2017 Graduate Program News
Applying the tools of forensic science to the task of recovering and preserving cultural heritage objects
English PhD students Alex Zawacki (right) and Helen Davies examine a 15th-century Italian manuscript using a multispectral imaging device. As part of their graduate studies, they are applying the tools of forensic science to the task of recovering and preserving cultural heritage objects. “Without Rochester’s silo-breaking, radically interdisciplinary and supportive institutional culture, my research would not be possible,” says Davies.
Summer Funding Recipients Report Back
A number of students received funding this past summer to support various scholarly endeavors, ranging from work in archives, to attendance at special institutes, to conference-related travel. Some are excerpted below.
Matt Bayne Wins Outstanding Dissertation Award
Congratulations to Matt Bayne, whose dissertation, "Tarrying with Useless Things: Reparative Readings of Victorian Social Inequality," has been selected to receive the University's 2017 Outstanding Dissertation Award in the Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences. In the dissertation, which Bayne defended in the spring of 2016, he argues that Victorian authors employed images of garbage to symbolize marginalized members of society -- single women, queer men, colonized peoples, the poor -- but that, perhaps unexpectedly, the metaphor works "reparatively," helping, ultimately, to endow these populations with positive value. Bayne completed the dissertation under the supervision of Professor Bette London and Professor Supritha Rajan. He is currently working at the college's Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program in the role of Writing Placement Coordinator.
Abby Brengle Wins Curtis Award
The University Dean's office has awarded Abby Brengle a 2017 Edward Peck Curtis Prize for Excellence in Teaching by a Graduate Student, in recognition of her outstanding work as an instructor in the College's Writing, Speaking, and Argument Program. Congratulations, Abby!
Matt Skwiat's Paper to Appear in Forthcoming Volume
Congratulations to MA student Matt Skwiat, whose work (originally a conference paper) will be featured in Women and the Great Hunger, a collection of essays forthcoming from Cork University Press. Matt's essay re-evaluates the poetry of Jane Elgee (later Jane Wilde, mother of Oscar Wilde), putting her verse into dialogue with the English Romantic poets, and arguing for its influential role in shaping the poetry both of William Butler Yeats and of Oscar Wilde himself.
Anastasia Nikolis Interning at Library of Congress
Congratulations to PhD student Anastasia Nikolis, who is spending the 2016-17 academic year as an intern for the Library of Congress's Poetry and Literature Center, while also undertaking research for her dissertation. Anastasia was recently invited to write a guest blog post about her scholarly work, and the ways in which it is supported by the LoC's resources: http://blogs.loc.gov/catbird/.
Matt Skwiat Reports Back on OUP Internship
MA student Matt Skwiat spent the summer interning at the Oxford University Press's New York City offices, where the work ranged from finding appropriate reviewers for manuscripts, to seeking copyright approvals for images, to gathering the relevant materials for marketing, production, and distribution. Interns also interacted with editors in Oxford's trade and reference divisions. Congratulations, Matt, on being awarded -- and making the most of -- this wonderful opportunity!