News (2014-15)
Science Writing Contest 2015 Winners
May 6, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
Modeled after the Grundy Haven Paper Competition at The Pennsylvania State University, the HWC will host a science writing contest for undergraduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. This contest will promote excellence in writing, as well as the dissemination of research to a public audience, by having undergraduate researchers explain their research to an educated, non-expert audience.
The HWC teamed up with the Office of Research for Undergraduates (ORU) to host the first annual Science Writing Contest for undergraduate Miami researchers from STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplines, including the social sciences. Researchers were invited to share their research in a story format, to both inform and engage non-scientific readers. Submissions were accepted from March 30 to April 20. Congratulations to the winning researchers and their advisors!
1st Place ($500 to student and $500 research stipend to advisor)
Hannah Devens: "Unearthing a Legacy: Acid Rain’s Effects on Nutrient Cycles in Forest Ecosystems"
Research Advisor: Melany Fisk
2nd Place ($250 to student and $250 research stipend to advisor)
Kim Parent: "Yik Yak: A Study of Alcohol References and Anonymous Social Media"
Research Advisor: Rose Marie Ward
3rd Place ($100 to student and $100 research stipend to advisor)
Abigail Castle: "Inquiry-Based Learning: Moving Beyond the Traditional Framework"
Research Advisor: Scott Sander
7 HWC Consultants Won Awards/Scholarships
April 25, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
In Spring 2015, seven HWC undergraduate consultants received awards and scholarships for creative, professional, and business writing from Miami's Department of English and the Howe Writing Initiative. Congratulations to our consultants!
- Haley Hopkins: Bookwalter Sophomore Awards in Creative Writing
- Laura Hower: Senior Prize, Outstanding Creative Work
- Lauren Bauman: First Prize, Montaine Writing Award
- Marc Papa: Charlotte Meyer Crawford Scholarship
- Nicole Smith: Senior Prize, Outstanding Creative Work
- Sarah Madson: Second Prize, Howe Business Writing Award
- Taylor McBroom: Gordon and Mary Wilson Scholarships
International Friendship Writing Contest 2015 Winners
April 10, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
The Miami University International Student Organization (MUISO) invited Miami students and alumni to share their true stories of friendship between domestic and international students, through non-fiction stories or poems. This writing contest aimed to showcase positive cross-cultural experiences that have led to warm and potentially lifelong friendships. Through these stories, we hope the Miami community will learn more about their fellow students, both domestic and international, leading to increased awareness of the diverse cultures on campus and enriched interaction between domestic and international students. The contest extended from DATE to March 15, 2015. Winners were honored at an award ceremony on April 10 during International Fair of Intercontinental Week.
1st Place ($150): Danielle Rymers and Saphira Hoang, "Two Halves Make a Whole"
2nd Place ($100): Madison Weber, "My Friend Chen"
3rd Place ($75): Matthew Rieger, "一期一会 (One Meeting, One Time)"
Honorable Mentions
Dan Hu, "Friendship without Borders"
Jake Rosebrock, "Don't Cry over Spilled Milk"
Frankie Roskam, "JOY"
Lainey Viau, "Laughing the Days Away"
Hongfei Xie, "Brandon and Me"
Featured Event: Meaningful Writing Project
April 2, 2015 | Howe Center for Writing Excellence
Michele Eodice (University of Oklahoma), Anne Ellen Geller (St. John’s University), and Neal Lerner (Northeastern University) presented to Miami University on their ongoing research, The Meaningful Writing Project. Over 50 faculty, from a wide range of disciplines, attended the interactive session. The workshop was about teaching meaningful writing and asking instructors to consider how their writing assignments can be most meaningful to their students. The event sparked useful discussion about writing assignments and the place of writing in the Miami curriculum.
HCWE Hosted Scholar in Residence
March 4 to April 10, 2015 | Howe Center for Writing Excellence
The HWC was fortunate to have Michele Eodice, Associate Provost and Executive Director of the Writing Center at the University of Oklahoma, and Co-Editor of The Writing Center Journal, in residence with us for six weeks. Her presence was invaluable to every member of the staff, including the undergraduate consultants. She observed HWC operations, attended all staff meetings, and offered wise advice, particularly in terms of mentoring consultants as they move through their years at the HWC. She also worked generously with our graduate students on their research.
