Academic News (News2Note)

News2Note, the academic newsletter of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, is published monthly during the academic year by Debra Stoudt, associate dean for policy and faculty affairs. Academic news can be submitted to her directly at dstoudt@vt.edu.

Two members of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences were recognized as an Advisor of the Month by the Office of Undergraduate Advising during the 2025–2026 academic year. Heather Hollandsworth, Academic Advisor in the Department of Sociology, was recognized in September 2025, and Donna Fortune, Associate Professor of Practice in the School of Education, was honored in December 2025.

Danna Agmon, History, interviewed fellow historians, including colleague Carmen Gitre, for an episode of the American History Review podcast “History in Focus” titled “Abandoned Histories: Work We’ve Left Behind.”

History major Macie Alford co-produced and starred in the documentary “A Silent Fire” through Beartown Film Bureau. The film premiered in North Tazewell and will appear on PBS Appalachia. The trailer provides a brief preview.

The following ASPECT doctoral students presented papers at the International Studies Association Annual Conference: Hannah Gignoux, “The Universal Character of Money: A Critique of Marxist Political Economy” and co-presenter of “Curating Conflict-related Sexual Violence: Gender, Politics and Memory at War Museums” with Audrey Reeves, Political Science and ASPECT Core Faculty; Elhom Gosink, “Writing on and in the American Land-Grant University”; Onur Karabıçak, “The Map as the Apparatus in the Post-9/11 Middle East” and “Power as Visibility: Redefining and Creating an Analytical Framework of Power in IR in Digital Capitalism”; Sara Naghibizadeh, “Differentiated Citizenship and Urban Activism: Insights from Tehran’s Planning Conflicts”; Michael Scipioni, “Cycles of Hegemony and Fascism in the Capitalist World System”; and Chris Thorne, “Inverting the State/Market Relation: Thinking Political Economy Through Chinese Bureaucracy” and “Towards a Theory for World-Systems Analysis: Defining Capitalism in Frank, Wallerstein, and Arrighi.” The conference took place March 22–25 in Columbus, Ohio.

The 2026 ASPECT Graduate Conference titled “Encounter and Difference: Beyond Violence and Domination” took place April 2–3 in Squires Student Center. The following ASPECT doctoral students gave presentations: Ana Maria Camargo Palomino, “Disposable by Default: Racialized Migrant Labor in the U.S. South”; Sean Chambers, “‘Beef’ to Brotherhood: How Bruhcasts Reframe Black Male Rhetorical Encounter (via podcasts like Drink Champs and All the Smoke)”; Meixi Chen, “Spatializing Failure: The Threefold Queer Spatiality and Affective Resurrection in Contemporary Chinese Mulan Rewritings”; Efemena Esamagu, “Prison/Jailbreak in Nigeria and Its Implications on National Security” with Nendimma Dogo Gonet; Hannah Gignoux, “Impossibility, Knowledge, and the Colonial Imperatives of Teaching”; Elhom Gosink, “Growth Without End: The Land-Grant University as Capitalist Infrastructure”; Cory Higgs, “Functions of Futurism: How Vernacular Creations Remix and Reimagine Our Futures”; Bai Jiang, “Inter-Media Encounters: Online Fan Wars, Dividual Bodies, and the Politics of Difference”; Jessica Long, “The Eye of God: How the SBC Kyriarchy Monitors and Suppresses Issues of Gender and Race”; Zahra Modarres, “Sound, Identity, and Global Reception: The Evolution of Political Music in the Arab World”; Rebekah Mui Pei Ern, “Magisterial Authority and Disciplinary Salvation in Reformation Augsburg and Geneva”; Shreya Nurani, “Museums, Religion, and Political Landscaping in Contemporary India”; Nia Perez-Vera, “Under the Spotlight: Gender Inequalities in High-Status Genres Within the Culture and Creative Industry”; Michael Scipioni, “Fascism: Reenclosure, Reaccumulation, and Return”; and Hannah Steinhauer, “Doing the Work: Characterizing Reproductive Health Social Media Labor.” In addition, ASPECT doctoral students Onur Karabıçak and Chris Thorne participated as debaters. The following graduate students in other units in the College also gave presentations: Farah Aryan, Science and Technology Studies doctoral student, “Bearing Witness to Tragedy in the Digital Age”; Jackson Futch, Political Science master’s student, “Political Topologies of Agamben and Baudrillard”; Iasmina Idris, Political Science master’s student, “Alienation in the Works of Karl Marx and Hannah Arendt and Its Role in Today’s Global Instability”; Logan Klain, Political Science master’s student, “The Emergence and Endurance of the Post-9/11 Exception”; Maggie Morris, Science and Technology Studies doctoral student, “Ecologies of Aquaponics: Mapping Tensions and Disconnections in an Emerging Agricultural Technology”; Darnell Pelzer, English master’s student, “International Resolutions in Michelle Cliff’s No Telephone to Heaven”; Deirdre Price, English master’s student, “Queer Citizenship, Non-Presence, and the Color Line in James Baldwin’s ‘Giovanni’s Room’”; Tsung-Yen Tsou, Science and Technology Studies doctoral student, “Making Microplastics a Governable Object”; and Angela Whitlow, English master’s student, “Postcolonial Existential Crises: How Masculinity and Colonial Status Affect Characters’ Inner Turmoil.”

