At an international conference celebrating the power of words, FIU’s Center of Excellence in Writing was recognized for advancing multilingualism in academic writing. The center’s bilingual book, written in English and Spanish, earned the Outstanding Book Award last month in Ohio at the 2025 International Writing Center Association conference.
“Buscando las Palabras while Writing: Conversations between Writing Centers in Latin America and the United States,” champions cross-cultural collaboration among English- and Spanish-speaking writers. Through a collection of essays, reflections and dialogues, it explores how writing centers can bridge languages, cultures and communities.
Edited by Glenn Hutchinson, the center's director and an associate professor of English, the book features scholars from Mexico, Colombia and the United States. Hutchinson co-authored two chapters with Andrea Torres Perdigón of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, while one chapter was written by FIU tutors Manuel Delgadillo, Diana Rivero, Sabrina Martinez, Nicole Larraguibel and Mario Avalos.
The idea for the book emerged from a Collaborative Online International Learning partnership between FIU’s center and the one 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.
Defying traditional writing norms, the book encourages readers to see writing as transformative and ever-evolving. It emphasizes “‘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’s presence at the conference extended beyond the award. Five students and three faculty members presented six research projects, exploring writing center development, tutor training and the evolving role of AI in writing.
Building on its commitment to innovation, the center continues to lead in exploring how technology intersects with writing.
“We help writers navigate new AI writing tools and discuss how they want to express and preserve their voice and ideas as writers,” Hutchinson said.
As part of this effort, Hutchinson and graduate tutor Larraguibel have developed an AI training module for tutors and conducted a survey on student use of AI tools. Their ongoing research examines how technology can support linguistic and cultural diversity and writing.
“Writing is a process,” Hutchinson said. “Our trained staff of writing consultants and tutors can help writers in all stages of the writing process.”
