The “publish or perish” culture continues to place graduate students under pressure to demonstrate their research productivity (i.e., producing and disseminating knowledge). Academic conferences, as a typical scholarly site of knowledge dissemination, offer invaluable opportunities for graduate students to socialize into their communities of practice, raise their visibility within the field, and receive formative feedback from peers. However, for those new to conference experiences, the proposal-writing process can feel confusing and even daunting. In this interactive workshop, drawing on my experience as a conference reviewer and strand coordinator, I provide tips and tricks for graduate students to craft competitive conference proposals, the ticket to presenting at academic conferences. Specifically, I will walk participants through the genre features of conference proposals, share effective writing strategies, demystify the often behind-the-scenes reviewing process, and introduce pathways for graduate students to serve as conference reviewers. Participants are encouraged to bring draft proposals for optional on-site consultation and feedback.

Presenter Bio: Andy Jiahao Liu is a first-year Ph.D. student in Language, Literacy, and Social Studies Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning. He is a regular reviewer for conferences such as the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, the TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo, and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention. He currently serves as the Strand Coordinator for the Reading, Writing, and Literacy Strand of the TESOL International Convention & English Language Expo.