Seven students and one faculty member from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences were among those recognized during 2025–2026 with an Aspire! Award: Emma Duncan, Multimedia Journalism; Emmanuel Edusei, Urban Environmental Design and Planning doctoral student; Jillean Harris, Human Development, Psychology, and Public Health; Neelie Harris, Public Relations; Madison Kuriger, Arabic and National Security and Foreign Affairs; Victoria Lael, Advanced Instructor, Human Development and Family Science; Jacob Poel, International Relations; and Emma Roshioru, Public Relations and Political Science. The Aspire! Awards recognize students, faculty, and staff who exemplify the Office of Student Affairs’ Aspirations for Student Learning.

Sweta Baniya, English, presented the keynote address, “Preparing for Uncertain Futures,” at the 2026 Association of Teachers of Technical Writing Conference, which took place April 17–18 at the University of Texas at El Paso in El Paso, Texas.

Shannon Bell, Sociology, was awarded the Engaged Research Award by the Office of Research and Innovation in collaboration with the Office of Faculty Affairs. She was recognized for: her work with community collaborators to create the public humanities initiative, Forest Botanicals Region Living Monument, a public humanities initiative; her use of Photovoice as a community-based research method that leads to co-produced research and community-based outcomes; partnerships with the community, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and Virginia Tech students related to the mental health impacts of natural gas pipeline permitting processes, the culture and history of forest botanicals in Appalachia, and forest farming outreach; as well as her numerous publication and professional awards. Bell received a plaque and an award of $2,000, which was funded by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association.

The Department of History hosted the 29^th Annual Brian Bertoti Innovative Perspectives in History Symposium on April 10–11. Organized by the History Graduate Student Association, the symposium featured presenters from six different institutions and two keynote speakers. The following History master’s students presented papers: Zoe Brooks, “From Coal Creek to Brushy Mountain: A History of Race, Labor, and Punishment in the Tennessee Coalfields”; Sterling Bryant, “Syrian Appalachia: Race, Religion, and Regional Belonging”; Mercy Dwomoh, “Print, Protest, and Power: The Feminist Legacy of Mabel Dove Danquah in Ghana’s Nationalist Movement”; Joshua Ewudzie, “The ‘Free Gift’ and the Politics of Obligation: Land Alienation and Water Supply in Colonial Southern Ghana, 1926-1938”; Bernard Homiah, “Colonial Law and Indigenous Rights: African Responses to the Gold Coast Land Legislation, 1894-1927”; Madison Smith, “Patterns of Passage: Chinese Migration, Gendered Suspicion, and the Procedural Formation of Race”; and David Watkeys, “The Long Peyote Road: A History of Peyotism and Indigenous Resistance.”

Abigail Bonner, a Classical Studies and Art History major, created “Say Cheese: An Exhibit on the Exploration of Cheese in the 19^th and 20^th Centuries” as the culmination of her spring internship with University Libraries’ Special Collections and University Archives. The exhibit is on display on the first floor of Newman Library through the end of May.

Nataliya Brantly, Public and International Affairs, published “‘Alexa, I’m Home!’ Intimate Surveillance, Care, and Control in AI-enabled Homes and Bodies,” AI Ethics 6 (2026), Article 234.

ASPECT doctoral student Ana Maria Camargo Palamino presented “We Are Not Disposable: Environmental Justice and the Precarity of Latino Migrant Agricultural Labor in Virginia’s Rural Landscape” at the Global Environmental Justice Conference, which took place April 13–14 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.

The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences recognized the following faculty and staff members with 2025–2026 awards in teaching, advising, outreach, research and creative scholarship, and employee excellence: Certificate of Teaching Excellence recipients were: Dorothy Conner, Communication; Amanda Demmer, History; Komal Dhillon-Jamerson, Sociology; Justin Horn, Philosophy; Buddy Howell, Communication; and Matthew Komelski, Human Development and Family Science. An Excellence in Undergraduate Advising Award was presented to María del Carmen Caña Jiménez, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, and Heath Furrow, History. An Excellence in Graduate Advising Award was presented to Philip Yaure, Philosophy. The Spirit of Ut Prosim Award winner was Heidi Williams, Sociology. Jody Russon, Human Development and Family Science, was recognized with the Land Grant Scholar Award. Excellence in Outreach and International Initiatives Award recipients were Joanna Culligan, Human Development and Family Science, and Ashley Reichelmann, Sociology. Faculty who received an Excellence in Research and Creative Scholarship Award were: Koeun Choi, Human Development and Family Science; Farida Jalalzai, Associate Dean and Professor of Political Science; Corinne Noirot, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; and Wendy Parker, Philosophy. The College’s Staff Employee of the Year Award was presented to Sarah Harvey, Academic Program Manager in the Department of Science, Technology, and Society, and Adam Lane, Junior Systems Administrator in Information Technology. Also recognized during the event were the College’s outstanding undergraduate and graduate students, who are identified and acknowledged elsewhere in this newsletter. Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research Tom Ewing served as emcee, and Dean Laura Belmonte provided words of welcome. Ewing along with CLAHS Awards and Honors Committee co-chairs Heidi Anne Mesmer, Education, and Vinodh Venkatesh, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, introduced the awardees. Faculty members Caña Jiménez, Horn, Russon, and Williams were the featured speakers. The recognition ceremony took place April 21 in the Owens Ballroom.

