Nilima Hakim Mow, PhD student in Linguistics in the Department of English at George Mason University, has been selected as a recipient of the Scholars for the Dream Travel Award from the Conference on College Composition and Communication.
The Scholars for the Dream Award supports emerging scholars whose work advances equity, access, and justice in literacy and composition studies, recognizing research that amplifies historically marginalized voices and contributes to transformative conversations in higher education.
Nilima received the award for her accepted presentation, Invisible Conversations in Graduate Writing: Mentorship, Multilingualism, and Micro Exclusions. Her project examines how international and multilingual graduate students navigate unspoken academic norms, implicit expectations, and subtle forms of exclusion in academic writing spaces. The research highlights the often invisible labor multilingual scholars perform as they learn to participate in academic discourse and calls for more transparent and inclusive mentorship practices.
An international doctoral student, Nilima is also a research assistant working with Sylvia Woodrose Schwartz on documenting and revitalizing Akuzipik, an Alaska Native language spoken on St. Lawrence Island, Alaska.
She currently serves as President of the Graduate and Professional Student Association.
The award will support her participation in the 2026 CCCC Annual Convention, where she will present her research and engage with scholars committed to equity in literacy and higher education.
February 27, 2026