Graduate Humanities Symposium

Overview

Graduate Humanities Symposium student panel

Graduate Humanities Symposium

Friday, November 21, 2025 | 8:30am - 3:30pm

USF Marshall Student Center - 3rd floor - MSC 3707
4103 Cedar Circle, Tampa, FL 33620

The second annual Graduate Humanities Symposium hosted by the USF Humanities Institute will be held Friday, November 21 in the Marshall Student Center. Graduate students with a humanities-related project will present their research in panels. The symposium is free to attend and open to all students, faculty, staff, and the community. View the schedule below for panel times and room locations. Full program will be posted on November 14.

Symposium Schedule
8:30am 鈥� 9:15am Check-in, Breakfast & Coffee, Welcome MSC 3707

9:15am 鈥� 10:00am
Session I

 Societal Impacts of WWII
  • Hannah Rice (History) Wartime Opportunism: Crime and the Black Market in Britain, 1939-1945
  • April Young (History) Acceptable Jeans: The Social History of the Post-WWII Women's Jeans Market 
 MSC 3704

9:15am 鈥� 10:00am
Session I

Inquiry Through the Narrative Journey

  • Jared Lamanati (Film Studies) - Spectrality and Shame in Jayro Bustamante鈥檚 La Llorona
  • Carlin Steere (Creative Writing 鈥� Nonfiction) - The Metamorphosis of Memoir

MSC 3708

10:15am 鈥� 11:00am

Session II

Through the Eyes of Ancient Greece

  • Emelia Brzakala (History) - The Mask Behind the Shield: Comparing Combat Trauma Amongst Greek and Roman Soldiers 
  • Madison Fidler (History) - Constructing the Other: Comparison of Ethiopians in Ancient Greek and Roman Visual Culture

MSC 3704

11:15am - 12:00pm
Session III

Unwrapping Rap Music

  • Mark-Elliot Finley (English Literature) - Harry Talks with Plato: Conversational Convergences and Divergences between Harry Mack and the Ion
  • Jimmy Rosilio (Film Studies) - AAA: Noise, Timbre, and Trauma in Glitch Hop 

MSC 3704

12:00pm 鈥� 1:00pm

Lunch - Provided for presenters and moderators 

MSC 3707

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Session IV

The World as We Know It and What it Can Become

  • Jeffrey Diamond (Philosophy) - Hegel鈥檚 Logic and the Best Possible World 
  • Ben Sperduto (Creative Writing 鈥� Fiction) - Reaching for the Digital Divine: Transhumanism, Dystopian Capitalism, and Technofascism 
  • John Tuskey (Philosophy) - How AI Becomes Sentient: Simulating Practices of an Emerging Online Community

MSC 3704

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Session IV

Global Agendas: Conflict and Cooperation

  • Zoe Knowles (Politics and International Affairs) - Colonial Legacies and LGBTQ+ Rights: A Comparative Study of Jamaica and Botswana 
  • Jewel Mantey (Politics and International Affairs) - China's Expansionism in Africa: Political and Economic Impacts on Ghana and Kenya 
  • Najah Raniyah (Mass Communication) - Navigating SDGs Integration in Indonesian Museums: Assessing Awareness and Bridging the Implementation Gap

MSC 3708

2:15pm - 3:15pm
Session V

New Media and Identity Construction

  • Melike Akay (Linguistics and Applied Language Studies) - Toxic Love, Comic Relief: Humor and Narcissism on Instagram Reels 
  • Ami Calancea (Film Studies) - Streaming Services, Between Intercultural Exchange and Monopolizing Tendencies: An Analysis of Streaming Production, Distribution, and Exhibition in the U.S. and Romania 
  • Jonathan Vargas (Communication) - Latina Enough? Perceived Authenticity and the Performance of Latinidad in Contemporary Celebrity Culture 

MSC 3704

2:15pm - 3:15pm
Session V

Like a Fine Wine: Aging and Human Connection

  • Kalysta Fowler (English) -  鈥淎m I a Dirty Old Woman?鈥� The Queer Aging in May Sarton鈥檚 As We Are Now 
  • Aria Garling (Applied Medical Anthropology) - The Power of Connection: Phone Call Companionship and Its Impact on Loneliness, Aging, and Belonging 

MSC 3708

Faculty interested in volunteering to serve as a panel moderator, please contact Jade von Werder.