International Student Writing Contest 2015 Winners
February 25, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
The Howe Writing Center, the American Culture and English Program, and International Students and Scholars Services invited all Miami international students to enter a writing contest based on their unique perspective as international students at Miami. We sponsored the contest with the goal that these compositions would teach us more about the rich experiences and ideas international students, who have come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and have enriched our Miami community.
Students wrote essays of 800-1200 words based on one of the following prompts: Success, Exchanging Learning Experiences, and Home Can Be Many Things. Cash prizes were awarded in three categories for international students enrolled in ACE, in their first- and second-year, and their third-year. Congratulations to the winners!
ACE Category
1st Place ($500): Hehe Wang, "Find a New Home"
Runner up ($250): Xinyue Ma, "Success"
Runner up ($250): Siyuan Zhong, "The Place Called 'Home'"
First- and Second-Year Category
1st Place ($500): Yasmina Chafai El Alaoui, "The HB2 Who Asks for More"
Runner up ($250): Tasmeen Shiny Weerakoon, "What Page Are You On?"
Runner up ($250): Mengzhu Xia, "Exchanging Learning Experience"
Third- and Fourth-Year Category
1st Place ($500): Dubin Park, "A Drop in the Ocean"
Runner up ($250): Xuan Liang, "He Comes from San Francisco"
Runner up ($250): Qianyu Wang, "The Meaning of Success"
HWC Partnered with Milford High School
January 14, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
The Howe Writing Center partnered with the Ohio Writing Project (OWP), and our administrative staff visited Milford High School in Milford, OH, to observe their writing center. HWC administrators then engaged in a lively discussion about consulting procedures and training with Milford Writing Center’s director, student tutors, and their faculty advisors.
In April, over 30 Milford High tutors, their director, and an advisor visited the HWC for a half-day of conversation and brainstorming workshops on consulting and writing center work. These workshops were developed by Laura Tabor, our graduate assistant director, and facilitated by HWC consultants.
Booklet Highlighted Writing's Importance at Miami
January 1, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
The new Writing at Miami booklet highlighted the importance of writing and the many academic and extracurricular opportunities for writing at Miami University. The book was distributed to all Miami faculty and first-year students on the Oxford Campus, to upper-level students’ homes before the start of Fall semester, to alumni, and to various advisory boards. Read what Miami students, alumni, and faculty say about why writing matters to them and discover the many opportunities Miami provides for learning to write—and to write well—for success in college and beyond.
The Writing at Miami booklet was researched, designed, and written by Miami students with generous support from Roger L. and Joyce Lutz Howe (both class of 1957), who founded and endowed two campus writing centers–the Howe Writing Initiative in the Farmer School of Business and the Howe Center for Writing Excellence. Roger and Joyce Howe explain, “Our hope and vision is that Miami be known as one of the very best universities in the nation for graduating clear, concise, and persuasive communicators with the written word and that all graduates recognize the writing proficiency they gained at Miami as one of the most important benefits of their education.”
National Day on Writing
October 20, 2014 | Howe Center for Writing Excellence
The HWC and HCWE held our first National Day on Writing activities. The HWC kept chatter going on our Facebook page, offered free pizza for students, passed out flyers, and hosted haiku writing and contests in the center. Over 40 students participated, creating great energy in the HWC.
The Howe Center for Writing Excellence also sponsored a Writing at Miami symposium for faculty and students to discuss and demonstrate the innovative ways they used writing to enhance student learning. Several 2013-14 recipients of the HCWE Faculty and Departmental Writing Grants presented the results of their grant projects. Most presenters at the symposium brought their students with them to highlight the impact of the grant on both teaching and student writing.
- Dr. Katie Johnson, Caroline Hill, and Keely Moloney (English Department): “Student Voices/Real Audiences”
- Dr. Amy Summerville (Psychology): “Professional Writing in Consumer Psychology: Creating Real Connections and Applications”
- Dr. Amity Noltemeyer (Educational Psychology): “Graduate Student Thesis Writing Workshop and Support”
- Dr. Madelyn Detloff and Nora McVey (Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies): “Writing with a Purpose: Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Communication in WGS/AAA/AMS/BWS/LAS 211”
- Dr. Mark Allen Peterson and Jaden Peterson (Anthropology)
- Dr. Julia Guichard (Theater): “Writing Tips on Video Clips”
Spring 2015
Science Writing Contest 2015 Winners
May 6, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
Modeled after the Grundy Haven Paper Competition at The Pennsylvania State University, the HWC will host a science writing contest for undergraduates in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. This contest will promote excellence in writing, as well as the dissemination of research to a public audience, by having undergraduate researchers explain their research to an educated, non-expert audience.
