Creating Connections 2025

Our theme for the 8th annual Creating Connections symposium on writing pedagogy is “Writing Across.” This theme invites us to think about the ways writing forms bridges across disciplines, modalities, and cultures. Thoughtful composition–whether prose, poetry, or non-alphabetic text–cuts through noisy distraction to foster real, authentic connection. This year’s symposium engages this theme through several interactive workshops on topics ranging from integrating cultural heritage and dialogue into writing courses, to framing writing as an opportunity in STEM courses, to creative pedagogies in language and writing instruction. Instructors will come away with tips and tricks to help their students develop their voices in a range of writing contexts.

This event is free, and we welcome interested UCLA graduate students, instructors, library staff, and administrators from all departments and units to attend – please spread the word! Creating Connections is intended as an in-person event, but we will provide a Zoom link (via RSVP) for those who would like to watch remotely.

Watch this space for a link to RSVP and more information!

Location

Hershey Salon (Hershey Hall 158)
Zoom information will be provided via RSVP.

Schedule

Coffee, chat, and welcome

Join us for some breakfast goodies and time to chat with fellow instructors.

9:30 – 10:00
Workshop 

Food for Thought: Honoring Heritage in Writing/Language Learning

Description: Coming soon.

Moderator: Dominiqua Dickey (she/her/hers), UCLA Writing Programs, Continuing Lecturer

Workshop Leaders:

Erin Mauffray (she/her/ella), UCLA Department of Spanish & Portuguese, Assistant Adjunct Professor
Ivy Kwok (she/her/hers), UCLA Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, PhD Candidate
Felicia Graham (she/her/ella), UCLA Department of Education, PhD Candidate

10:00-11:15
Break and Conversation

11:15-11:30
Workshop 

Framing Writing as Opportunity in STEM Courses

Description: Coming soon.

Workshop Leaders:

Chloe Bell-Wilson (she/her), History Department
Caitlyn Fick (she/her), Chemistry and Biochemistry Department
Dana Cairns Watson (She/her), UCLA Writing Programs, HSSEAS Electrical and Computer Engineering, UCLA Science Hub for Humanity and Artificial Intelligence
David James (he/they), Earth, Planetary, and Space Science Department

11:30 – 12:45
Lunch and Conversation

Lunch will be provided!

12:45-1:30
Workshop 

Play, Place, and the Personal: Creative Pedagogies to Motivate Writing in the Classroom and Beyond

Description: Coming soon.

Workshop Leaders:

Grace Critchfield (she/her) MFA student, Department of Theater, Film & Television
Sparrow Gates (she/hers), PhD student, Near Eastern Language and Culture Department
Aron Walker (he/him), PhD student, Department of Economics
Janel Pineda (she/her), PhD student, Department of Chicana/o and Central American Studies
Tara Prescott-Johnson (she/her), Continuing Lecturer, Writing Programs

1:30-3:00

2025 Steering Committee:

Chloe Bell-Wilson (she/her), History and Clusters
Peggy Davis (she/her), Writing Programs
James Epps (he/him), Information Studies and Clusters
Laurel Westrup (she/her), Writing Programs

2025 Volunteers:

coming soon

Thank You

Nubia Cardoso-Arizmendi, Administrative Assistant, CEILS
Christine Holten, Director of Writing Programs
Sara Hosegera, Curriculum Planning Analyst, Writing Programs
Chris Thompson, IT Manager, Writing Programs & English

This year’s symposium was made possible by

CEILS/CIRTL

This symposium was organized by students in the Graduate Certificate in Writing Pedagogy in consultation with faculty and staff in UCLA Writing Programs.