8th grad research symposium a success
The event was held March 27 and 28 at the College’s Sadler Center.
“William & Mary graduate students work creatively throughout the year to prepare this impressive symposium that shares graduate research accomplishments with the community,” said S. Laurie Sanderson, dean of graduate studies and research. “Support from the A&S Graduate Studies Advisory Board has been instrumental in the extraordinary success of the symposium.”
Dozens of graduate students presented their work in sessions chaired by nearly 30 faculty in Arts & Sciences departments. The symposium occupied most of the space of the Sadler Center and generated an 88-page program.
Friday’s activities was highlighted by pair of featured lectures. Scott Nelson, Legum Professor of History, spoke on “What Do Scholars Do All Day?,” while Mark Forsyth, associate professor of biology, took as his topic “Perception of the Host Environment by Human Bacterial Pathogens.” Dennis Manos, vice provost for research and graduate and professional studies, delivered welcoming remarks over lunch. A networking reception capped Friday's session.
Awards for Excellence in Scholarship
The symposium culminated with an awards luncheon and ceremony on Saturday, presided over by S. Laurie Sanderson, dean of graduate studies and research; P. Geoffrey Feiss, provost of the College; and Taylor Reveley, president of the College. A number of awards, including two corporate prizes, were presented to acknowledge excellence in research by graduate students both from William & Mary as well as representatives of other universities.
To be considered for an award, presenters had to submit a 10-12 page paper describing their research. The papers were judged blindly by an independent panel of William & Mary faculty and Graduate Studies Advisory Board members.
The various awards for 2009, and their recipients, were:
Market Access International, Inc. Award for Excellence in Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Paul Musselwhite: The College of William and Mary, History. Advisor: James P. Whittenburg
“What Town’s this, Boy?:” Virginia’s Town Troubles, English Politics, and Aphra Behn’s “The Widdow Ranter”
Incogen, Inc. Award for Excellence in Scholarship in the Natural and Computational Sciences
Erik Spahr: The College of William and Mary, Physics. Advisor: Gunter Luepke
A New Look at Proton Conduction in Perovskite Oxides
William & Mary Award for Excellence in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Karl Mendoza, Biology. Advisor: John Griffin
Penny For Your Thoughts? How Neuroscience is Influencing Economic Thought: The Information Cascade Game Example
William & Mary Honorable Mentions
Derek R. Miller, Anthropology. Advisor: Frederick Smith
Breaking the Mold: Sugar Ceramics and the Political Economy of 18th Century St. Eustatius
Frank Cha, American Studies. Advisor: Susan Donaldson
(Re)Visioning Home: Vietnamese Immigration and the Politics of Race/Place in the Global South
Visiting Scholars Award for Excellence in the Humanities and Social Sciences
Stephanie Crumbaugh, History, Johns Hopkins University. Advisor: Phil Morgan
American Indian Enslavement in Colonial New England
Visiting Scholars Honorable Mentions
Kevin Barry, History, University of Delaware. Advisor: John Montano
The Hebrew and Irish Gaelic Revival Movements: A Comparison
Keara Goin, Anthropology, University of South Carolina. Advisor: Kimberly Simmons
Megadiva: Sexualized Images of Women in the Dominican Republic
William & Mary Award for Excellence in the Natural and Computational Sciences
Chuan Yue, Computer Science. Advisor: Haining Wang
Anti-Phishing in Offense and Defense
Honorable Mentions
Ashley R. Decarme, Biology. Advisor: Eric Engstrom
Ethylene Production in Plants: Is the ACC Oxidase Enzyme at Work in Selaginella moellendorffii?
M. Louise Lammons, Biology, Advisors: S. Laurie Sanderson and Randy Chambers
Mud and Mucus: Feeding Selectivity in a Suspension-feeding Detritivorous Fish
Visiting Scholar Honorable Mention
Samy El-Tawab, Computer Science, Old Dominion University. Advisor: Stephan Olariu
Intelligent Road Detection
