Faculty Spotlight: Dalel Serda

Dalel Serda became a professor of English at College of the Mainland (COM) in Spring 2010. With a background that blends strategic communication and creative expression, she earned her Bachelor of Science in advertising from the University of Texas in 2001 and later completed her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing at the University of Texas–Pan American (UTPA) in 2009.

Inspired by the energy of students presenting and exchanging ideas at Festiba, an annual interdisciplinary academic and art festival Serda attended at UTPA, she wanted to create a similar opportunity for students at COM. She pitched the concept to the Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Consortium (GCIC)—a consortium of leadership from various Gulf Coast community colleges and universities—and successfully brought the idea to life. 

Since 2013, the annual GCIC Academic Symposium at COM continues to grow in scope and influence as a welcoming, community-centered event that invites high school, community college and university students from across the region to share their work. Free and open to the public, it offers a rare opportunity for emerging scholars to present research, creative work and critical ideas in a professional academic setting.

“Students often arrive nervous,” Serda said. “By the end of the day, you can see a shift. They speak with more confidence. They realize they belong in these conversations.”

Under Serda’s leadership and with the support of COM faculty, the symposium has become a powerful confidence builder for students. Participants showcase their communication skills and engage in thoughtful dialogue with peers, faculty, staff and community members.

“I never had the opportunity to do something like this in community college, but I wish I did,” said Assistant Professor of English Gwendolynn Barbee-Yow, who has served alongside Serda as co-chair of the symposium since 2022.

For Serda, the event is about making academic spaces feel open and inviting to all students. The symposium introduces participants to the research, presentation and discussion processes typically associated with graduate-level work, while remaining accessible and supportive.

“We are here to nurture ideas and help students learn to grow their ideas,” Serda said.

Each year, student presentations are unified by a central theme that encourages cross-disciplinary exploration. The 2026 theme, “Embodied Knowledge: Decoding and Recoding the Self,” invites participants to examine how education, experience, research and self-reflection shape identity and understanding. The breadth of the theme allows students from diverse academic backgrounds to bring their unique perspectives into a shared intellectual space.

COM faculty and staff serve as moderators and judges during the event, recognizing outstanding student work with awards and honorable mentions and keynote speakers further enrich the scholarly experience by connecting the symposium’s theme to broader academic conversations.

From its beginnings as an inspired idea to its place today as a signature academic event, the GCIC Academic Symposium reflects Serda’s enduring commitment to platforming student voices and encouraging intellectual curiosity. The next symposium will take place at College of the Mainland on April 10, 2026, continuing a tradition that empowers students to step forward, speak up and discover the power of their own ideas.