The HWC teamed up with the Office of Research for Undergraduates (ORU) to host the first annual Science Writing Contest for undergraduate Miami researchers from STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) disciplines, including the social sciences. Researchers were invited to share their research in a story format, to both inform and engage non-scientific readers. Submissions were accepted from March 30 to April 20. Congratulations to the winning researchers and their advisors!
1st Place ($500 to student and $500 research stipend to advisor)
Hannah Devens: "Unearthing a Legacy: Acid Rain’s Effects on Nutrient Cycles in Forest Ecosystems"
Research Advisor: Melany Fisk
2nd Place ($250 to student and $250 research stipend to advisor)
Kim Parent: "Yik Yak: A Study of Alcohol References and Anonymous Social Media"
Research Advisor: Rose Marie Ward
3rd Place ($100 to student and $100 research stipend to advisor)
Abigail Castle: "Inquiry-Based Learning: Moving Beyond the Traditional Framework"
Research Advisor: Scott Sander
7 HWC Consultants Won Awards/Scholarships
April 25, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
In Spring 2015, seven HWC undergraduate consultants received awards and scholarships for creative, professional, and business writing from Miami's Department of English and the Howe Writing Initiative. Congratulations to our consultants!
- Haley Hopkins: Bookwalter Sophomore Awards in Creative Writing
- Laura Hower: Senior Prize, Outstanding Creative Work
- Lauren Bauman: First Prize, Montaine Writing Award
- Marc Papa: Charlotte Meyer Crawford Scholarship
- Nicole Smith: Senior Prize, Outstanding Creative Work
- Sarah Madson: Second Prize, Howe Business Writing Award
- Taylor McBroom: Gordon and Mary Wilson Scholarships
International Friendship Writing Contest 2015 Winners
April 10, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
The Miami University International Student Organization (MUISO) invited Miami students and alumni to share their true stories of friendship between domestic and international students, through non-fiction stories or poems. This writing contest aimed to showcase positive cross-cultural experiences that have led to warm and potentially lifelong friendships. Through these stories, we hope the Miami community will learn more about their fellow students, both domestic and international, leading to increased awareness of the diverse cultures on campus and enriched interaction between domestic and international students. The contest extended from DATE to March 15, 2015. Winners were honored at an award ceremony on April 10 during International Fair of Intercontinental Week.
1st Place ($150): Danielle Rymers and Saphira Hoang, "Two Halves Make a Whole"
2nd Place ($100): Madison Weber, "My Friend Chen"
3rd Place ($75): Matthew Rieger, "一期一会 (One Meeting, One Time)"
Honorable Mentions
Dan Hu, "Friendship without Borders"
Jake Rosebrock, "Don't Cry over Spilled Milk"
Frankie Roskam, "JOY"
Lainey Viau, "Laughing the Days Away"
Hongfei Xie, "Brandon and Me"
Featured Event: Meaningful Writing Project
April 2, 2015 | Howe Center for Writing Excellence
Michele Eodice (University of Oklahoma), Anne Ellen Geller (St. John’s University), and Neal Lerner (Northeastern University) presented to Miami University on their ongoing research, The Meaningful Writing Project. Over 50 faculty, from a wide range of disciplines, attended the interactive session. The workshop was about teaching meaningful writing and asking instructors to consider how their writing assignments can be most meaningful to their students. The event sparked useful discussion about writing assignments and the place of writing in the Miami curriculum.
HCWE Hosted Scholar in Residence
March 4 to April 10, 2015 | Howe Center for Writing Excellence
The HWC was fortunate to have Michele Eodice, Associate Provost and Executive Director of the Writing Center at the University of Oklahoma, and Co-Editor of The Writing Center Journal, in residence with us for six weeks. Her presence was invaluable to every member of the staff, including the undergraduate consultants. She observed HWC operations, attended all staff meetings, and offered wise advice, particularly in terms of mentoring consultants as they move through their years at the HWC. She also worked generously with our graduate students on their research.