The following faculty members were awarded a research grant from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences during the 2025–2026 academic year: John Aggrey, Science, Technology, and Society; Donna Agmon, History; Ariel Ahram, Public and International Affairs; Elisabeth Austin, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Mark Barrow, History; Nataliya Brantly, Public and International Affairs; Mauro Caraccioli, Political Science; Chase Catalano, Education; Carolyn Commer, English; Margaret Cowell, Public and International Affairs; Thomas Dearden, Sociology; Alexander Dickow, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Charlene Eska, English; Debra Freas, History; Lillian Frost, Political Science; Matthew Fullen, Education; Dennis Halpin, History; James Hawdon, Sociology; Rebecca Hester, Science, Technology, and Society; Caitlin Jewitt, Political Science; Melanie Kiechle, History; Bryan Klausmeyer, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures; Zhuofan Li, Sociology; Christine McCown, Sociology; Shalini Misra, Public and International Affairs; Katalin Parti, Sociology; Robert Perdue, Sociology; Edward Polanco, History; Ashley Shew, Science, Technology, and Society; Clara Suong, Political Science; Paroma Wagle, Public and International Affairs; Abby Walker, English; Avery Wiscomb, English; and Tingting Zhao, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures.

Two Curriculum and Instruction doctoral students in the School of Education presented papers at the 2026 Appalachian Studies Association Conference: Annie Shaba, “Rural Teachers and Learners Engaging in Place-based Pedagogy” with Amy Price Azano, Education and Director of the Center for Rural Education; and Joshua Thompson, “Appalachian Students’ Developing Sense of Place In a Rural-focused Study Abroad Course” with Azano. In addition, Shaba and Thompson presented “Rural, Appalachian Youth Enrichment Experiences: The Power of Place and Community” with Azano; Deirdre Hand, Center for Refugee, Migrant, and Displacement Studies; and Clint Whitten, Center for Rural Education. The conference took place March 19–21 at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

Curriculum and Instruction doctoral student Jon Dance presented “Rural Roots of Recovery: Place-conscious Education and Relational Infrastructure in Rural Recovery Ecosystems​” with Amy Price Azano, Education and Director of the Center for Rural Education, at the Recovery Ecosystems Conference, which was held March 5–6 in Roanoke, Virginia. 

The following students in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences participated in the 2026 Dennis Dean Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship Conference, which took place April 24: Allera Bee, Multimedia Journalism, “Under the Skin but on the Mind: How Experiences of Race-based Discrimination Are Associated With Self-esteem in Latinx Undergraduates”; Ella Goldstein, Human Development, “Examining Associations Among Gender, Math Self-Efficacy, Math Self-Assessment, and Word Problem Solving Accuracy”; and Hailey Richards, Political Science, “The ‘Um’ Evolution: Sociolinguistic Drivers of the Diachronic Filler Shift.”

Selene Díaz, Sociology, published “I’m Not an India, I’m a Tarahumara: Images and Narratives by Rarámuri People in Ciudad Juárez,” Frontera Norte 38 (2026), Article 7.

Sociology doctoral student Elvis Effah published “Drawing the Future: Children’s Visual Imaginaries of Ocean Governance and Indigenous Knowledge in Coastal Ghana,” Anthropological Forum 35.4 (2026): 324–44, with John Windie Ansah et al. In addition, Effah was one of eight undergraduate and graduate students selected for the 2026 Summer Scholars Cohort of the Coastal Hazards, Economic prosperity, and Resilience (CHEER) Hub. The five-year project funded by the National Science Foundation Coastlines and People program seeks to understand and improve the system of regional hurricane risk management and prepare a new generation of researchers for careers in convergent disaster science, helping them learn about the science behind and implications of natural hazards through hands-on activities. CHEER Summer Scholars participate in six weeks of community-engaged disaster-resilience research in North Carolina, conducting fieldwork and meeting with local partners. At the end of the program, each scholar presents key research findings to peers, community stakeholders, and Hub faculty and staff.

