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8:00am – 8:45am | Check-in and Breakfast (MSC 3707) 
*provided for presenters and moderators 
8:45am – 9:00am | Welcome and Opening Remarks (MSC 3707) 
9:00am – 10:00am |  Poster Session I (MSC 3705)
10:00am – 11:00am | Panel Sessions:

• Mediterranean Marvels and Myths (MSC 3704)
  Moderator: Heather O'Leary (Anthropology)
  Lillian Mason (Anthropology) 
  “Monetizing Warfare: How Lydian Coinage Reshaped the Mediterranean Economy”&�Բ�����;
  Morgan Rand (History) 
  “Darius III, the Weaker King: The Influence of Ethnocentrism on Greek Narratives”&�Բ�����;
   
• Modern Insights into Ancient Sources (MSC 3708) 
  Moderator: Emelia Brzakala (History) 
  Craig Duran (History) 
  “Alexander’s Indian Conquest, Validity of Substantiating Evidence & Potential Mythological Influence”&�Բ�����;
  Heather Catherine Halili (History, Philosophy) 
  “Re-evaluating Athenian Democracy Through a Historiographical Study: How Does Modern Politics Influence Our Retellings of History?”&�Բ�����;
  Kya Lockler (Art History, Religious Studies) 
  “Ancient Reflections: A Study of the Tampa Museum of Art’s Engraved Etruscan Mirror”&�Բ�����;
   
• (Re)Imagining Classics Through Creative Writing (MSC 3711) 
  Moderator: Jared Lamanati (Film Studies) 
  Aldan Rossnagel (English) 
  “Backstroke of the West and a Culture that Folds the Semiotic and Resurrects the Aura”&�Բ�����;
  Damir Sadykov (Humanities and Cultural Studies) 
  “Deal with the Nemesis: Original Novel by Damir Sadykov”&�Բ�����;
  Ezra Steffen (English) 
  “Resistance is Futile: Using Star Trek Fanfiction to Reimagine Milton’s Paradise Lost”

11:15am – 12:15pm | Panel Sessions:

• Improving Medical Outcomes Through Art, Music, and Food (MSC 3704)
  Moderator: Meredith Johnson (English) 
  Bhavagna Punyala (Health Sciences) 
  “The Healing Palette: The Clinical Impact of Visual and Culinary Arts”&�Բ�����;
  Matthew Smith (Biology) 
  “The Benefits of Music on Alzheimer’s Patients Behaviorally and Physiologically as a Form of Therapy and Preventative Measures”&�Բ�����;
   
• Pretty Ugly: Womanhood, Culture, and Beauty (MSC 3708) 
  Moderator: Melike Akay 
  Lilian Bojkovic (Psychology) 
  “Under the Knife: The Psychological Implications of Beauty Standards and Plastic Surgery as a Form of Self-Harm”&�Բ�����;
  Rachel Dang (Cell and Molecular Biology) 
  “The Psychology of Mother-Daughter Relationships: The Emotional Division, The Cultural Significance, and the Multigenerational Influence”&�Բ�����;
  Julia Alves Figueira (Humanities and Cultural Studies) 
  “Take Care of Your Self': Aging, Trauma, and Anxieties in The Substance (2024)”&�Բ�����;
   
• Florida Histories from the Seminoles to Civil Rights (MSC 3711) 
  Moderator: Liz Kicak (Director, Humanities Institute)
  Ashley Cintron (History) 
  “Beyond Jackson; How the Fist Seminole War Shaped Florida History”&�Բ�����;
  Laila Farhat (Political Science, International Studies) 
  “The Social Construction of Nation, Domestic Space, and Innocence: White Supremacist Violence and Black Refusal in the St. Augustine Civil Rights Movement”&�Բ�����;
  Finn Pollard (History) 
  “Floridian Coastal Fortifications”

12:15pm – 1:15pm | Lunch *provided for presenters and moderators (MSC 3707) 
1:15pm – 2:15pm | Panel Sessions:

• Race, Ethnicity, and Global Healthcare Inequalities (MSC 3704) 
  Moderator: Rebecca Zarger (Anthropology) 
  Nicole Chen (Biomedical Sciences) 
  “Medical Inequalities of America: How the Current System Creates Barriers to Health”&�Բ�����;
  Rysun Chu (History, Psychology) 
  “The Role of Citizenship in the Healthcare Disparity Suffered by the Chinese Xinjiang Uyghur Muslims”&�Բ�����;
  Olivia Pinilla (Biology) 
  “Community Health Workers in Rural Communities in the Dominican Republic: Observations and Reflections”&�Բ�����;
   
