Mount Saint Vincent Hosts Medieval and Early Modern Undergraduate Symposium
3/13/2017
Riverdale, N.Y. – Mount Saint Vincent scholars recently presented their research at the third annual Hudson Valley Medieval and Early Modern Undergraduate Symposium. This year, the College hosted the February 25 event. Delaney Hauck ’18, and Nicole Quaranto ’18 joined more than a dozen exceptional undergraduate students from area institutions including Iona College, Marist College, Mount Saint Mary College, SUNY New Paltz, and Fordham University.
Ms. Hauck’s paper, “Hans Holbein: The First Advertiser,” was part of the panel “Identity and Performance,” moderated by Andrew Albin, assistant professor of English, Fordham University. Ms. Quaranto’s paper, “Lions and Tigers and… Bear Baiting? Deadly Pastimes and Recreations of Tudor England,” was part of the panel, “Materiality and Elite Culture,” moderated by Thomas Olsen, associate professor of English, SUNY New Paltz.
Cathryn McCarthy Donahue, chair of the English department at Mount Saint Vincent, and Stephanie Pietros, assistant professor of English at the Mount, organized the event along with the other members of the steering committee, Christina Carlson, associate professor of English, Iona College, and Janine Peterson, associate professor of History, Marist College. “The symposium allows us to showcase our students’ excellent academic papers and research projects,” Dr. McCarthy Donahue said. “I was deeply gratified for the support we received from the Sisters of Charity, who provided a Ministry Grant to help us defray expenses for the symposium. We are so grateful for their generosity.”
“The symposium is a great way to introduce students to a wider academic community, as they interact with students and faculty from other institutions,” added Dr. Pietros. “It helps them to see that research, at its best, has a social element when shared with others.”
Indeed, a highlight of the students’ experience was their ability to connect with peers. “It was inspiring to see other undergraduate scholars research such intriguing and original ideas,” said Ms. Hauck. “I felt honored to be surrounded by such bright students, and I was thankful be able to show them the beauty of our campus.”
Ms. Quaranto said she was thankful for her Mount professors for guiding her along the way. “I am also grateful to the Mount for always supplying me with such phenomenal experiences,” she said. “All of the research was fascinating, and I learned more in one day than I had in a long time.”
Keynote speaker David Gallo, associate professor of History at the Mount, said the Symposium demonstrated “what the liberal arts tradition does best,” giving students “a taste of the life of the mind.”
He continued, “The student research fostered discussion, questions, and learning about literature, art, poetry, myth, history—everything that makes us human. It was particularly beautiful to see this [liberal arts tradition] passed down to a new generation of young scholars.”
About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational, and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.