The 20^th Anniversary English Undergraduate Excellence Conference, “Being Human in the 21^st Century,” took place March 26–27 in Shanks Hall. The following CLAHS students presented papers: Riley Adamson, English, “Freedom of Speech, Unless It’s Spanish”; Caroline Blöm, English and Professional and Technical Writing, “Obsessed, Objectified, and Oppressed: Symbolic Shifts Surrounding the Male Gaze and Female Subjectivity in The Virgin Suicides from Page to Screen”; Gwen Brodsky, Creative Writing and Cinema, “The Death of the Injun: Linguistic Evolution on Lakota-English in American Cinema”; Samantha Cho, Creative Writing, “Making (Burgers) Great Again: Carl’s Jr and the Re-Ignition of Far-Right Rhetoric”; London Constant, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, “Big Brother in America: The Patriot Act Through an Orwellian Lens”; Asha Cooper, Professional and Technical Writing, “The Modern American: A Critical Autoethnographic Analysis of Mixed-race Identity From an Indian-White Lens”; Emelia Crump, Creative Writing, “How Language Shapes Perceived Intelligence Among Ethnic Groups”; Victoria Feigert, English, “A Defense of The Countess”; Darcy Foot, Creative Writing, “English Podcast: Writing a Novel While in College”; Sebastian Grenier, Sports Media and Analytics, “Made for the Times: How Adaptations Commentate on Past and Present Cultural Politics”; Samuel Harvey, Creative Writing, “Race and Religion in Toni Morrison’s A Mercy”; Adam Hauf, Creative Writing, “A Sightseer”; Isabella Joerg, English, “An Evolution of Revenge: Complicating the Classical Tradition”; Kayleigh Kalagher, Creative Writing and English, “‘A Dream Within a Dream’ Poetry Explication”; Erin Kearns, English, “Subverting ‘the Fiend Intemperance’: Poe’s Critique of Temperance Discourse in ‘The Black Cat’”; Cate Langhorn, English and Philosophy, “How the Symbolism of Color Illustrates Honor in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”; Sarah Leberknight, English, Creative Writing, and Professional and Technical Writing, “Chastity: The Weapon of Male Honor in Renaissance Revenge Tragedies”; Jenna Mason, Multimedia Journalism and English, “The Relationship Between Intuition and Ethical Reasoning”; Megan McHenry, English and Wildlife Conservation, “A Study in Gender Identity, Color Vocabulary, and Confidence”; Nadja Petrovic, Human Development and Sociology, “From Belgrade to Blacksburg”; Maggie Sheridan, Professional and Technical Writing and English, “Narrative Control, Erased Voices, and the Normalization of Domestic Violence in Poe’s ‘The Black Cat’”; Abigail Smith, Professional and Technical Writing, “Engineering Nature: Scientific Hubris in Under a White Sky and Oryx and Crake”; Brielle Steeves, Criminology and Sociology, “Words as Weapons: Metaphor, Framing, and Pronouns in Political Personas”; Talia Tobin, English, “The Inverted Dynamic of Humanity and Nature in Jeff VanderMeer’s Annihilation”; Sarah Van Glanden, Smart and Sustainable Cities, “Educational Institutions and the White Public Space”; Brooke Wager, English, “A Pestilent President: Edgar Allan Poe Uses the ‘Heresy of the Didactic’ to Critique Jacksonian Democracy in ‘King Pest the First - A Tale Containing an Allegory’”; and Livia Wenger, English, “Reality and The Ministry for the Future.”

 CLAHS participants in the “Zine Making for Educating Through Public Technical and Scientific Communication” session were: Jordan Bumbry, Sports Media and Analytics; Brian Kim, Technical and Scientific Communication; Bailey Linza, Technical and Scientific Communication; and Hailey Richards, Political Science. CLAHS students participating in the session “The Humanity of Design” were: Isabelle Boyd, Professional and Technical Writing; James Duncan, Sports Media and Analytics; Zachary Harner, Technical and Scientific Communication; Ava Nelson, English; Kate Robbins, Creative Writing; and Annie Terault, Professional and Technical Communication. The keynote panel, “Leveraging Your Undergraduate Research Experience,” was presented by Joshua Thompson, Curriculum and Instruction doctoral student and chair of the Distinguished Alumni Board for the Department of English, and Clint Whitten, Associate Director for the Center for Rural Education.

ASPECT doctoral student Efemena Esamagu published “Towards Nigeria’s Nationhood: The Contributions and Challenges of Civil Society, 1990-2022,” International Journal of Innovative Inventions in Social Science and Humanities 3.3 (2026): 286–94, with John M. Tele.

Charlene Eska, English, published Listing the Law: The Legal Glossary of Dubhaltach Mac Fhirbhisigh, Medieval Law and Its Practice 46 (Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill, 2026) and “How to Get to Heaven According to BL MS Egerton 92,” North American Journal of Celtic Studies 10 (2026): 56–63.

Joseph Eska, English, published “The Relative Chronology of Three Lepontic Sound Changes and an Orthographic Anomaly in Cisalpine Gaul,” Studia Celtica 59 (2025): 1–12.

Ten undergraduate finalists from four colleges were recognized during this year’s 2026 Giovanni-Steger Poetry Prize Ceremony, which took place April 8 at the Lyric Theatre. The finalists (with CLAHS students in bold) were: Nick Carlson, Multimedia Journalism; Campbell Coleman, Accounting and Information Systems; Gabe DeLuca, Creative Writing; Manas Karki, General Engineering; Aaliyah Kinsler, Multimedia Journalism; E. K. Klint, Creative Writing; Natalie Lanter, Cybersecurity Management and Analytics; James Mathai, Computer Science; Erin McMillion, Creative Writing and Psychology; and Riley Thompson, Communication. There were three winners of 2026 Giovanni-Steger Poetry Prizes. Karki was awarded first prize, $1,500, for his poem, “Visa Length.” DeLuca received the second-place prize of $800 for “Daisy.” Third-place honors went to Lanter, who received a prize of $500 for “ADHD & Carrots.” The competition was founded in 2006 by the late University Distinguished Professor Emerita of English Nikki Giovanni and named in part for its first benefactor and late Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger.

Edward Gitre, History, published “A ‘Woke’ Military Won World War II,” Time’s “Made by History” series (November 6, 2025).

Global Partnership Project Grants from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences were awarded to the following faculty during 2025–2026. Clara Suong, Political Science, received support for a research project titled “Will Middle Powers Follow? A Study of U.S. Leadership and Regional Politics” with Andrew Cheon, Duke Kunshan University, China. Brian Britt, Professor of Religion and Culture and Director of ASPECT, and Esther Bauer, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, were awarded a grant to organize a workshop on the writings and career of German author Dora Sophie Kellner at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg in Germany.