• Contemporary Issues in Latin American Studies (MSC 3708) 
  Moderator: Estelí Jiménez-Soto (Geography and Environmental Science) 
  Ebi Arhewoh (Psychology) 
  “Reconfiguring Public Space: Women Artists and the Aesthetics of Resistance in Oaxaca”&�Բ�����;
  Rider Forrest (Political Science) 
  “Mexican Immigration and Deportation in 20th century American History”&�Բ�����;
  Jonathan Reid (Biomedical Sciences) 
  “Immigration and Healthcare in the U.S. an Exploration"
  
  
• A Multitude of Metaphors: The Power of Figurative Language (MSC 3711)
  Moderator: Morgan Hunter (English Literature) 
  Raquel Acevedo (English) 
  “Birthing a Monster: Parental Anxieties in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein”&�Բ�����;
  Kavery Kallichanda (Biomedical Sciences, Biomedical Anthropology) 
  “Medical Metaphors in Ayurveda”&�Բ�����;
  Celine Wong (Biology) 
  “The Complex Relationship Between the Human Soul and Nature”

2:30pm – 3:30pm | Panel Sessions:

• Racism’s Enduring Legacy (MSC 3704) 
  Moderator: Liz Kicak (Director, Humanities Institute)
  Reagan Craig (History) 
  “A Southern Education: The United Daughters of the Confederacy”&�Բ�����;
  Zoe Dieudonne (History, Anthropology) 
  “What a Stud: A Cultural Analysis of Slave Breeding in the FWP Slave Narratives”&�Բ�����;
  Mel Fugulin (Anthropology) 
  “The Cultural Mindset of Discrimination and Prejudice”&�Բ�����;
   
• A World of Changes: Evolving Global Powers (MSC 3708)
  Moderator: Heather O'Leary (Anthropology) 
  Anna Alieva (International Studies) 
  “Recrudescence: Causes of the Far-Right Successes in the European Union”&�Բ�����;
  Zion Bowen (History, Philosophy) 
  “Why Do Soldiers Fight? An Exploratory Study on the Historical Motivations of Soldiers and How the U.S. Military Can Leverage These Insights”&�Բ�����;
  Victor Nikolov (History) 
  “Great Empires in Peril: Taxation Inefficiencies as a Potential Catalyst for the Decline of Modern Hegemony”&�Բ�����;
   
• The Lives of Women in Ancient Greece (MSC 3711) 
  Moderator: Kellan Anfinson (SIGS) 
  Kamdyn Midenhall (Political Science) 
  “Women in a Gilded Cage”&�Բ�����;
  Sophia Solis (Biology) 
  “Unheard Voices: A Modern Argument of Women’s Health in Ancient Greece”&�Բ�����;
  Sofia Zwegers (Anthropology) 
  “Shieldmaidens or Silent Wives: Women and War in Ancient Greece”&�Բ�����;

8:30am – 9:00am | Check-in and Breakfast (MSC 3707) 
*provided for presenters and moderators 
9:00am – 10:00am | Poster Session II (MSC 3705) 
10:00am – 11:00am | Panel Sessions:

• Visual and Performance Art in Religious Studies (MSC 3704)
  Moderator: Elizabeth Ricketts-Jones (English)
  Chelsea Hoyt 
  “God is a Woman?”&�Բ�����;
  Samantha Whiskeyman (Anthropology) 
  “As the Corn Grew a Thousand Years Before: The Green Corn Ceremony of the Five Civilized Tribes”&�Բ�����;
  Lucia Winkler (Dual Enrollment) 
  “Ug – The Leonardo da Vinci of Shamanic Cave Art”&�Բ�����;
   
• Sound of Silence: Repressed Voices (MSC 3708) 
  Moderator: Najah Raniyah (Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications) 
  Milena Autero (International Studies) 
  “An Evolving Process: Iranian Women’s Rights Throughout the Years”&�Բ�����;
  Jadyn Doe (Integrated Public Relations, Advertising) 
  “The Stigma of Atheism in the Black American Community”&�Բ�����;
  Rochelle Moore (Psychology) 
  “Revered, Repressed, Rewritten: How Ancient Myths Continue to Shape Silence Around Women’s Voices”&�Բ�����;

