Stay up to date with the Graduate Writing and Presenting Lab’s programs and other graduate student events.
Do you have a question or suggestion about a GWPL event or service? Contact us!
Fall 2025 Events
Workshops and Programs
Wednesday, September 17 / 12PM-1PM / Zoom
Grad School Crash Course
Presented by Jordan Scott and the Enrollment Services Team
Have you ever asked yourself any of the following questions: “Who is my advisor?” “How do I form a committee?” “What even is a committee?” “What are comprehensive exams and do I even have to take them?” “What’s the difference between a thesis and a dissertation?” “What does ‘ABD’ mean?” Whether you are in a master’s or doctorate, there’s a lot of lingo to learn and academic culture to adapt to. Make sure you’re ready! Join the GWPL and the Graduate School’s Enrollment Services team, to navigate both the written and unwritten rules of grad school in this hour-long crash course.
Monday, September 22 / 4PM-5PM / Zoom
NSF GRFP Fellowship Info Session
Presented by Molly Robinson
Are you a graduate student in your first or second year in a STEM-based discipline? Are you interested in three years of funding while in grad school? Are you a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident? Then please join us for an informational session about the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP)!
Thursday, October 2 / 12PM-1PM / Zoom
Reading with Focus and Purpose
Presented by Jordan Scott
Studying by simply reading and re-reading is one of the least effective forms of studying. The problem is that readers often read passively and without absorbing information. After reading the previous sentence, for example, did you move to this one and continue reading without processing what you had just read? Most readers do. We often don’t pause to think about what we have read. This workshop will offer graduate-level study strategies in addition to methods to maximize learning while reading purposefully.
Wednesday, October 15 / 10AM-11AM / Zoom
Writing Outlines to Improve and Accelerate Your Writing
Presented by Meng Gao
Starting a new writing project or presentation? An outline is the perfect way to plan out your project! Even if you use AI, consider signing up: this workshop will help you get started and stay on track!
Monday, October 20 / 10:30AM-11AM / Zoom
Time Management for Graduate Students
Presented by Jordan Scott
Have you ever wished there were extra hours in the day? In this 30-minute workshop, we will introduce time management strategies and help you identify approaches that might work for you so you will be better prepared to make each day a productive one.
Wednesday, November 12 / 11:00AM-12:00PM / Zoom
Presenting Your Scientific Poster
Presented by Meng Gao and Molly Robinson
Discover groundbreaking research at our virtual Scientific Poster Showcase! Join us for an hour of innovation and inspiration. Don’t miss this chance to explore cutting-edge ideas and connect with brilliant minds across disciplines. Be there as the future of science unfolds before your eyes!
Thursday, November 13 / 2:00PM-3:00PM / Zoom
Overcoming Writer’s Block
Presented by Jordan Scott
Many of us wait around until inspiration strikes, or until we feel ready to tackle our big writing project(s). Other times, we struggle to make progress because we worry our writing might not be “good enough.” These diversions and resistances often prevent us from starting our writing in the first place. The truth is: training yourself as a writer means coming up with a working routine that you grow inside. If you practice, manage your writing time (alongside your expectations of yourself!), you will improve. In this workshop, we will discuss step-by-step methods, planning strategies, and tricks you can employ to make your writing process easier on yourself—strategies you can apply to your seminar papers, call for proposals, research projects, creative work, and beyond.
Tuesday, December 2 / 10:00AM-11:00AM / Zoom
AI and Graduate Writing
Presented by Jordan Scott
Many students have come to rely on generative artificial intelligence or ChatGPT for their writing. While AI can make writing easy, it can also make it bland, uninspired, and easy for a reader to recognize it as AI generated. In this session, we will talk about how to put your own, human voice back into your writing and improve its structure. In this workshop, we will navigate the “do’s and dont’s” of graduate writing and AI.
Fall 2025 Writing Groups
Dissertation/Thesis Proposal Writing Group (Synchronous via Zoom)
Proposals are a key part of graduate work across all fields as well as a critical step in the initial stage of the research process. Participants in this writing group will make progress on their own proposals while strengthening their writing skills through a recurring peer-review and self-revision process. Throughout the semester, this group will meet for four (4) synchronous group sessions over Zoom with the additional option of a one-on-one meeting with a Graduate Writing and Presenting Lab (GWPL) writing consultant. Please note, as of Monday, September 15, 2025, the Dissertation/Thesis Proposal Group is full/closed. We will run this group again in Spring 2025, so stay tuned!
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program Writing Group: If you plan on applying to the NSF-GRFP, consider joining our writing group this fall! More information will be coming soon.
Contact us via email at gradwritingcenter@etal.uri.edu to learn more about our writing groups!