The Graduate School recognized outstanding master’s and doctoral degree students as well as faculty mentors with awards of excellence during the Graduate Education Week awards reception, which took place March 26. Onyinye Mbanefo, Human Development, was named Graduate Student of the Year at the master’s level. Panita Chatikavanij, a doctoral student in Science and Technology Studies, received the Outstanding Dissertation Award for Social Science, Business, Education, and Humanities. ASPECT doctoral student Elhom Gosink was recognized with the Graduate Teaching Excellence: Instructor of Record Award. The outstanding graduate student award winners in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences were doctoral student Andreza Jorge, ASPECT, and master’s student Zoe Brooks, History. Philip Yaure, Philosophy, was honored as the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Outstanding Mentor.

Aarnes Gudmestad, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, published “L1 Turkish Learners of Spanish and the Interpretation of Verbal Moods: A Close Replication of Kanwit and Geeslin (2014),” Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics 19.1 (2026): 81–118, with Şebnem Yalçın and Amanda Edmonds.

The second annual College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Hall of Honor and Alumni Awards ceremony took place April 17 at the German Club. Three alumni were inducted into the Hall of Honor: Paul Austin, B.A. in History (1965); Renae Collier Pearson, B.S. in Family and Child Development (1990); and James Smith, B.S. in Sociology (1974). Hall of Honor inductees represent alumni who exemplify the importance of a liberal arts education and have made significant contributions to their professions, communities, and Virginia Tech; individuals at least ten years beyond graduation are eligible for this distinction. The 2025 Rising Star Award recipients were: Jordan Fallon, Ph.D. in ASPECT (2023); Erin Lavender-Stott, Ph.D. in Human Development (2018); and Bessie Flores Zaldivar, M.F.A. in English (2022). Rising Star Award recipients have graduated within the last 10 years and demonstrate emerging and unique innovation, creativity, and career success. In addition, 11 individuals were honored as Distinguished Alumni: Priscilla Alvarez, B.A. in Multimedia Journalism (2014); Saliha Bava, Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy (2001); Justin Chiarodo, B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science (2000); Jeanne DaDamio, B.A. in French (1975) and M.A.Ed. in Counselor Education (1976); Susan Gooden, B.A. in English (1990) and M.A. in Political Science (1992); Charles Hodges, Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Technology (2005); Aaron Rouse, B.S. in Sociology (2007); Keith Stemple, B.A. in History and Political Science (1995); Ebony Stephenson, B.A. in Public and Urban Affairs and B.S. in Residential Environments and Design (2007); Karey Sutton, M.S. and Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies (2008 and 2010); and Paula Yost, B.A. in English and B.S. in Microbiology (2002).

ASPECT doctoral student Eric Hammond received the Peacock-Harper Culinary History Scholarship for 2026–2027. The scholarships are for Virginia Tech graduate students whose scholarly pursuits encompass topics related to material in the Peacock-Harper Culinary History Collection, which is housed in the University Libraries Special Collections and University Archives’ Rare Book Room.

Jennifer Hart, Professor and Chair of the Department of History, published “Speaking With Richard Rathbone,” Journal of West African History 11.2 (Fall 2025): 159–80, with Trevor Getz et al.; and “‘In the Neighbourhood’: Social Solidarity and the Politics of Urban Governance in Colonial Accra,” Urban History 53.1 (February 2026): 41–58.

Three History students participated in the Appalachian Studies Association Conference. Master’s student Zoe Brooks presented “Reexamining the Coal Creek War: Convict Laborers in the East Tennessee Coalfields,” and master’s student Sterling Bryant presented “Syrian Appalachia: Race, Religion, and Regional Belonging.” History major Alicia Gear participated in a panel about Eastern Siouan People and the Shaping of Appalachia with History faculty members Sam Cook and Edward Polanco. The conference took place March 19–21 at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

Three History master’s students presented papers at the Southeast Regional Seminar in African Studies: Mercy Dwomoh, “Contested Futures: Nkrumah, Hevi, and the Battle Over Neocolonial Power in Postcolonial Ghana,” Joshua Ewudzie, “Betrayed Gifts: Land Alienation and the Politics of Water Supply in Southern Ghana,” and Bernard Homiah, “Roots of Resistance: Environmental Governance and the Ecological Origins of Ghana’s Independence Struggle.” The seminar took place February 27–28 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina.

Heather Hollandsworth, Academic Advisor in the Department of Sociology, was the recipient of the 2026 Certificate of Merit Outstanding New Advisor Award from the Virginia Tech Academy of Advising Excellence.

Jerry Hulick, bachelor’s degree in Political Science (1973), was one of two recipients of the 2026 Virginia Tech Alumni Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes individuals for their exceptional service to the university, their profession, and their community. Hulick, who boasts more than 50 years’ experience in the financial services industry, founded The Washington Group Special Care Planning Team, which helps individuals with special needs, their families, and their caregivers develop financial strategies and long-term plans. A member of the National Board of Trustees for United Cerebral Palsy, he has served Virginia Tech on its Foundation Board and through support of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences as well as the College of Science. Hulick received the Alumni Distinguished Service Award during University Commencement on May 15.

