The Flight of the Purdue OWL: An Institutional History
Title: The Flight of the Purdue OWL: An Institutional History
Authors: Harry Denny, Vicki Kennell, Garrett Colón
Publisher: Purdue University Press
Publication Date: June 2026
About the Book: This book traces the history of teaching and programming of the original Writing Lab, whose handouts and resources became the foundation of its widely accessed website, the Online Writing Lab (OWL). Drawing on archival records, interviews and director experience, the authors detail how decades of innovative writing instruction expanded a small, one-room operation into a multi-location center and world-renowned online resource. Chapters explore key leadership moments, program principles, resource development, graduate consultant outcomes and recent big-data research.
About the Authors: Harry Denny is a professor of English and the director of the Purdue OWL. His research focuses on composition studies, writing center theory and practice, cultural studies and research methods for program and writing assessment. Vicki R. Kennell is associate director for graduate and multilingual education at the Purdue OWL. In this role, she mentors graduate consultants and develops programming for graduate writers across campus. Garrett I. Colón is associate director of the Purdue OWL in Indianapolis. In supervising the daily operations of the OWL’s first urban campus location, he primarily mentors undergraduate and graduate consultants and collaborates with staff and faculty to develop a variety of writing workshops.