(l-r) Leiter, Andia, Rubio, Charowsky
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More than 100 attendees from 24 colleges and universities joined Lycoming College’s second annual Undergraduate Humanities Research Conference on April 6 on the Lycoming campus to celebrate the region’s bright minds who are dedicated to furthering the humanities through high-level research.
A panel of Lycoming College humanities faculty and students selected more than 45 students to present research at the event. Presenters hailed from colleges and universities including Susquehanna University, Franklin & Marshall College, Ursinus College, Bryn Mawr College, Lehigh University, and more.
"It was a fantastic day of intellectual exchange for the student researchers who are all engaged with outstanding projects"
The conference consisted of four sessions, each tackling research within the humanities and its related disciplines of history, literature, philosophy, art history, modern and classical languages, religious studies, interdisciplinary humanistic studies, and social sciences with a humanistic emphasis.
“In its second year, the conference expanded with twenty percent more student presenters. It was a fantastic day of intellectual exchange for the student researchers who are all engaged with outstanding projects,” said Andrew Leiter, Ph.D., professor of English and director of the College’s Humanities Research Center and of the conference. “We really like the momentum and enthusiasm we are seeing for the event, and we hope that undergraduate programs will continue to look forward to the conference as a signature experience for their many talented students in the humanities.”
Although only a small number were awarded honors, all accepted work displayed the drive to deepen our understanding of the chosen field. The following students were selected and awarded for best papers:
Christopher T. Bolland, Grove City College, won the award for the best paper in the category of History, Archaeology, & Humanities-Focused Social Sciences for “Enslaved to the Cause: The Poor White Southerner’s Support for Slavery and Secession.”
Newt Andia, Ithaca College, won the award for the best paper in the category of Philosophy, Ethics, & Religion, for “The Vulcan Buddha.”
Cameron Antoniotti, Slippery Rock University, won the award for the best paper in the category of Literature, Languages, & Art History for “Between Pretending and Reality: An Existential Exploration of Kurt Vonnegut’s ‘Mother Night.’”
Cassidy Rubio, Lehigh University, won the award for the best paper in the category of Ethnic & Racial Studies, for “Re-reading Gloria Naylor’s ‘Linden Hills’ through Unpublished ‘Parchmen’ Manuscript.”
Emma McCormick, DeSales University, won the award for the best paper in the category of Women’s & Gender Studies for “Helen Huntingdon: Feminist Heroine or Cautionary Tale on the Cycle of Abuse.”
Amanda Charowsky, won the Meghan C. Andrews Award for the best paper by a Lycoming Student for “From New York’s Gallows: The Hangings of Captain Hale and Major Andre.”
Presenters will be invited to submit their research for subsequent consideration of publication in the second volume of Lycoming’s humanities research journal. The first issue of the Mid-Atlantic Humanities Review: A Journal of Undergraduate Research can be found online.
The Lycoming College Undergraduate Humanities Research Conference is sponsored by the College’s Humanities Research Center, which is dedicated to bolstering educational opportunities for those majoring or minoring in the humanities by supporting joint student-faculty research, internships, guided scholarship, digital humanities, graduate school placement, and fellowships.