Center for Humanities Summer Stipends were awarded to the following CLAHS faculty for research on the project or book indicated: Robert Efird, Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures, “An Aesthetics of Resistance: Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors and the Russian Invasions of Ukraine”; Jason Higgins, History and University Libraries, “Revisiting the ‘Spitting Image’: Collective Memories of Betrayal Among Vietnam Veterans”; and Edward Polanco, History, “Maize Always: The Central Mexican Nahua-Cintli Relationship in the Sixteenth Century.” The $4,000 stipends were awarded in support of the faculty members’ work and commitment to advancing the humanities.

Farida Jalalzai, Professor of Political Science and Associate Dean for Global Initiatives and Engagement, published Gender, Leadership, and Crisis: Possibilities and Perils for Women Leaders (New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2026), with Louise K. Davidson-Schmich and Malliga Och.

Brett Jones, Education, received the 2026 Virginia Tech Teaching Scholar Award for Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, along with research collaborator Margaret Ellis, Computer Science. The award is made to a Virginia Tech faculty research group every three years.

Afsana Kona, a master’s student in Sociology, presented “Warning Without Access” at the 89^th Annual Meeting of the Southern Sociological Society, which took place April 8–11 in Jacksonville, Florida.

History major Grace Kostrzebski presented the poster “Mapping the Local History of Virginia: Creating a Flexible Poster Exhibit and Engaging Communities with Local History” at the Virginia Association of Museums Conference, which took place March 14–17 in Williamsburg, Virginia. Kostrzebski was awarded third place for the poster presentation.

Tonisha Lane, Education, published “Latinx Students’ Motivation-Related and Perceived Value of Pursuing a Doctoral Degree in Engineering,” Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering 32.2 (2026): 75–97, with 2023 Higher Education alumna Natali Huggins and Holly M. Matusovich.

ASPECT doctoral student Rebekah Mui Pei Ern published “Devotion, Suffering, and Abuse in the Duggars’ Religious World” in Sightings, a digital magazine published by the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion. In addition, Mui Pei Ern presented “Wielding Sword and Rod: A Framework Uncovering Kyriarchal Political Theology” at the 83rd Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference, which was held April 23–26 in Chicago, Illinois.

ASPECT doctoral student Shreya Nurani presented “Sacralizing Politics, Politicizing Temple in India: The Case of Mahakalesvara Temple in Ujjain” at the South Asia Graduate Student Conference, which took place April 17–18 in Austin, Texas.

Soham Patel, English, published The Daughter Industry: A Hauntological Confession, Alternative History, Speculative Autopoetics in Three Acts with Seven Players (Brooklyn, New York: Nightboat Books, 2026).

ASPECT doctoral student Estefania “Nia” Perez-Vera presented the highlights, design process, and results of the project “The Anthropocene: The Time is NOW” at the annual ICAT Creativity + Innovation Day on May 4. The project was funded through an ICAT grant awarded to Perez-Vera and her team; Perez-Vera served as the project’s scenic designer.

The following students with a primary major in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences accepted the invitation to become members of Phi Beta Kappa during the 2025-2026 academic year. In Fall 2025: Rebecca Camacho-Bruno, Political Science; Julianne DesRosiers, Political Science; Margaret Kidd, Philosophy; Chase Landers, Political Science; William O’Reilly, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Kayla Quigley, English; Sofia Quilaqueo, International Studies; Malcolm Stratton, International Relations; Marissa Styers, Political Science; and Breanna Warf, Political Science. In Spring 2026: Alyssa An, Political Science; Emily Barcalow, Political Science; Kelly Barker, Creative Writing; Rebecca Berglie, Sociology; Byron Bolt, Political Science; Matthew Castro, International Relations; Samantha Cho, Creative Writing; Allison Coleman, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Paige Cosby, Philosophy, Politics, and Educations; Jackson Cummings, National Security and Foreign Affairs; Darcy Foot, Creative Writing; Cassandra Garrison, History; Neelie Harris, Public Relations; Isabella Joerg, English; Phoebe Kaufman, Political Science; Macie Kendrick, History; Emma Kennedy, Humanities for Public Service; Ashley Kitch, English; Sarah Leberknight, English; Ana Leon, Criminology; Torrance Malone, Political Science; Maxwell McNamara, Professional and Technical Writing; Natalie Miller, History; Maya Noueihed, International Relations; Jacob Poel, International Relations; Nicholas Pratt, Political Science; Madison Price, Political Science; Abdulrahman Rashed, Criminology; Emma Roshioru, Public Relations; Gloria Sarillana Lopez, Criminology; Phoebe Scarborough, Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Mary Schaefer, Political Science; Coralyn Selig, Criminology; Josephina Sellers, Multimedia Journalism; Mahima Suresh, National Security and Foreign Affairs; Sydney Thomas, Human Development; Christopher Turner, Religion and Culture; Lillie Tynch, Creative Writing; Christopher Urben, History; Emily Waters, Political Science; Jeffrey Watson, Political Science; and Lea Winters, Criminology. Only the primary major is listed for each student.

