so much for visiting.  More later . . .

brad hughes
director, writing center
director, writing across the curriculum

2 Replies to “The UW-Madison Writing Center Turns 40”

  1. Thank you, Brad, Terry, and colleagues, for creating so many excellent resources that capture and celebrate the extensive resources and networks of relationships fostered by the UW-Writing Center. Here’s to another 40 years of supporting writers and writing!

  2. One amazing thing is that through 40 years, it has had 2 amazing directors. Not many programs can provide that level of stability. May you have many more productive years and be an inspiration to us all.

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