Overcoming Writing Barriers (4-session series)

When: Tuesdays, March 10th, 17th, 31st, & April 7th, 4-5:30pm EST
Where: Building E17, room 136 (40 Ames St.)

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Writing a Scientific Journal Article

When: Tuesdays, Feb 10th, 17th, 24th, and Mar 3rd, 4-5:30pm EST
Where: Building E17, room 136 (40 Ames St.)

Writing a journal article can be a daunting task, characterized by frustration instead of progress. This four-part workshop series will breakdown the task of writing an empirical journal article into manageable pieces so that you can move your project forward. Led by WCC lecturer Adrienne Tierney, Ed.D, we will discuss how to approach each section and how to use writing as a problem-solving tool in creating a meaningful paper that conveys your research clearly and effectively.

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Public Writing Certificate Program

When: Application deadline is February 12

We invite graduate students and postdocs to apply to the new Public Writing Certificate Program. This program will equip you with essential skills for communicating your research beyond academia and joining public conversations. Meeting weekly in an interactive, in-person format, you will learn strategies for conveying complex ideas in public-facing genres while developing your voice as writers. Through instruction, collaborative activities, and weekly assignments supported by individual coaching, participants will move from initial concepts to polished pieces. Develop your professional communication skills while reinvigorating your scholarly practice by discovering new connections between your research and public concerns.  

Previous Workshops

IAP 2026

Mastering Your Master’s Thesis

In this two-part Zoom series, WCC Lecturer Adrienne Tierney will help you plan and organize the writing process so that the thesis is successful and that you learn as much as you can from writing it. You are encouraged to attend both workshops but may also sign up either one.

Part 1: Planning for Success: Tuesday, January 20th, 12-1:30pm

This workshop will help you organize your time and devise a plan for writing your thesis that sets you up for success. We’ll discuss how to map out the thesis, how to create a writing plan with realistic milestones and deadlines, and how to build in support as you carry out the writing. (This workshop focuses on making a plan for the spring semester, assuming a thesis deadline of late spring).

Part 2: Writing for Mastery: Thursday, January 22nd, 12-1:130pm

The purpose of the master’s degree is to develop expertise in a specialized field, and the expectation is to write a thesis that makes a novel contribution to your field. But what does ‘contribution’ mean in the context of the pages and chapters of your thesis? What does it mean to develop expertise through the process of writing a master’s thesis? We’ll discuss how to balance the academic expectations with the need to stay focused and efficient in getting the writing done.

Location: Zoom (pre-registration is required to receive the link)

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Styling Your Academic Writing (5-session series)

This series will teach you how to develop a clear, effective writing style and express your authorial voice whether you craft your prose from scratch or begin with a GenAI-assisted draft. We will explore how to shape writing that is concise, coherent, and engaging across academic, technical, and public contexts. Through guided examples and hands-on exercises, you will learn strategies for diagnosing stylistic weaknesses, strengthening flow and precision, and refining the choices that give your writing personality, clarity, and impact. Designed for students, postdocs, and researchers in all fields, each session provides tools you can apply in any stage of the writing process and to any type of draft.

Part 1: Clear It Up (Thu, Jan 8th, 12-1:00pm)
In this session, you will learn how to clarify your meaning in complex sentences.

Part 2: Help It Flow (Fri, Jan 9th, 12-1:00pm)
It is also important to enhance the cohesion and coherence of your sentences and paragraphs.

Part 3: Trim It Down (Tue, Jan 13th, 12-1:00pm)
Your next step is to learn how to cut down your word count so that every word matters.

Part 4: Word It Well (Wed, Jan 14th, 12-1:00pm)
To improve your style, use precise and effective wording to increase clarity and thick description.

Part 5: Make It Shine (Thu, Jan 15th, 12-1:00pm)
Academic writing does not have to be boring and insipid. Here you will play with sentences, explore rhetorical devices, and have fun with punctuation.

Location: Zoom (pre-registration is required to receive the link)

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Writing About YOU

When: Mon, Jan 12th, 12-1:30pm
Where: Zoom (pre-registration is required to receive the link)

Everyone has a story to tell, whether about life-changing moments or a memorable relationship, journey or event. In this workshop, Susan Spilecki, WCC Lecturer, instructor of writing and poet, will discuss literary devices that make good fiction—such as character, point of view, setting, conflict, and dialogue—to create a piece of narrative nonfiction that will engage readers. During this program, you will identify a significant experience and start the writing process. Whether you need to write another application essay or hope to build a long-form memoir, this workshop will get you started in finding your voice and telling your story.

