Brian Bertoti Innovative Perspectives in History Conference

2025 Brian Bertoti History Conference

The annual Brian Bertoti History Conferance will take place on March 22, 2025 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Goodall Room (Multipurpose Room) on the first floor of Newman Library. This year's conference will be focused on preparing history master's students across Southwest Virginia to defend their theses. We are so excited to share our passion and work with everyone. Stay tuned for more updates!

Conference History

Since 1998, the History Graduate Student Association (HGSA) has organized an annual conference for graduates students studying history at Virginia Tech and other M.A. and Ph.D. programs. Our conference is an opportunity to share graduate research projects in a supportive, professional environment and a chance to network with your future colleagues.

The conference is named after a former student who sparked interest among his peers to create a venue for public presentation of student research. Sadly, Brian Bertoti passed away before planning for the first conference was completed. The conference name acknowledges his interest in studying the past and his commitment to sharing that study with others.

The conference is a major undertaking and all HGSA members play a role in planning it. The students host invited keynote speakers, invite papers and create conference panels, attend to local arrangements, advertise the events, and solicit funds to cover conference expenses.

Brian Bertoti Award

Each year, HGSA acknowledges the best paper presented at the conference with the Brian Bertoti Award for Outstanding Historical Scholarship. To be considered for this award, participants must submit their paper at presentation length (3,000 words maximum, excluding bibliography and notes) to the Panels Committee. The paper selected for the best paper prize will represent exemplary scholarship, innovative methods, and unique perspectives in the historical discipline. Only graduate students are eligible for this award.

Publication in the Virginia Tech Undergraduate Historical Review

Outstanding undergraduate papers will also be considered for publication in the Virginia Tech Undergraduate Historical Review (VTUHR), which is published annually each spring. All submissions are reviewed by the undergraduate editorial board. Our editors utilize an anonymous peer-review process and employ a standard rubric to evaluate submissions.