Fair highlights vibrant campus research community

Research & Scholarship

Psychology and data science double major Ela Sobol '27 and Professor of Psychology Harvey Langholtz (right) discuss undergraduate research opportunities in Sadler Center's Chesapeake Room Oct. 15. (Photo by Samuel Li)

The following story originally appeared on the website for the Charles Center. - Ed.

The third annual Undergraduate Research Opportunities Fair at William & Mary drew a record crowd to Sadler Center's Chesapeake Rooms Oct. 15, with more than 270 students exploring the expansive array of multidisciplinary research opportunities available on campus.

Hosted by the Charles Center, the fair offered undergraduates interested in research a chance to connect with representatives of 37 faculty and student groups across the arts, humanities, social sciences and STEM.

Charles Center Program and Events Coordinator Caroline Semmelmeier '18 helped to organize the fair.

"I think it's a wonderful opportunity to showcase the robust research offerings undergraduate students can pursue while attending William & Mary," said Semmelmeier. "I hope students who attended were able to see how all majors and disciplines have the capacity to conduct research."

The Environment & Sustainability Program (ENSP) caught students' attention with a display of lively hatchling turtles. According to Professor of Sociology and ENSP Director Brent Kaup, the program is deeply interdisciplinary, with research that bridges and integrates multiple fields of study.

"We have over 40 faculty affiliated with the program from nearly every department at the university," Kaup said. "We have research opportunities with biologists, social scientists and more."

The program offers a wide range of research projects, including studies on turtles, bats and birds, as well as sustainable business development and investigations into ticks and Lyme disease.

Professor of Classical Studies Molly Swetnam-Burland explains the opportunity for hands-on fieldwork at an ancient Greek marble quarry on the island of Naxos. (Photo by Adeline Steel

The Department of Classical Studies, which also tabled at the fair, offers a variety of engaging opportunities, particularly for students interested in studying the ancient Mediterranean world. The Naxos Quarry Project, for instance, allows students to conduct hands-on field work at an ancient Greek marble quarry on the island of Naxos.

"Students are involved at every level. They're working with the technology, the drones, surveying and measuring, and looking at archival records of what archeologists in the past have found," said Professor of Classical Studies Molly Swetnam-Burland.

Swetnam-Burland also leads the Liber Memorialis Project, working with a team of students to translate a little-known text unavailable in an accessible English translation.

A moment for mentorship: Associate Professor of Government Dan Maliniak offers suggestions about how to find the right research opportunity among the many available in the government department. (Photo by Samuel Li)

The William & Mary U.S. Democratic Erosion Event Database project also presented at the fair. Led by Professor of Government Jaime Settle, the project recruits student research assistants each semester to collect data for the creation of a transparent, publicly accessible database tracking democratic erosion events in each U.S. state.

"There are a lot of students on campus who are very concerned and want to do something about what they see going on in the world around them, but it can be hard to know what to do to make an impact. The project helps students learn more about what they're seeing and gives them the tools they need to make that impact," Settle said.

"This research offers us the opportunity to look at a form of democratic erosion that is historically understudied: state-level erosion," said government and history double major Ella Forlin '27, a student research assistant on the project. "Before this, I had only really heard about democratic erosion at the national level. It makes me hopeful for the future, knowing this research is being done and that there are passionate people behind it."

Settle emphasized her vision of creating an opportunity that empowers students to become involved in meaningful research without requiring specialized expertise.

"I think it's really important for students to be able to have a research opportunity to get their foot in the door, where they can hop on straight away and learn the value of working collaboratively on a team," she said.

Jane Valadakis, Charles Center

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