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Creating a Literature Review (2-session series)

Creating a literature review is a foundational step in any research process. Whether part of a larger work, such as a thesis or journal article, or a standalone text, a ‘lit review’ shows your awareness and understanding of the academic literature on your research topic. It also critically engages that literature as a contextualization and justification for your research. 

This two-session workshop series, offered by the MIT Writing and Communication Center, explores the fundamentals of designing and building a literature review. Led by WCC Lecturer Chris Featherman, PhD, the workshops consider the following:  

• how GenAI tools, when used critically and responsibly, can facilitate and expedite the crafting of a lit review
• what a lit review can accomplish, how and why it accomplishes those goals
• how to plan and organize a literature review
• how to find an entry point into a research conversation
• how to synthesize sources into fluid, engaging writing

Session 1: Designing a Literature Review (Tue, Jan 6th, 11am-12:15pm)

Session 2: Building a Literature Search (Wed, Jan 7th, 11am-12:15pm)

Location: Zoom (pre-registration is required to receive the link)

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Fall 2025

Joining the Conversation: Using Sources in Academic Writing

When: Wed, Oct 15, 4-5:30pm
Where: Building 66, Room 148

We use source materials in academic writing to provide background information, to support claims, and to establish credibility – in short, to join a scholarly conversation. But how do we incorporate sources into our work? Led by WCC Lecturer and Communication Specialist Pamela Siska, Ph.D., this interactive workshop will cover the basics of citing, quoting, and paraphrasing, as well as more complicated topics such as common knowledge and self-plagiarism.

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Writing Your Dissertation Proposal in the Humanities and Social Sciences

When: Tue, Oct 14, 4-5:30pm
Where: Building E17, Room 136

Your dissertation journey starts with one small but vital step: the prospectus. In this workshop, WCC Lecturer Sophie Richardson, Ph.D., will share what makes a strong prospectus in the humanities and social sciences. You will learn how to shape a clear, persuasive proposal that not only secures approval but also sets up your dissertation for long-term success.

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Merit and Impact: Writing a Compelling NSF-GRFP Statements

When: Thu, Oct 9, 4-5:30pm
Where: Building 4, Room 149

Join us for a workshop on how to write your personal and research statements for the NSF-GRFP application. While the program is clear that you need to address the intellectual merit and broader impacts in both statements, figuring out how to do so in a unique and engaging way can be a challenge. We’ll talk about tips and strategies to make your writing more effective so that you can strengthen your application.

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WriteWise: Effective Research and Writing Strategies

When: Sep 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30, Oct 2, 7
Time: 4-5:30pm
Location: building E17 room 136

During this eight-session workshop series, we will share strategies, guidance, and insights that cover all stages of the writing process, from developing and shaping your ideas and working with sources to polishing a final draft for submission or publication. Working in an interactive, collaborative, hands-on environment, you will learn and practice skills you can easily apply to your own writing projects no matter your discipline.

StartWise: Starting Your Research-Based Writing Project (Thu., Sep. 11)
ReadWise: Effective Reading and Note-Taking (Tue., Sep. 16)
CiteWise: Citing Sources & Avoiding Plagiarism (Thu., Sep. 18)
SignificanceWise: Identifying the “So What” of Your Work (Tue., Sep. 23)
ProcessWise: Developing Your Project and Maintaining Writing Momentum (Thu., Sep., 25)
AbstractWise: Writing a Strong Abstract (Tue., Sep. 30)
PolishWise: Fine-Tuning for Clarity and Style (Thu., Oct. 2)
TitleWise: Crafting Effective Titles (Tue., Oct. 7)

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When: Sep 9th, 4-5:30pm
Location: E17-136

The statement of purpose (SOP) is a critical component of a doctoral application. But as a document that needs to communicate your background, academic preparation, research interests, and match with a particular program all in one, it can be quite challenging to write! This workshop, taught by WCC Lecturer, Adrienne Tierney, EdD, will take you step-by-step through the expected components of an SOP. We will examine examples of successful statements and discuss how to organize your content, avoid typical pitfalls, and draft a compelling narrative. 

