Scholars in the Spotlight: UWG Master’s Students Bring Literary and Historical Research to the Forefront Share this page
There’s always a first time for everything – and for University of West Georgia graduate students Alaina White ’23 and Hayleigh Sebaugh, presenting their professional research for their first time at the School of Humanities’ Graduate Symposium on April 3, marked the beginning of an exciting new opportunity.
The second annual symposium showcased graduate research in English and history, giving students a platform to share their specialized topics and engage with their audience.
White, UWG alumna and public history graduate student, creatively combined museum exhibits with her thesis research to showcase the importance of combining public and academic history with her interdisciplinary poster presentation entitled, “Silent Farewells: Funeral Customs and Death Practices in the 19th Century.”
“I think choosing unfamiliar and maybe taboo topics like funeral customs can truly pique people’s curiosity by providing a ‘wow’ factor on a topic they would not normally explore, as history is typically not viewed by most as the most exciting section of any form of academic discipline,” explained White.
Sebaugh, also a UWG public history graduate student, presented her research poster titled, “Public History in Practice: The Impact of Internships.” Her work showcased experiential learning opportunities and knowledge gained through her internship with Georgia Humanities and the National History Day Georgia program.
“You can teach a student a lesson as many times as you want, and you can tell them exactly what they need to know,” said Sebaugh. “But until they do it for themselves, they are not going to fully understand it. That’s why hands-on learning is so vital early on and should continue as students’ progress through their academic journeys.”
Other graduate students at the event – including UWG alumni Ashton Kellogg ’22 and Britney Harris ’22 – also presented thought-provoking research in the form of oral presentations.
Kellogg, who is currently pursuing his master’s in history, presented research that examined the topic of gender and sexuality in history, with his piece entitled, “Sexual ‘Abnormalcy’ and Social Control.”
“This topic really opens up an understanding of how human identities are created – both by individuals and through political influence,” explained Kellogg. “It also sheds light on minorities across demographics, showing how history often reflects the dominant perspective. These stories help reveal how rhetoric toward marginalized groups has evolved, allowing us to finally ask: ‘what’s their side of the story?’ That’s what really interests me.”
Pursuing her master’s in English, Harris adapted her presentation from her thesis, which is now in the process of publication. Examining the historical portrayal of Native Americans in film, TV and other media, her piece entitled, “Reclaiming Narratives: Advancing Authentic Native Representation in Media and Popular Culture,” explores the misrepresentation of Indigenous peoples across numerous productions, while also highlighting more recent, accurate representations—such as the FX/Hulu series “Reservation Dogs” (2021–2023) and Disney+’s “Echo,” which features Marvel’s first Indigenous superhero.
“I think what’s most important for students to know is that events like this are promoting free, accessible learning right here on campus,” said Harris. “Anyone can attend and learn from history or English presentations. It’s a very interdisciplinary opportunity.”
Held in the lobby of Roy Richards Sr. Hall and cohosted by Dr. Maria Doyle, professor of English, and Dr. Stephanie Chalifoux, associate professor of history, the Humanities Symposium encouraged interdisciplinary dialogue and proved to be an excellent opportunity for students to present, ponder and professionalize.
“Students are always going to have to think about connecting what they do with outside audiences,” concluded Doyle. “Presenting research to new audiences helps students share what they do, build momentum for it and – sometimes through discussion – even develop new ways of thinking about their own research.”
To learn more about events hosted by the School of Humanities, visit its webpage.