International Student Writing Contest 2015 Winners
February 25, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
The Howe Writing Center, the American Culture and English Program, and International Students and Scholars Services invited all Miami international students to enter a writing contest based on their unique perspective as international students at Miami. We sponsored the contest with the goal that these compositions would teach us more about the rich experiences and ideas international students, who have come from a wide range of cultural backgrounds and have enriched our Miami community.
Students wrote essays of 800-1200 words based on one of the following prompts: Success, Exchanging Learning Experiences, and Home Can Be Many Things. Cash prizes were awarded in three categories for international students enrolled in ACE, in their first- and second-year, and their third-year. Congratulations to the winners!
ACE Category
1st Place ($500): Hehe Wang, "Find a New Home"
Runner up ($250): Xinyue Ma, "Success"
Runner up ($250): Siyuan Zhong, "The Place Called 'Home'"
First- and Second-Year Category
1st Place ($500): Yasmina Chafai El Alaoui, "The HB2 Who Asks for More"
Runner up ($250): Tasmeen Shiny Weerakoon, "What Page Are You On?"
Runner up ($250): Mengzhu Xia, "Exchanging Learning Experience"
Third- and Fourth-Year Category
1st Place ($500): Dubin Park, "A Drop in the Ocean"
Runner up ($250): Xuan Liang, "He Comes from San Francisco"
Runner up ($250): Qianyu Wang, "The Meaning of Success"
HWC Partnered with Milford High School
January 14, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
The Howe Writing Center partnered with the Ohio Writing Project (OWP), and our administrative staff visited Milford High School in Milford, OH, to observe their writing center. HWC administrators then engaged in a lively discussion about consulting procedures and training with Milford Writing Center’s director, student tutors, and their faculty advisors.
In April, over 30 Milford High tutors, their director, and an advisor visited the HWC for a half-day of conversation and brainstorming workshops on consulting and writing center work. These workshops were developed by Laura Tabor, our graduate assistant director, and facilitated by HWC consultants.
Booklet Highlighted Writing's Importance at Miami
January 1, 2015 | Howe Writing Center
The new Writing at Miami booklet highlighted the importance of writing and the many academic and extracurricular opportunities for writing at Miami University. The book was distributed to all Miami faculty and first-year students on the Oxford Campus, to upper-level students’ homes before the start of Fall semester, to alumni, and to various advisory boards. Read what Miami students, alumni, and faculty say about why writing matters to them and discover the many opportunities Miami provides for learning to write—and to write well—for success in college and beyond.
The Writing at Miami booklet was researched, designed, and written by Miami students with generous support from Roger L. and Joyce Lutz Howe (both class of 1957), who founded and endowed two campus writing centers–the Howe Writing Initiative in the Farmer School of Business and the Howe Center for Writing Excellence. Roger and Joyce Howe explain, “Our hope and vision is that Miami be known as one of the very best universities in the nation for graduating clear, concise, and persuasive communicators with the written word and that all graduates recognize the writing proficiency they gained at Miami as one of the most important benefits of their education.”
Fall 2014
National Day on Writing
October 20, 2014 | Howe Center for Writing Excellence
The HWC and HCWE held our first National Day on Writing activities. The HWC kept chatter going on our Facebook page, offered free pizza for students, passed out flyers, and hosted haiku writing and contests in the center. Over 40 students participated, creating great energy in the HWC.
The Howe Center for Writing Excellence also sponsored a Writing at Miami symposium for faculty and students to discuss and demonstrate the innovative ways they used writing to enhance student learning. Several 2013-14 recipients of the HCWE Faculty and Departmental Writing Grants presented the results of their grant projects. Most presenters at the symposium brought their students with them to highlight the impact of the grant on both teaching and student writing.
- Dr. Katie Johnson, Caroline Hill, and Keely Moloney (English Department): “Student Voices/Real Audiences”
- Dr. Amy Summerville (Psychology): “Professional Writing in Consumer Psychology: Creating Real Connections and Applications”
- Dr. Amity Noltemeyer (Educational Psychology): “Graduate Student Thesis Writing Workshop and Support”
- Dr. Madelyn Detloff and Nora McVey (Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies): “Writing with a Purpose: Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Communication in WGS/AAA/AMS/BWS/LAS 211”
- Dr. Mark Allen Peterson and Jaden Peterson (Anthropology)
- Dr. Julia Guichard (Theater): “Writing Tips on Video Clips”