Columns – UMW Humanities and Social Sciences Journal is a student-led undergraduate research journal that publishes student research in the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Mary Washington. It was formed in the Fall of 2022 by Kate Gruber (Anthropology ’23), Erin Mahoney (Anthropology ’23), Liam Kiely (International Affairs and Geography ’23), and Ricky Muñoz (History and Geography ’24) as an idea to collaborate with other humanities and social sciences students in publishing research. The first issue was published at the end of the fall semester 2022, and included articles by five Mary Washington undergraduate students.
Each semester, the editorial staff gathers submissions and funds, edits papers, publishes a new issue of the journal in print and online, and hosts a symposium where authors present their research. To date the journal has published 3 issues and staff is now preparing to release the 4th and host its fourth symposium on April 26, 2024 at 5pm in Combs 139, with a reception following, rounding out a busy day of symposia, exhibitions, and performances for the 18th Annual UMW Research and Creativity Day Symposium.
Columns is both a student research endeavor and a student organization–completely student-initiated and student-run, with the support of a faculty advisor, Dr. Dawn Bowen (Geography). Their goal is to highlight student achievements and scholarly works at UMW through a careful curation of academic writing. Students here work hard to produce writing that they are proud of for topics they are passionate about, and Columns attempts to showcase some examples of this.
Sofia Taylor, who published an article in the Fall 2023 issue with two other psychology students Catherine Kelly and Ariana Golder on their research titled “The Effect of Background Music on Reading Comprehension,” spoke about the impact being able to publish her research had for her:
Applying to Columns provided me with the experience of editing, submitting, and presenting research prior to grad school. I hope to apply and attend PhD program, so this experience was really impactful on getting ahead of the game by knowing the research publishing process at my undergraduate university. – Sofia Taylor
Art history student Fiona Helms, who also published an article in the fall 2023 issue, titled “Wine That Never Stops Flowing: A Contextualization of Rembrandt’s Philemon and Baucis,” commented:
I am so grateful for the opportunities Columns has brought me! Not only did I have an amazing experience sharing my research with others at Mary Washington, but publishing through Columns also led to a chance for me to share my work at a National humanities symposium- an opportunity I am so thankful for! Columns is a great way to share your projects with others, while also learning valuable information from students in other disciplines, and making connections that last. – Fiona Helms
Columns is currently led by Emily Nolan (President), Elisa Luckabaugh (Vice President), Laura Connors (Outreach Coordinator), Makayla Bowman (Treasurer), and Catherine Northedge (Secretary). The journal also has an editorial board that works hard to get submissions polished and finalized. Columns is and has been generously funded by the College of Arts and Sciences, as well as a variety of academic departments, including Geography; Classics, Philosophy, and Religion; Historic Preservation; English and Linguistics; Sociology and Anthropology; and Psychology.
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