Welcome!

Dear Members of the William & Mary Community, Visiting Presenters, and Guests: 

On behalf of the GRS Student Organizing Committee, I am honored to welcome you to a celebration of scholarship that brings together an extraordinary group of junior scholars. The theme of this year's Symposium is "Building Bridges," which highlights the interdisciplinary spirit of the event, where conversations between historians and biologists, economists and literary scholars, chemists and anthropologists come together to create unexpected insights and new possibilities for research and growth.

Our program is rich with opportunities for learning and connection. This year, we are honored to host 108 graduate students who come from William & Mary programs, alongside 30 colleagues from across the country.  Our program features 34 outstanding poster presentations, representing research from diverse disciplines and institutions. From our neighbors at Old Dominion University to those traveling down the coast from Brandeis University (as well as those from UVA, George Mason University, Virginia Tech, and James Madison University, among others), our presenters embody the dynamic and varied landscape of contemporary scholarship. 

We're thrilled to cap the first day of the Symposium on Thursday evening with a special GRS-edition of Journal Club, featuring dynamic "Rapid Research" talks from 5:30-7 PM in the Tidewater Room. Join us for food, drinks, and invigorating discussion (please note that a government-issued photo ID is required to consume alcoholic beverages). All graduate students are welcome!

We've also crafted two thought-provoking Lunch & Learn sessions for Friday afternoon from 12:45 to 1:45. You can choose between "Community-Engaged Research: Questions of Partnership and Practice" or  "Crossing Boundaries and Building Bridges: Planning Collaborative Research." These pre-registered events will offer valuable insights into opportunities to extend the spirit of collaboration beyond the Symposium. 

My deepest gratitude extends to the Organizing Committee, a group of graduate students whose efforts and dedication have yielded what is sure to be an inspiring and generative Symposium. None of this would be possible without the steadfast support of our William & Mary graduate faculty, staff, administration, and the Graduate Studies Advisory Board. I owe special thanks to Dr. Sarah Glosson, whose guidance as Director of the Graduate Center has been invaluable.

As we gather together, I invite you to embrace the spirit of curiosity that defines William & Mary's graduate community. Strike up conversations with presenters from unfamiliar fields, ask questions that challenge conventional thinking, and allow yourself to be inspired by innovative research and the ways in which our community of researchers are "Building Bridges" across disciplines, and with the communities in which we live and work. 

With gratitude, 

Carly Barnhardt, American Studies
GRS Organizing Committee Chair 

GRS Student Organizing Committee Members
Claire Aminuddin - Biology - Communications Subcommittee Chair

Jessica Brabble - History - Volunteer Sub-Committee

Zoe Fong - Physics - Event Logistics Subcommittee
Claudia Garcia-Mendoza - American Studies - Volunteer Sub-Committee
Taylor Garrison - History -  Volunteer Sub-Committee Chair

Quinn Girasek - VIMS - Tech/AV Subcommittee
Kathryn Gour - Psychological Sciences - Tech/AV Subcommittee
Victoria Gum - Anthropology  - Program Subcommittee Chair

Rosie George-Ambrocio - Biology - Member-at-Large

Elena Hoang - VIMS - Communications Subcommittee

Dustin Hyder -  American Studies - Member-at-Large

Robiul Islam -  Computer Science - Tech/AV Subcommittee Chair

Abby Johnson - Anthropology - Graduate Center Graduate Assistant and Member-at-Large

Alyssa Mountain - American Studies - Lunch & Learn Subcommittee Chair

Zoe Packel -  History -  Event Logistics Subcommittee Chair
Reid Pierce - American Studies - Lunch & Learn Subcommittee