History, American Studies, and Sociology Symposium–Friday, April 24, 2026

SESSION ONE. Monroe 210. 9 AM—Cultural Identities: From the Russian Stage to the Latin East

Moderator: Dr. Jason Sellers

Madison Worth, “Not Like the West: Why Rus’ Christianization Diverged from Scandinavian Patterns”

Donald E. Glander, “Contextualizing Crusaders in Constantinople: Revisiting the Relationship Between Byzantium and the Latin West (1095-1204)”

Kellen Ideker and Mimi Sanchez, “The Romanticization of Russian Art in American Museums”

SESSION TWO. Monroe 213. 9 AM—Diplomacy and Cultural Expression in Asia and the Middle East

Moderator: Dr. Eric Bonds

Laura E. Connors, “Finders Keepers: Archaeological Diplomacy Between Germany and the Ottoman Empire”

Quynh Eldert, “Door Gods and New Nianhua Under Mao Zedong”

Cameron Mayfield, “Hooligan Literature in China”

SESSION THREE. Monroe 210. 10 AM—Bodies and Boundaries: Gender and Sexuality in Global Perspective

Moderator: Dr. Erin Devlin

Miranda Lenihan, “Body Horror and Imperial Identity in Hong Kong Horror”

Cyril Norton, “Queer Love and Chinese Culture in Modern Chinese Literature”

Sydney Wohltmann, “He Came First: The Female Orgasm and the Illusion of Sexual Liberation”

SESSION FOUR. Monroe 111. 10 AM—Currencies of Power: Oil, Identity, and Economics in Global History

Moderator: Dr. Steven E. Harris

Connor O’Brien, “The Venture: A Historical Survey Examining the Early Years of the Oil Industry in Iraq”

Orion van Rooy, “Mirrors of Identity: A Comparison of Blackness and Jewishness under Nazism through the Lenses of the Autobiographies of Hans-Juergen Massaquoi and Ruth Kluger”

Jack C. Zobrist, “Mind Your Business: Benjamin Franklin and the Political Power of Coinage in Revolutionary America”