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Communicate to Connect: Mastering Active Listening and the Academic Elevator Pitch

When: Wednesday, Aug 27th, 10-11:30am and 3:00-4:30pm
Where: 6-120

Boost your communication skills and kickstart your grad school journey! During this event, you will craft and perfect your elevator pitch, essential for making lasting impressions in various academic settings. Interacting with peers from across the disciplines and the institute, you’ll also sharpen your active listening skills, an indispensable tool in any communicator’s toolbox. Plus, you will learn firsthand how the Writing and Communication Center (WCC) can be your ally in achieving your writing and communication goals throughout grad school.  Don’t miss out on this chance to equip yourself with the tools you need for success at MIT!

NOTE: This event is part of “Choose your own adventure” breakout sessions across campus — please register through the Office of Graduate Education (OGE) Orientation event list or come to this event directly.

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Writing and Communication Center Open House Extravaganza!

When: Aug 27th, 12-3pm
Where: E18-233 (50 Ames Street, the second floor)

The expectations for academic communication at MIT are challenging for many graduate students. If you want to enhance your writing and communication skills, come and explore what the Writing and Communication Center (WCC) can offer to you at our Open House extravaganza event. You will talk to the Director and Lecturers of the program to get an inside look at our resources, services, and how we can support your academic and professional growth. Whether you need help with writing assignments, presentations, or honing your communication skills, our team of communication specialists is here to assist you. We look forward to seeing you at the WCC!

NOTE: This event is part of “Choose your own adventure” breakout sessions across campus — please register through the Office of Graduate Education (OGE) Orientation event list or come to this event directly.

SpeakSmart: Communicating Research with Clarity and Impact

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Strengthen Your Writing

When: February 20, 27 and April 10, 17
Time: 4-5:30pm
Location: Building E17 room 136 (in person)

In this four-part workshop series, WCC Lecturer and Communication Specialist, Chris Featherman, Ph.D., will teach you skills and strategies that will help you develop, draft, revise, and refine your writing projects.  

Session 1. Setting Out for the Territory: Starting Your Writing Project (Feb. 20^th)
Session 2. Get Building! Drafting Your Writing Project (Feb. 27^th)
Session 3. How to Revise: Strategies for Focusing and Improving Your Writing Project (Apr. 10^th)
Session 4. How to Edit Your Writing (Apr. 17^th) 

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MIT Research Slam 2025: Submit Before March 10th to Compete for Thousands in Prizes!

The MIT Research Slam is a research presentation that builds on the classic “elevator pitch” or 3 Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Presenters explain their research to a curious, non-specialist audience in under three minutes (strictly enforced) using one slide with no animation, video, or props.

PhDs and postdocs compete in separate categories. Finalists will be selected from among video submissions (due Monday, March 10), and each finalist will present their research talk live at the 2025 MIT Research SLAM Showcase on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 in the Wong Auditorium. For more information about MIT Research Slam, check https://researchslam.mit.edu/. 

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Writing about Numbers: Communicating Quantitative Information Clearly

When: Thursday, March 6th, 4-5:30pm
Location: Building E17 room 136 (in person)

Writing about numbers is an indispensable skill for communicators across the disciplines. Whether sharing your experimental results, supporting a stance or policy recommendation with quantitative evidence, or conveying financial information in a report, your job as a writer is to present this data clearly and effectively in straightforward prose. 

Sounds like a communication tool you want to sharpen or add to your writer’s toolbox? Then join us at this NEW workshop led by WCC Lecturer and communication specialist Chris Featherman, PhD, this interactive, hands-on workshop will help you do the following:

• Establish the context for quantitative data
• Design paragraphs for communicating numbers
• Report numbers in the text and relate them back to the main topic
• Describe and summarize patterns in your quantitative data
• Present numbers without jargon to non-specialist audiences

Pre-registration is required to participate, and the session will not be recorded. Light refreshments will be served. 

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Craft to Win – Creating a Compelling 3-Minute Talk

When: Wednesday, Feb 5th, 3:30-5pm EST
Where: Building E19, room 202

This hands-on workshop will help you develop key skills to prepare your own talk, such as distilling your central message, building it into an engaging story, and crafting a visually appealing slide.

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Deliver to Win – Presenting Your 3-Minute Talk Effectively

When: Wednesday, Feb 12th, 3:30-5pm EST
Where: Building E19, room 202

This hands-on workshop will help you build confidence as a presenter and will equip you with life-long tools for delivering your ideas eloquently, engagingly, and effectively. Registration is required to attend the Zoom meeting.

NOTE: This workshop is designed for everyone who wants to enhance their presentation skills, as well as those who plan to participate in the institute-wide Research Slam Competition, featuring postdocs and PhD students. 

