Campus News

Getting it ‘Write’

2017 Faculty Writing Retreat-h.group
Pictured

Approximately 55 faculty members took part in the university’s inaugural Write@UGA Faculty Writing Retreat held May 17-18 in the Miller Learning Center.

The event, led by facilitators Lindsey Harding and Elizabeth Davis, gave faculty members an opportunity to spend two days working on and discussing writing projects in a quiet environment. Pictured, clockwise, are participants Thom Whigham, professor in the department of history, seen with Harding; Yuanfei Wang, assistant professor of comparative literature; and Lesley Feracho, associate professor of Spanish and associate director of the Institute for African American Studies.

“The retreat helps build momentum and positive energy around writing by facilitating sustained engagement in it in a comfortable environment,” Harding said. “At the same time, the retreat brings together a diverse group of faculty members, each with their own projects, to work side by side. Building energy and community around writing are precisely what Write@UGA is all about.”

Harding added the goal was to “jump-start faculty on their writing projects heading into the summer months.” Those projects included book manuscripts, research articles, conference presentations, grant proposals, fellowship proposals and creative writing projects.

“I have a book contract with Routledge, and my manuscript is due to them by June 2018,” said Sara Kutchesfahani, executive director of the Center for International Trade and Security and director of the Master of International Policy program. “When I saw the announcement for the writing retreat, I jumped at the opportunity since I knew that two full days of zero interruption was just what I needed to make a start on one of my chapters.”