The Writing Innovation Symposium is a two-day, on-campus and online event open to all current Marquette affiliates for free with registration required by Tuesday, January 20. The symposium will be held Jan. 29-30 in Raynor Library.
The symposium is designed for anyone who writes, studies writing or teaches writing in formal and informal settings, including instructors, tutors, graduate teaching assistants, teachers in training, mentors, advisors, supervisors and anyone who regularly fields writing questions from colleagues, friends or family.
This year’s theme, “Artifact,” invites participants to explore the intersection of art and fact. Programming on Thursday will include five-minute flashtalks, workshops, posters and installations addressing topics such as memes and media literacy, community engagement, science writing, workplace writing and teaching in the generative artificial intelligence era.
Friday’s schedule will be hands-on and feature a zine workshop with guest maker and scholar Dr. Jason Luther, an artifact exchange and closing remarks from guest teacher-scholars Drs. Cydney Alexis and Hannah Rule.
WIS 2026 kick-off events will be held Jan. 28 and are free with separate registration. Events include “Beyond Blue Books: Collages, Zines, and Other Punk Reading Pedagogies” at 9 a.m.; “Zine Slam” from 12:15 to 2 p.m.; and “Making Zines, Making Change” at 5 p.m., a conversation with Chicago and Milwaukee DIY art figures Marc Fischer, Kirsten Leenaars, Liz Mason, Milo Miller and Jason Luther.
The symposium is supported by the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Lemonis Center for Student Success, the Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette English/FAME, Raynor Library and Macmillan Learning. WIS is led by Jenn Fishman with Darci Thoune, Gitte Frandsen, Grant Gosizk, Hannah Locher, Jessica Yood, Kaia Simon, Kelsey Otero, Lilly Campbell, Max Gray, Najma Ibrahim, Natalie Taylor, Nora Boxer, Olivia Stoltman and Susan Bernstein.
