Twenty-one students in the College of Arts & Humanities (CAH) presented their research on Monday, April 21 as part of the second annual Trojan Research Week. This year’s number of students more than tripled compared to last year’s participants. 

The event featured poster displays, performances and paper presentations by students in the English department, History and Philosophy department and the John M. Long School of Music. 

“Research is fundamentally about curiosity, inquisitiveness, and critical thinking,” said Dr. Thrasher, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities. “These are skills that we want to foster in all of our students. I could not be more proud of the outstanding work that these students demonstrated this year.”

Dr. Ben Robertson, Professor of English and organizer for CAH’s research presentation day, said he is proud of the students and their willingness to engage with their chosen subject matter in a serious and focused way.

“These students will be much more prepared for the job market after graduation, as this event gives them real-world experience with public speaking that, combined with their research, ends up being incredibly formative,” Robertson said. “I find myself greatly encouraged about the future of education when I see students doing this kind of professionalizing activity.  And of course, they make the college and the university look fantastic. It’s nice to be able to say, ‘Yes, those are OUR students.’”

Madeline Birge, a senior English major from Enterprise, presented research focused on literature written about midwives and wet nurses, plus how church documents instructed women in those occupations. 

“The inspiration for my topic came from existing research that I have done in the past,” Birge said. “I work heavily with literature referencing women in the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period. Specifically, I focus on how primary sources lend insight to the evolution of women’s occupations and how we can find evidence of what led to that evolution in literary works and historical documents.”

Birge presented at the inaugural Trojan Research Week in 2025. This year’s event marked her last conference as an undergraduate student.

“It is such a wonderful environment for students to feel supported in what they are passionate about,” Birge said. “I am still so floored by the amount of participation this year, and I am so proud of the College of Arts & Humanities alongside the English Department. I truly believe that we have some of the most supportive and encouraging faculty in the university. I’m going to miss being able to participate in this kind of event with these wonderful individuals.”

Cassenda Nelson, a senior Criminal Justice major from Southwest Georgia, presented poetry inspired by her seven years as a community health worker and certified doula. 

“Participating in Trojan Research Week was empowering,” Nelson said. “It allowed me to share my work, connect with other scholars, and see how different fields contribute to community impact. It strengthened my confidence as both a student and a community leader.”

“I am passionate about continuing this work beyond graduation building partnerships, expanding programs, and creating spaces where families feel supported and heard,” Nelson continued. “My goal is to keep bridging gaps in care and uplifting communities through advocacy, education, and service.”

Austin Walston, a senior music education major from Prattville, was inspired as a tenor to conduct his research on composer Benjamin Britten.

“I was inspired because I have a particular singing voice and it’s hard to find repertoire that fits it, and Benjamin Britten’s folk songs have always been a go to for me,” Walston said. “I had recently just learned about his vast folk song sets, and I wanted to do further research into them!”

For Walston, preparation looked the same as it always does, but Trojan Research Week brought a new component for him to consider.

“I prepared the same way I always do,” Walston said. “Practice, practice, practice! It was fascinating to also add the research portion to it as well, it’s something I’ve never done before, and it was exciting to see how they combined!”

CAH students who presented during the inaugural Trojan Research Week are as follows:

Poster Presentations: 

• Adding African-American Folklore to Alabama’s Official Archives by Jacob Frye (sponsored by Shari Hoppin)

• The Mine Wars: The Causes and Effects of the Battle of Blair Mountain by Matilda Ziegler (sponsored by Karen Ross)

• Curating an Anthology: The Portable Cormac by Aislinn Adams, Madeline Birge, Tiana Burbank, Thomas Kay, Hattie Starr, and Shaelyn Martin (sponsored by Patrick Bonds)

• Alabama’s Religious Narratives and Global Citizenship by Zoe Johnson (sponsored by Priya Menon)

Paper Presentations:

• Building the Foundations of Literacy: The Impact of Explicit Phonemic Awareness Instruction in Early Reading Development by Kieria Chandelle Washington (sponsored by Dana Evans)

• Beyond Technique: The Role of Body Mapping in Healthy and Expressive Music Performance by Fatima Touzani (sponsored by Heather Small) 

• Ordinary Comrades in the Gulags: The Guards of the Soviet Gulags by Mark Carroll (sponsored by Margaret K. Gnoinska)

• Religion or Rebellion? Re-examining the Motives Behind the Roman Response to Early Christianity by Caleb Price (sponsored by Tim Buckner)

• Erased Atrocities: The Nanjing Massacre and the Politics of Memory by Tyler Thorne (sponsored by Margaret K. Gnoinska)

• Between Loyalty and Survival: The “no, no” Boys and the question of Japanese American Citizenship by Madison Whiddon (sponsored by Margaret K. Gnoinska)

• A Defense of James Rachels’s Argument for Voluntary Assisted Euthanasia: With Special Attention to the Smith-Jones Case by Matilda Ziegler (sponsored by Joungbin Lim)

• What Actually Builds Resilience in At-Risk Adolescents? by Jamilet Moncada (sponsored by Susan H. Tipton)

• Milk Fed: Female Labor and Theological Input in Medieval Literature by Madeline Birge (sponsored by R. Scott Nokes)

• The Limits of Language: Literature as a Medium of Clarity and Connection by Maya Henry (sponsored by Ben P. Robertson) 

• Liberated African Futures: Overcoming Colonialism in Nnedi Okorafor’s Lagoon by Thomas Kay (sponsored by Jonathan P. Lewis)

• The Mask of Villainy: Looking Past Archetypes in Zel by Amelia Massa (sponsored by Shannon Thompson) 

• Nameless Is the Price: Inherited Evil in Frankenstein by Alivia Radovich (sponsored by Jonathan P. Lewis) 

• The Science of Interviewing Academics by AnnaBrooke Rainey (sponsored by Patrick Bonds)

• What Remains: Gothic Ruins in Southern Landscape and Traditional Architecture by Anais Shelley (sponsored by Ben P. Robertson)

Performances:

• Old Melodies, New Meaning: A Study of Selected Songs from Britten’s Folk Song Arrangements by Austin Walston (sponsored by Sarah Wee) 

• The Doula’s Pen: Poetry from the Front Lines of Maternal Care by Cassenda Nelson (sponsored by Gbayanminin Diaminah)

Additional pictures from the event can be found here.