11:15am – 12:00pm | USF Graduate Programs Information Session (MSC 3707) 
12:00pm – 1:00pm | Lunch (MSC 3707)
*provided for presenters and moderators 
1:00pm – 2:15pm | Panel Sessions:

• Building Resilient Communities (MSC 3704) 
  Moderator: Kalysta Fowler (English Literature) 
  Amber Irwin (Environmental Science & Policy) 
  “How Students Find Happiness in the University Student Center at USF St. Petersburg”&�Բ�����;
  Leila Nua (Public Health, Education) 
  “The Rooms We Cried: A Photographer's Study on Where Emotion Refused to Leave”&�Բ�����;
  Naomi Ogiba (Communication) and Abigail Bullian (Communication, English) 
  “BullsGiveBack for No Poverty”&�Բ�����;
  Luna Pedro (Political Science) 
  “Happiness in the Library”&�Բ�����;
   
• Television, Film, and Identity Creation (MSC 3708) 
  Moderator: Carlin Steere (English, Creative Writing) 
  Amber Barrett (Anthropology) 
  “The Air Itself is Filled with Monsters: Social Commentary in Horror Films”&�Բ�����;
  Gabriella Bonilla (English) 
  “But I’m A Cheerleader, Bound, and Bottoms: The Three Bs of Lesbian Utopia”&�Բ�����;
  Kaitlyn Johnson (English) 
  “The True Meaning of Utopia in The Good Place”&�Բ�����;
  Sarah Smith (Communication) 
  “Examining the impact of the Harry Potter franchise in the US and UK and its influence on American perceptions of British identity”

2:30pm – 3:45pm | Panel Sessions:

• Madness, Monsters, and Mothers (MSC 3704) 
  Moderator: Morgan Hunter (English Literature) 
  Sadaqat Ahmed (Biology) 
  “The Evolution of The Word Creep in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper” 
  Peter Brodrick (English) 
  “How Analysis of The Ballad of Black Tom Supports the Framework of Monster Culture (Seven Theses)”&�Բ�����;
  Abigail Bullian (Communication, English) 
  “Lily Bart, Lorelai Gilmore, and Unlikeable, Loveable Protagonists”&�Բ�����;
  Rylee Diehl (Psychology) 
  “The Gothic’s Boy Mom: a Depiction of the Jocasta Complex in Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca”  
   
• Digital Age Dilemmas (MSC 3708) 
  Moderator: Jimmy Rosilio (Film and New Media Studies, Humanities and Cultural Studies) 
  Danny Bartolo (History) 
  “Piracy in the Golden Age and the Modern Age: Commonalities Between Golden Age Pirates and Modern Internet Music Piracy Communities”&�Բ�����;
  Alexander Harms (Chemical Engineering) 
  “Analyzing the Relationship Between the Development of Audio Technology in Video Game Consoles and their Success and Reception, 1972-2001”&�Բ�����;
  Renée McAleer (Philosophy, English) 
  “Attention as Rootedness: Overcoming Empirical and Metaphysical Deracination in the Digital Age with Simone Weil”&�Բ�����;
  Brandy Rodriguez (Mass Communications) 
  “Experimental Arthouse Attractions: Theme Parks and the New Immersive Cinema”&�Բ�����;

A History and Defense of Postsecondary Education Inclusion Programs
Zoe Singeisen (History)

Adolescents and the Climate Crisis: A Critical Content Analysis of YA CliFi Literature
Luke Vischio-Duffy (English Education)

Awakening the Senses, Rekindling the Mind
Saira Hadi (Biology)
Samiyah Hadi (Biology)
Megan Souza (Biology)

Bad Bunny, Babel, and the Violence of Translation
Kylie Azzara (English)

Belle Epoque of Girlhood? How Society Shapes the College Girl Experience in Hello, My Twenties!
Katelyn Casco (Health and Physical Rehabilitation Science)

Benefits of Art Therapy on Quality of Life in Middle Aged Women with Gynecological and/or Breast Cancer
Iman Ahmed (Biology, Studio art)
Rylee Diehl (Clinical Psychology) 

Beyond Makeovers: Cher’s Journey Toward Maturity in Clueless
Destiny Cooper (Psychology)

