Excellence at the Writing Center: Dr. Hallman-Martini and Saurabh Anand receive honors at the International Writing Center Association

By Jessica DeMarco-Jacobson

Congratulations are in order for the administrative staff at the Jill and Marvin Willis Center for Writing. Dr. Hallman-Martini, the director of the Writing Center, and Saurabh Anand, the assistant director, both received honors at the 2023 International Writing Center Association Awards in October.

Hallman-Martini’s 2022 book, Disrupting the Center: A Partnership Approach to Writing Across the University, received the International Writing Center Association Texts nomination for the award ceremony. Meanwhile, Anand won the 2023 Future Leader Award. 

Hallman-Martini said that she was nominated by two of her colleagues. For her, having her work recognized by the writing center field was validating.

“I love that the writing center is a place focused specifically on supporting student writers in whatever ways they want/need,” said Hallman-Martini, noting that students can work on academic, professional, creative, and/or personal writing at the Writing Center. 

She also likes being a part of a space at the university that is less concerned with hierarchy, grades, or the “product” of writing. Additionally, Hallman-Martini finds working with consultants outside of the traditional classroom setting a rewarding experience. 

Anand described the Future Leader Award as an honor for “future Writing Center scholars and/or practitioners internationally for their leadership and commitment to the Writing Center field.” 

He added, “I am committed to focusing my research on multilingual and transnational writing centers spaces to support writers in writing center spaces, especially immigrant students in America who come to the US and feel shy about their English-speaking abilities because they do not speak as their first language.” 

Anand said the most rewarding part of working for the Writing Center was meeting people of different traditions, cultures, and ideologies. As assistant director, he tries to implement practices that boost confidence in clients.

Congratulations again to Dr. Hallman-Martini and Saurabh Anand!