FIU’s Center of Excellence in Writing received the Outstanding Book Award at the 2025 International Writing Center Association conference held in Ohio. The award recognized the center’s bilingual book, “Buscando las Palabras while Writing: Conversations between Writing Centers in Latin America and the United States,” which is written in both English and Spanish.
The book highlights cross-cultural collaboration among writers who speak English and Spanish. It brings together essays, reflections, and dialogues to examine how writing centers can connect different languages, cultures, and communities.
Glenn Hutchinson, director of FIU’s Center of Excellence in Writing and associate professor of English, edited the book. He co-authored two chapters with Andrea Torres Perdigón from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. Another chapter was written by FIU tutors Manuel Delgadillo, Diana Rivero, Sabrina Martinez, Nicole Larraguibel, and Mario Avalos.
The concept for the book originated from a Collaborative Online International Learning partnership between FIU’s writing center and its counterpart at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.
“Through that collaboration between our tutor training classes, we realized there was so much to learn from one another,” Hutchinson said.
According to the book’s abstract: “‘the connection between a creative process with no limits and the variety of advantages found in translingualism,’ states the book abstract. ‘Its authors researched writing center philosophy and practice, and the politics of language.’”
FIU also participated more broadly at the conference by presenting six research projects led by five students and three faculty members. These presentations covered topics such as writing center development, tutor training methods, and how artificial intelligence is influencing writing practices.
Hutchinson explained that innovation remains central to their mission: “We help writers navigate new AI writing tools and discuss how they want to express and preserve their voice and ideas as writers.”
In line with this focus on technology integration, Hutchinson collaborated with graduate tutor Larraguibel to develop an AI training module for tutors. They also conducted a survey examining student use of AI tools as part of ongoing research into supporting linguistic diversity through technology.
“Writing is a process,” Hutchinson said. “Our trained staff of writing consultants and tutors can help writers in all stages of the writing process.”