Blocking the Ancestral Flow: On The International Legality of the Kaliwa Dam Project and Indigenous People
Emerlinda Lemonis (English)

Climate Refugees: The Missing Legal Protections for Displaced Populations
Sienna Zwizinski (International Studies, Criminology)

College Student Generations, Gender, and Fear of Academic Failure
Kianna Romero (Biomedical Sciences)

Curators and Cemi Idols: The Museum Afterlives of Material Personhood
Peter Kyriacou (Anthropology)

Face-to-Face with the Past: Digitalizing the USF St. Petersburg Special Collections and Archives
Lianna Paton (Anthropology)

Finding the Individual in the Panhellenic Games through a Triadic Approach
Raheed Zaman (Biomedical Sciences, Political Science)
 
Food Allergies and Insecurity at the ��èAV���
Adalyn Case (Anthropology, History)

Gilmore Girls as a Cultural Archive of the Disappearing Green World
Sue Lee Jave (Mechanical Engineering)

Gossip Girl and the Digital College-Girl Bildungsroman
Vinanti Trivedi (Biomedical Sciences)

Happiness: Meaning and Wellbeing in Yoga
Carolyn Mazur (English)

Impact of Chronic Exposure to Comparison-Based Social Media Content on Decision Paralysis and Identity Cohesion in Young Adults
Melanie Bailey (Psychology), Kaitlyn Dunn (Psychology), Zoey Fowler, (Psychology), Macarena Guerrero (Biomedical Sciences), Megan McCollum (Pyschology), Isabella Rodriguez (Psychology), Sophia Zitnik (Psychology)

Language Loss and Revitalization: Continuity and Sustainability
Shreya Chandna (Political Science)

Maleficium and Community Conflict: Witchcraft Accusations in Tudor England, 1485-1604
Kylie Azzara (English), Victor Alvarez Castellano (English, Psychology)

Minority Disparities within Government Assistance
Cedrese Jones (Entrepreneurship)

Neuroarchitecture: Enhancing Cognitive Performance Through the Design of Spaces
Ava Murphy (Chemistry)

Pitch Perfect (2012): Contemporary College Fiction & Women’s Community
Sofia Garcia (Sociology)

Prehistoric Indigenous Foodways at a Northwest Florida shell midden
Layla Alvarado (Anthropology)

Preservation in your Pocket: Comparing Photogrammetric Tools for Cultural Heritage Preservation
Herbert Mazariego (Anthropology)

Red Light, Green Light: The Impacts of Daily Commuting on Well-Being
Bridgette Donohue (Chemical Engineering)

Stroke of a Brush: The Power of Art Beyond the Canvas
Mariana Sorto (Biomedcial Sciences)

Structural Inequality and the Path Forward: Rethinking Rural Poverty Solutions
Akshaya Jambunath (Finance)

Structural Racism in Health Insurance Access: The Lasting Impact of Redlining on Breast Cancer Outcomes
Kymora Cooper (Biology), Luna Cummings (Psychology), Shanzay Khan (Health Sciences), Christiana Mihaila (Biomedical Sciences), Stephanie Vasquez (Pyschology), Leila Wotruba (Health Science)

Teaching Against Tradition: Agency and Identity in Mona Lisa Smile
Jayna Jennas (Biomedical Sciences)

The Dynamics of Nativeness in an L2 Classroom
Angel Laclaustra (World Languages & Cultures)

The Neurological and Psychological Role of Diverse Art Therapies on War Refugees Suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Iman Ahmed (Biology, Studio art), DeMajae Brown (Psychology), Jessie Del Villar (Pyschology, Criminology), Yazmin Marin-Montiel (Psychology)

The Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System
Kristie Saieh (Political Science)

The Role of Hope and Social Support in Physical Recovery from Illness
Guna Krita Ranjith Kumar (Biomedical Sciences)

The Weaponization of Women’s Rights in Geopolitics
Lila Morgan (Political Science, Criminology)

Women in the Bolshevik Revolution
Sophia McGregor (History, Political Science)

Students and faculty with USF parking permits should park in their designated lots. Guest parking information is available on the USF Parking and Transportation website. There are paid time spaces by the Marshall Student Center in Lot 5A as well as daily permits available for purchase online or at the Parking Services Building (PSB). If you purchase a daily parking pass, you can park in the Crescent Hill Parking Facility off Holly Drive or Lot 3B.