Symposium Format

Students seated in room for panel session

Panel Discussions are the traditional presentation method for most disciplines. A panel has a general topic (for example, 鈥淕ender Roles in the 19th Century") with 3 scholars, each of whom will present their individual work that falls under the general topic. Each individual presentation should be 12 鈥� 15 minutes long. After all individual presentations, the group will take questions from the audience.

Timeline

  • Applications Open

    September 1

    Apply to present your humanities-related research at the November 2025 Graduate Humanities Symposium.

  • Applications Due

    October 17

    All applications are due on Friday, October 17.

  • Decision Emails Sent

    October 27

    Applicants will receive a decision email on the status of their application to the symposium.

  • Registration Deadline

    November 7

    Accepted student presenters submit their symposium registration to confirm their spot in the program.

  • Graduate Humanities Symposium

    November 21

    Symposium schedule and program will be released by November 12. Students are encouraged to stay for as much of the symposium as their schedule allows. The symposium is free to attend and open to the public. Faculty, staff, students, community members, family, and friends are welcome to attend. Breakfast and lunch is provided for student presenters, moderators, and volunteers. 

    • Frequently asked questions

    What information do I need for my application? 

    When you're ready to apply, here's what we'll ask for in the application:

    • Name and pronouns 
    • USF email
    • Masters or PhD student
    • Major / Program
    • Title of project
    • Abstract (PDF file upload)
      • (200 words max.) This is where you submit a brief summary of your project or research. Even if your project is not complete yet, you can still submit a general overview for application purposes. Writing the abstract in future tense may help. Please include your name and project title in the abstract. 

    Does my project need to be complete at the time of application? 

    No. An abstract is sufficient for the application. Students are encouraged to apply with an existing project or research that may still be in progress.

    What is the symposium registration?

    After decision emails are sent on October 27, accepted students will be sent a link to register for the symposium. This will confirm the student's spot in the program. The registration form will also ask students to submit their scholar biography and note any dietary restrictions or accommodation requests. 

    What goes into my biography? 

    The biography is a few sentences that describes your academics interests, course of study, and future plans. Please write your biography in 3rd person and limit it to 3-5 sentences (less than 100 words).

    Example: "Jane completed her bachelor's degree in English at the University of Central Florida and is now pursuing her PhD in English literature at USF. Her research focuses on copyright history and it's impacts on 19th century publishers. After graduation, Jane hopes to get a position as a tenured faculty member and start her own book club. Jane volunteers at her local community garden and grows her own peppers."

    How long should my presentation be? 

    You should plan to speak for 12 鈥� 15 minutes. If you go over 15 minutes, the moderator will kindly let you know your time is up. 

    Does anyone else read my research paper?

    No. You are the only person who sees your paper. You can read directly from it, or bring notes to guide your oral presentation. 

    Do I need to have visual aids?

    Visual aids like PowerPoints or images are completely optional. We will have the A/V capabilities if you want to make use of them.

    Will there be food at the symposium?

    Yes, presenters and moderators are provided free breakfast and lunch.

    What if I have a class scheduled during my presentation time?

    If your presentation time conflicts with a class, you should inform your instructor right away to see if they can support you in this opportunity to present at the symposium. For further assistance or if you cannot present at your original scheduled time, please contact Jade von Werder.

    I'm from the St. Petersburg or Sarasota-Manatee campus. Can I participate?

    Yes! Graduate students from all campuses are invited to apply. If transportation is an obstacle to participating in the conference in-person on the Tampa campus, please contact Jade von Werder.

    Are the presentations juried or judged?

    No. This is a low-stakes symposium to practice presenting your research and prepare for future conferences.

    I've never participated in a symposium before and I'm not sure if I should apply. How do I know if I'm ready?

    You鈥檙e ready! The Humanities Institute staff is here to help you plan and prepare if you need help. The symposium is designed to be professional, but supportive and fun.