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Revising Your Poetry

Wed, Jan 22nd, 2025
1-2:30pm
by Zoom

In this workshop, Susan Spilecki,  a published poet and a WCC Instructor, will explore ways to strengthen our poetry by capturing a reader’s mind and emotions through vivid imagery, dynamic language and careful use of rhythm, stanza and line structures. In addition to revising poems, you will have a chance to develop your own poetics: your own sense of what poetry is and should be.

Please bring one poem that you are working on and come ready to give and receive constructive feedback. If you do not have a poem, but want to learn strategies, we can provide a draft of a poem to you.

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Storytelling Strategies Workshop Series 

When: Thursdays, 3:30-5pm
Oct 10 & 24; Nov 7 & 21
Where: Building 24 room 121

Humans are hardwired for stories, and telling stories can be an effective way to convey your research and engage diverse audiences—no matter your academic discipline or professional field. Develop and sharpen your storytelling skills in this four-part workshop series lead by MIT Writing and Communication Center (WCC) Lecturer Chris Featherman, PhD. During these workshops you’ll learn how to:

• use story to structure your academic, professional, and public communication
• engage audiences about your research through storytelling principles
• convey data with impact using narrative strategies
• develop and deploy metaphors and analogies to explain and persuade
• connect with public audiences through story
• use stories to make your communication more engaging and inclusive

Session 1: Storytelling Principles for Academic and Professional Communication (Thursday, Oct. 10th, 3:30-5:00 p.m.)

Humans are hardwired for stories, and telling stories can be an effective way to convey your research and engage your audience—no matter your academic discipline or professional field. In this workshop, led by MIT Writing and Communication Center Lecturer Chris Featherman, PhD, you will learn and practice strategies for finding stories in your research, using story structure to communicate your ideas, and choosing language that will help you connect with your audience.

Session 2: Conveying Your Data with Impact through Storytelling (Thursday, Oct. 24th, 3:30-5:00 p.m.)

Data-driven insights are only valuable if we can to communicate them to our audience, and what better way to do so than through the power of storytelling. In this workshop, led by MIT Writing and Communication Center Lecturer Chris Featherman, PhD, you will learn how to use storytelling strategies to explain your data, create impact, and inspire action.

Session 3: Using Metaphors and Analogies to Explain and Persuade (Thursday, Nov. 7th, 3:30-5:00 p.m. )

Metaphors and analogies can be powerful tools for explaining complex ideas. They can make unfamiliar ideas familiar, ground concepts at a human level, and even shape new knowledge—when used well. In this workshop, led by MIT Writing and Communication Center Lecturer Chris Featherman, PhD, you will learn how metaphors and analogies work, how to design and deploy them effectively, and how to avoid the pitfalls of metaphor and analogy misuse and abuse.

Session 4: Connecting with Public Audiences through Story (Thursday,  Nov. 21st, 3:30-5:00 p.m. )

What societal impact can your research make if the public doesn’t know about it? How can researchers make their findings both understandable and compelling to public audiences? These questions and more will be addressed in this workshop led by MIT Writing and Communication Center Lecturer Chris Featherman, PhD. Whether you’re a civic scientist, a budding public intellectual, or a changemaker, you’ll learn how to better engage  public audiences through the power of story.

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Crafting a Compelling Abstract

When: Tue, Nov 12th, 2024
Time: 4-5:30pm
Location: 56-169

For your paper to be successful, people have to actually read it. A compelling abstract is essential for capturing readers’ attention and making them want to read more. But writing an effective abstract is challenging because you need to summarize what motivated you, what you did, and what you found, in a small number of words. In this workshop, WCC Lecturer Adrienne Tierney, EdD, will analyze sample abstracts, discuss editing strategies, and guide you through revising abstracts. You will leave with a better understanding of how to write a strong abstract that clearly presents your research.

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WriteWise: Effective Research and Writing Strategies

Join this ‘WriteWise’ series to master essential research and writing skills. From honing your reading techniques and using sources effectively to explaining why your work matters and crafting impactful titles, each workshop equips you with the tools needed to excel in academia and beyond.

When: Oct 2, 9, 16, 23
Time: 5-6:30pm
Location: building E17 room 136;

Session 1: ReadWise: The Art of Effective Reading (Wed, Oct 2nd, 5-6:30pm, E17-136)

The amount of academic and professional information we need to keep up with keeps expanding. So, how do we make the most of the time and energy we have for reading? And how do we optimize our ability to retain what we need to know or revisit? This workshop focuses on reading strategies and note-taking/documentation techniques that maximize reading comprehension, critical thinking, memory, and retention.

