Learn how the Science Writing Fellows developed and the importance of centering writing in the sciences from this Winter 2022 feature in Barnard's Magazine.
Writing Fellows
Writing Fellows
Writing Fellows are generous and critical readers. They ask questions so that the writer can clarify, explain, expand and explore their writing. They are not tutors or TAs. It is not their role to comment on the accuracy of the content or to grade a students’ paper. We believe—and our practice reflects—that every work a writer brings us belongs to the voice of the writer.
Having finished their training, they staff the Erica Mann Jong '63 Writing Center and work in courses across the disciplines. They conference with students about written assignments to help clarify, organize, and strengthen content, so that a non-expert can understand the assignment.
Our work is built on the foundational belief that knowledge production can happen outside of a classroom and is not solely dependent on a professor. Worlds of knowledge can be built between peers and the experiences they bring to conversations when they listen and respond to each other.
Science Fellows
Science Fellows are students, often with a background in the sciences, who work as a subset of the Writing Fellows. They encourage scientific accessibility and literacy throughout campus and work closely with science faculty across departments to support students in developing skills to describe and interpret data, use scientific language clearly and concisely, and blend the skills learned in humanities classes with scientific ones. Science Writing Fellows receive the same training as do all Writing Fellows, which explores scientific writing and lab reports through critical thought and an engagement with writing pedagogy.
Barnard Writing Fellows
According to a 1992 article in Barnard Magazine, the first iteration of the Writing Fellows Program was the Writing Project. Use this timeline to explore a history of the Program, its projects, and mission.
Barnard's Year of Science featured Jasmine Wang '23, a science writing fellow who helps other students with writing assignments for their science classes.