When you're ready to apply, here's what we'll ask for in the application:

• Name
• Email
• Major(s)
• Presentation Format (Poster Session, Paper for Panel Discussion, Creative Project)
• Research category 
• Title of project
• Abstract (PDF file upload)
  • (200 words max.) This is where you submit a brief summary of your project or research. Even if your project is not complete yet, you can still submit a general overview for application purposes. Writing the abstract in future tense may help. Please include your name and project title in the abstract. 

Accepted student presenters will be sent a registration link on December 12, 2025 and will have until January 13, 2026 to confirm their spot and committ to attending the conference.

This is when you will provide your Student Scholar Biography (see "What goes into my biography?" for more details. ~100 words max./ 3-4 sentences) and dietary restrictions (Free breakfast and lunch is provided to student conference presenters).

We encourage students to attend a preparation session to ask questions before the conference. Other conference preparation can include rehearsing your presentation, creating visual powerpoint slides, printing your poster, or getting a free professional outfit to wear from .

No. All majors are welcome.

Yes. You can now apply to the conference as a group on one single application.  *Please only list the group members in the application who plan to attend the conference. You can acknowledge your group members in the project, but not all need to participate in the conference. If you are doing a panel presentation, please designate 1-2 people to present. If you are doing a poster, there is space for 2-3 group members to stand by the poster. 

If you are applying for your group, you will need the following information from your group members for the application and registration:

• Full name
• USF email
• Major(s)
• Student Scholar Biography (written in 3rd person, 4-5 sentences max.)

Note: there are 4 spots maximum on the group application (including yourself)

Due to the increase in student participants and limited capacity, we no longer allow students to present multiple individual projects at this time. Please select one project to apply and present at the conference.

*If you are in a group project with another student, you can still submit your own separate individual research project.

You can design a 36" x 48" poster on Powerpoint (Design> Slide Size> Custom Slide Size> H: 36" x W: 48"). 2 poster templates are available for reference.

Print your poster at the (first floor) or the USF Print Center in the Marshall Student Center (for a fee). There is also printing in the MDC Shimberg Health Sciences Library.

Drop off posters at the Humanities Institute office (CPR 474 - Cooper Hall 4th Floor) by Tuesday, Jan. 27 or bring your poster to the conference to hang up. Velcro stickers are provided. 

No. An abstract is sufficient for the application, giving students plenty of time to complete their work before the conference. Students are encouraged to apply with an existing midterm or final project or research that may still be in progress during the Fall semester. By the time January comes, students will have a more developed or finished project to present. 

Yes!

The biography is a few sentences that describes your academics interests, course of study, and future plans. Please write your biography in 3rd person and limit it to 3-5 sentences (~100 words).

Example: "Jane is a National Merit Scholar student studying English and Sociology. She is a group fitness instructor at Campus Rec and is president of the Scuba Diving Club. Jane is a Junior and plans to attend graduate school in North Dakota."

You’re ready! Nearly everyone will be presenting their research for the first time, so you’re in good company. The Humanities Institute staff is here to help you plan and prepare if you need help. The conference is designed to be professional, but supportive and fun for new scholars.

Yes! Undergraduate students from all campuses are invited to apply. If transportation is an obstacle to participating in the conference in-person on the Tampa campus, please contact Liz Kicak.

If your presentation time conflicts with a class, you should inform your instructor right away to see if they can support you in this opportunity to present at the conference. For further assistance or if you cannot present at your original scheduled time, please contact Liz Kicak. 

If you are unable to attend the conference, please contact Liz Kicak as soon as possible so we can adjust the conference schedule and remove you from the program. 

We understand illness and family emergencies arise, but make every effort to attend your scheduled presentation time in addition to the free lunches, poster sessions, and a few panels. Catering, poster boards, swag bags, programs, etc. all cost money and time to produce. Panels are built with the expectation that you show up. Standard conference practice is to attend other panels, attend the free lunch, and network.

Yes, conference presenters are provided FREE breakfast and lunch both days.

To inquire about the menu in advance for dietary concerns, please email Jade V.

Yes. There is free breakfast for participants who come during the morning check-in time. We encourage arriving at the conference in the morning, but we understand if students have class or work and need to check-in later in the day. Please attend as much of the conference as your schedule allows. It is common practice to attend other panels throughout the conference.