Session 2: CiteWise: Using, Not Abusing, Sources (Wed, Oct 9th, 5-6:30pm, E17-136)

We use source materials in academic writing to provide background information, to support claims, and to establish credibility – in short, to join a scholarly conversation. But how do we incorporate sources into our work effectively and responsibly? This interactive workshop will cover the basics of citing, quoting, and paraphrasing, as well as more complicated topics such as common knowledge and self-plagiarism.

Session 3: SignificanceWise: Explaining Why Your Work Matters (Wed, Oct 16th, 5-6:30pm, E17-136))

When graduate students and postdocs present their ideas to diverse audiences, they need to convey that their work matters. For the general public, funding agencies, hiring managers, blog posts, video interviews, social settings, and scientists from other fields – it’s essential that the audience understand the importance of your research. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to leave your listeners with a positive image of what you’re contributing.

Session 4: TitleWise: Crafting Effective Titles (Wed, Oct 23rd, 5-6:30pm, E17-136)

Do your titles attract attention and get remembered? Learn to craft concise, memorable titles by choosing key words to gain attention and capturing the relevance of your study. We’ll discuss criteria for titles, and you’ll leave with techniques for creating strong ones.

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Designing Effective and Inclusive Presentation Slides

When: Thu, Oct 3rd
Time: 3:30-5pm
Location: 24-121

Are you looking to up your presentation game? Then come join the MIT Writing and Communication Center for this interactive, hands-on workshop on visual communication. You’ll learn how to replace those old dull, overcrowded, data-dump slides with clear, elegant, persuasive ones that engage and include diverse audiences.

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Introducing Introductions: Setting the Scene

Why do we, as strategic readers, focus on introductory paragraphs or sections before deciding whether to delve further into any extended text? How do we as effective writers provide readers the context they need to proceed smoothly? This workshop will examine how introductions across various academic disciplines and genres set the scene for, or “frame” what follows so that a text’s territory and purpose are clear to either casual or deeply intentional readers.

When: Wen, Jan 24th, 2024
Time: 1:30-3pm
Location: Zoom (pre-registration is required to receive the Zoom link)

Small Talk/Big Results: Connecting with your Peers and Neighbor

When: Oct 5, 4-5:30pm
Location: Building E17 room 136 (in person)

Research has shown that small talk not only fosters a sense of belonging but generally makes people happier, yet many of us dread it. Introverts often think it’s something only extraverts can do, non-native speakers may worry they’ll say the wrong thing or not be understood, and not all cultures rely on it to make social connections. However, in diverse cultures and environments such as ours, small talk is essential in connecting with others; in academic and professional settings, small talk plays an essential role in building community and rapport among students and colleagues. Anyone can learn small talk skills and become more comfortable and confident enjoying small talk in daily life. This workshop is designed to get you started.

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Email Alchemy: Effective Communication with Advisors and Collaborators

When: Wed, May 3rd, 2023
Time: 12-1:30pm
Location: Building E19 room 202 (in person)

Registration via Handshake is required.

If you find yourself agonizing as you compose emails to your faculty, advisors, PI, colleagues, or collaborators, this one’s for you! In this workshop, designed for graduate students and postdocs, we will discuss what really matters in professional email communication at this level, and the characteristics of an effective email. We will address special considerations of email etiquette within the context of research and academic life and examine some examples. By the end of this workshop, you will be equipped with strategies and tools to craft even your trickiest and highest-stakes professional emails with ease and confidence. Co-produced by the Writing and Communication Center and Graduate Student Professional Development. Lunch Provided.

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Nuts and Bolts of Asking for a Recommendation Letter

When: Wed, April 26th, 2023
Time: 4-5:30pm
Location: Building E19 room 202 (in person)

This workshop will provide you with practical guidance on how to approach and request recommendation letters from professors, PIs, advisors, or other professional contacts. During the workshop, you will learn how to choose the right person, make a polite and compelling request, and follow up with your contacts. We will also discuss common mistakes to avoid when asking for recommendation letters and strategies for building strong relationships with potential recommenders. By the end of the workshop, you will have the knowledge and confidence to request recommendation letters that will help you achieve your academic and professional goals.

This program is geared towards graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at any stage of their academic career. This workshop is organized as a collaboration between the Writing and Communication Center and the MIT Graduate Student Council. Pastries and drinks will be provided.

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