Professional Development

The Center for Interdiscilplinary Writing and Research (CIWR) is a collaborative institution where Daytona State College faculty, faculty from other institutions, students and the community discuss and critique writing and research in the spirit of interdisciplinarity. No methodology is favored over another, no expression of thought - creative, scientific, or otherwise - left unconsidered. We sponsor lectures, workshops, and conferences of scholarly and artistic form. We are advocates for collaboration and cooperation between the humanities, fine arts, social sciences, and sciences, and we assert that each of these domains, in part and in union, plays an essential role in conceptualizing and improving the human condition.

For more information, contact Michael Mallott at Michael.Mallott@DaytonaState.edu. 

CIWR welcomes colleagues from across disciplines!

CIWR provides a "working" space for all faculty members who are interested in writing, revising, or exhibiting their work, from conference presentation or publication to multi-media art and performance. Have interest in turning your ideas into an article? Need some feedback on a piece of writing? Want to share strategies with colleagues about publication, performance, or presentations? Would you like to have a roundtable discussion about a particular academic article dealing with current trends or methodologies? Care to give a talk on what you learned from a grant you recently submitted? Scholars from all departments and disciplines are strongly encouraged.

For additional details on the Center for Interdiscilplinary Writing and Research (CIWR) please visit their webpage: www.ciwr.net

The Virtual Undergraduate Research Conference (VURC) is an annual conference highlighting undergraduate research. The conference is entirely virtual and free to participants (presenters and attendees). Undergraduate students and faculty whose work involves undergraduates are encouraged to participate.

Who can participate? The short answer- You! Undergraduate students from all disciplines can present their original research in either a poster or paper format. Faculty and others who incorporate undergraduates in the research process can also present their research in a paper format. Further, faculty and others who wish to discuss the undergraduate research process and other topics related to undergraduate research can propose a “big idea” discussion. For example, we had discussions about open science practices in undergraduate research and unconventional approaches to conducting research. And if you just want to watch the presentations, that’s fine too. This conference is free for everyone.

Why should I participate? VURC was created to give opportunities to showcase undergraduate research in a easy and free format. Often, undergraduate researchers and even their mentors face too many obstacles to present their work. The cost of travel and registration fees may prohibit participation in other conferences. To facilitate sharing undergraduate research, we developed VURC to eliminate many of the main barriers to participation. To further motivate you to consider participation, here are some other benefits:

• Opportunities to hear about research outside of your major/area of interest
• Prizes (in the form of gift cards) for first (student) authors of the top 3 poster and paper presentations
• Easy participation (completely virtual)
• No cost to participation (absolutely no fees to participate, either as presenter or audience

How does the conference work? Three different presentation types are:

• Poster presenters- Poster sessions will last 25 minutes and represent research by undergraduate students. Presenters are given 2-3 minutes to summarize their work. Extra time is provided for questions from the audience. Posters are uploaded to Twitter (X) before the session with a hashtag (e.g. #CIWRVURC2023 for the 2023 conference).
• Paper presenters– Paper sessions will last 25 minutes and represent research conducted by students and faculty. Presenters are given 7-10 minutes to present their work with additional time provided for questions from the audience.
• “Big idea” presenters- Because this type of presentation could take many forms, there is greater variety in presentation delivery. These presentations tend to be more interactive with the audience than the other two types of presentations; however, presenters have flexibility to decide what format will work best for the ideas under discussion. The time alloted to these presentations minutes will be set aside for these presentations unless presenters request more or less time.

To reinterate the highlights:

• Easy to participate as presenter or audience (Free, virtual format)
• The conference will take place on April 19, 2024 (check here or social media for updates on the exact date and to access the presentation proposal form)
• Prizes will be awarded to the top 3 (as judged by CIWR personnel) student, first author poster and paper presenters.

Additional details about the 2024 VURC and access to the presentation proposal submission form can be found at:  www.ciwr.net/vurc/ 

Journal of Florida Studies is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the study and appreciation of Florida. The journal features research articles, but also includes poetry, fiction, photography, and other digital arts. JFS is an outgrowth of the Center for Interdisciplinary Writing and Research (CIWR) at Daytona State College and the Florida Studies Program at the St. Petersburg Campus of the University of South Florida.

You can access the Journal of Florida Studies at www.journaloffloridastudies.org