The following CLAHS students published an article in Volume 17 (2026) of Philologia. Virginia Tech CLAHS Undergraduate Research Journal: Hannah Banks, Economics and Political Science, “Judicial Responses to the Great Recession”; Isabella Joerg, English, “An Evolution of Revenge Complicating the Classical Tradition”; Erin Kearns, English, “Subverting ‘the Fiend Intemperance’: Poe’s Critique of Temperance Discourse in ‘The Black Cat’”; Cate Langhorn, English and Philosophy, “How the Symbolism of Color Illustrates Honor in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”; Jenna Mason, Multimedia Journalism, “The Effects of Intuition on Moral and Ethical Decision Making”; and Sarah Van Glanden, Smart and Sustainable Cities, “Educational Institutions and the White Public Space.” The 2025-2026 editors of Philologia are: Aidan Boyer, Political Science; Lily Graham, Creative Writing; Colleen Hall, English; Liam Marion, Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience; and Nora Ponce, English. Avery Wiscomb, English, serves as faculty advisor.

Paul Quigley, James I. Robertson, Jr., Associate Professor of Civil War Studies in the Department of History, Director of the Center for Humanities, and Director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies, published The Man Behind the Cane: Preston Brooks, Political Violence, and the Road to the Civil War (New York, New York: Oxford University Press, 2026).

Emma Roshioru, Political Science and Public Relations, was named the 2026 Outstanding Senior in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. During her undergraduate career she served on more than a dozen university and state committees and commissions. At the state level these included the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) Student Advisory Committee and the SCHEV Disabilities Access to Higher Education Advisory Committee. At the university level she has been active with the Undergraduate Student Senate, first as assistant director and director of governmental relations, and currently as president. In addition, she chaired the Atlantic Coast Conference Student Body Presidents Network. Roshioru was one of 10 2025 Running Start/Walmart Congressional Fellows selected nationwide; the fellowship program empowers young women to run for public office. Active with the Special Olympics since elementary school, Roshioru has a minor in Disability Studies, is a member of Virginia Tech’s Disability Alliance, and is currently a council member of Special Olympics Virginia. Her work experience has included a stint as a congressional intern, a Health Policy Fellow for the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority, as well as ongoing engagement with the Office of Elections and Therapeutic Recreation Services, both in Roanoke County. Among her academic honors is membership in Phi Beta Kappa. Roshioru will continue to pursue a master’s degree in communication at Virginia Tech in 2026–2027, with plans to attend law school as she works toward a career in public policy. 

Emma Roshioru, Political Science and Public Relations, was named a 2026 Truman Scholar, one of 55 students from universities across the country selected for this honor by the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation. Students selected demonstrate outstanding leadership potential, commitment to a career in government or the nonprofit sector, and academic excellence; they receive up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school and leadership development activities and gain exclusive access to internships and employment in the federal government. Finalists for recognition as Truman Scholars discuss their policy proposals and dedication to public service with a regional interview panel. Roshioru, who is also the 2026 outstanding CLAHS student (see above), has served as president of the Undergraduate Student Senate, president of the Disability Alliance, and student council advisory member of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, representing Virginia Tech. She is the fourth Virginia Tech student in university history to be named a Truman Scholar and the first since 2009.

The 2026 Service Recognition Program acknowledged employees’ service to the university in five-year increments, beginning at 10 years. Fifty-nine College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences faculty members were recognized, including one with 45 years of service: Richard Hirsh, History; and three with 40 years of service: Alice Kinder, retired Senior Instructor of English; James Klagge, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy; and Daniel Thorp, Associate Professor of History. A complete list of employees recognized this year for 10 or more years of service (in five-year increments) can be found here.

History master’s student Madison Smith presented “Patterns of Passage: Chinese Migration, Gendered Suspicion, and the Procedural Formation of Race” at the American Political History Institute Conference, which took place March 20–21 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Department of Sociology doctoral student Erin Boyle, retired Research Professor Duane Gill, and faculty members Liesel Ritchie and Micah Roos published “Resource Loss, Slow Violence, and Psychosocial Stress: The 2022 Pearl River Flood in Jackson, Mississippi,” Social Sciences 15 (2026), Article 254, with Thomas M. Kersen and Adam M. Straub.

ASPECT doctoral student Hannah Steinhauer presented “Doing the Work: Characterizing Reproductive Justice Social Media Labor” at the Women and Gender Studies South Annual Conference, which was held March 19–21 at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The 2026 Albert Lee Sturm Awards for Excellence in Research were awarded to CLAHS faculty members Jason Higgins, History and University Libraries, and Edward Polanco, History, by the Mu of Virginia chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Higgins was recognized for Prisoners After War: Veterans in the Age of Mass Incarceration (Amherst and Boston, Massachusetts: University of Massachusetts Press, 2024) and Polanco for Healing Like Our Ancestors: The Nahua Tiçitl, Gender, and Settler Colonialism in Central Mexico; 1535–1660 (Tucson, Arizona: University of Arizona Press, 2024).

Mahima Suresh, a National Security and Foreign Affairs and Spanish major, was selected as the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences recipient of the 2026 Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society Senior Medallion. Suresh completed internships at the White House in the Office of the Western Hemisphere, the Acquisition Innovation Research Center, the Hume Center for Intelligence and Technology, and Samsung Electronics America as a policy analyst. She served on the Undergraduate Student Senate and participated in the Virginia Tech Model UN Conference in 2025. She was a Civic Fellow with the International Leadership Foundation in Washington, D.C., a member of the Virginia Tech University Office of Student Affairs Executive Council, and a Democracy Fellow in the VT Engage Center for Leadership. Suresh conducted research with the Teach for Humanity Lab; the Department of State; the U.S. Embassy in Uruguay as a virtual intern; the Diplomacy Lab; the VT Center for European and Transatlantic Studies as a Schuman Challenge Scholar; and the European Union Simulation. Suresh is a member of Inspiring Women in Lifelong Leadership, has served as an ESL tutor, works with the ODNI Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence, and has participated in the Virtual Language Exchange with students from the Universidad de Oviedo in Spain.

The following students were recipients of 2025–2026 Travel Grant Awards from the Virginia Tech Office of Undergraduate Research: Annabel Bass, Sociology, First-Year Engineering Experience hosted by the American Society for Engineering Education, July 27–29, 2025; and Jenna Mason, Multimedia Journalism and English, Acoustical Society of America, May 12, 2026.

Grant support for undergraduate research in 2025–2026 was provided by the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Undergraduate Academic Affairs Office to the following CLAHS students for conference presentations: Grace Bush, English and Human Development, and Drake Webb, “This Is How You Correctly Say ‘Appalachia,’” Southeastern Conference on Linguistics; and Jenna Mason, Multimedia Journalism and English, “Temporal Dynamics of Monophthongs, Diphthongs, and Triphthongs in Icelandic,” Acoustical Society of America. In addition, the Department of English received support for its Undergraduate Excellence Conference and the Department of Political Science was awarded funding for Model NATO.

The following faculty in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences were winners of a 2026 University Faculty/Staff Award:

Marian Mollin, Associate Professor in the Department of History, received the Wine Award for Teaching Excellence.

Matthew Vollmer, Professor in the Department of English, was recognized with a University Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The university’s announcement is available on this page. Information regarding Engaged Research Award winner Shannon Bell, Sociology, is found on p. 3 of this newsletter; the announcement regarding Jacob A. Lutz II Award winner Joseph Eska, English, appeared in the December 2025 issue of News2Note.

Clint Whitten, Center for Rural Education, presented the plenary keynote, “Sustaining, Disrupting, and Curating Narratives of Place: A Rural Middle School Youth Experience,” at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archive Conference, which took place April 29 to May 2 in Richmond, Virginia.

ASPECT doctoral student Chayne Wild published a book review, “Doran Larson’s Inside Knowledge: Incarcerated People on the Failures of the American Prison,” in ICIS Today 55.3 (May 2026): 24–26.

The following CLAHS students gave presentations at the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Undergraduate and Graduate Conference titled “Feminism is for EveryBody 2026”:

Emaediong Akpan, Sociology, “Bodies Assigned for Labour: How Caste Influences Occupational Immobility of Dalit Women in India”; Quincy Allen, Multimedia Journalism, “Traversing Intersectionality: Contextualizing and Rejecting Tyler Perry’s Ridicule of Black Women”; Miranda Archibald, Psychology and Sociology, “War of Threads: Clothing as a Site of Resistance, Memory, and Political Truth”; Emily Barcalow, Political Science, “The Mojo Dojo Casa House of Horrors: The Film Barbie Analyzed Through Feminist and Queer Theories” and “Why Are Women Still Changing Their Last Names in the Twenty-First Century?”; Abigail Barry, International Relations, “Connection to Nature: An Ongoing Conversation for Women”; Meixi Chen, ASPECT doctoral student, “Resisting Heteronormativity via the Mulan Archetype”; Katy Colucci, Human Development: “Rhetoric, Violence, and Our Earth: Ecofeminist Strategies for Environmental Change”; Emma Desens Gochanour, Human Development doctoral student, “An Exploration of How Emerging Adults Navigate the Complex Boundary Between Sexual Coercion and Compliance in Intimate Relationships”; Emma Kennedy, Humanities for Public Service, “Is Motherhood Political?: Exploring the Impacts of Capitalism on Modern Motherhood” Torrance Malone, Political Science, “We’re Still Burning Witches: Exploring Contemporary Gendered Harm and Disconnect from the Erotic”; Maggie Morris, Science and Technology Studies doctoral student, “Wild Feminism Against Domestication: Tilapia, Aquaponics, and Multispecies Reciprocity”; Ana Portillo, Creative Writing, “Sports as a Fat Girl”; Gloria Sarillana Lopez, Criminology, “Counting the Uncounted: Underreporting and the Normalization of Femicide in Mexico”; Samadrita Sarkar, ASPECT doctoral student, “Good Woman Versus Bad Woman: Deconstructing the Image Construction of Heroines and Vamps in Indian Television Serials”; and Oliver Shuey, Science and Technology Studies doctoral student, “Epistemological and Material Consequences of the ‘Bro Code.’” Participants in the Entanglements of Feminism in STS Critical Pedagogy Roundtable were Science and Technology Studies graduate students Farah Aryan, Deepsikha Dasgupta, David Marchant Cavieres, Isaiah Martinez, Maggie Morris, Andrew Rosenthal, Yen Tsou, and Ace Wang. Portillo was the winner of the Barbara Ellen Smith Undergraduate Best Essay; Chen was recognized with the Barbara Ellen Smith Graduate Best Essay; and Sarkar received the Suchitra Samanta Global Essay award. The conference took place April 6 in the Graduate Life Center.

2026

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