REL Research Symposium

professors attend student presentation

Sharing research is an important part of being a scholar. Many of our students work with faculty on independent studies, far more carry out original and independent research in their classes, and some have begun attending and participating in conferences.

The REL Research Symposium aims to provide an opportunity for students, including undergraduates and MA students, to present their original research, hopefully in preparation for later participating in other conferences.

This event is intended to contribute to campus-wide research initiatives, so we encourage BA students who participate in the REL Research Symposium to apply to the University of Alabama’s Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Conference.

Programs

April 4, 2024, 9:30-3:00 pm

Yellowhammer Room, Gorgas Library

 

Schedule TBA

Thursday, December 8, 2022
1:00-2:00 pm
Location: Presidents Hall 308

Speakers

REL majors Steve Heaton and Scarlett Rose Ford present each of their REL honors projects, with Profs. Ramey and Newton responding.

Organized by Prof. Newton.

Thursday, April 20, 2023
6:00-7:00 pm
Location: Student Center 3108

Speakers

Ellie Dilworth (Moderator)

“Changing the Narrative: The Myth of Medusa in Modern Feminism”
– Morgan Brown
“The Cost of Not Playing The Part: Gender Performance in Greek Life”
– Carter Sheldon
“Witch Hunting: How Christian Sects Used Witch Hunts as a Marketing Scheme”
– Lauren Thompson

Organized by Profs. Jeri Wieringa and Richard Newton

Friday February 22, 2019
9:00-11:30
Location: Gorgas Library 205.

Speakers

Kyle Ashley (supervised by Prof. Michael Altman)
Sofia De Faria (supervised by Prof. Ted Trost)
Bowen Gissendaner (supervised by Prof. Steven Ramey)
Jacob Inglis (supervised by Prof. Steven Ramey)
Olivia Melton (supervised by Prof. Nathan Loewen)
Jade Teel (supervised by Prof. Merinda Simmons)

The first panel starts at 9:00 am and the second starts at 10:15 am; there will be a break between panels.

Moderated by REL MA students Savannah Finver and Caity Bell

Organized by Prof. Emily Crews

Friday March 23, 2018
9:00-12:30
Location: The Red Room of the University Club (2nd floor); locate it on a map here.

Speakers

Kyle Ashley (supervised by Prof. Vaia Touna)
Caity Bell (supervised by Prof. Steven Ramey)
Andrew Bruno (supervised by Prof. Matthew Bagger)
Andrew Dobry (supervised by Prof. Theodore Trost)
Parker Evans (supervised by Prof. Matthew Bagger)
Shelbie Francescon (supervised by Prof. Nathan Loewen)
Morgan Frick (supervised by Prof. Vaia Touna)
Bowen Gissenander (supervised by Prof. Nathan Loewen)
Keeley McMurray (supervised by Prof. Russell McCutcheon)
Alexander Tamez (supervised by Prof. Theodore Trost)

Moderated by REL MA students Sarah Griswold and Emma Gibson

Organized by Prof. Matt Bagger

Wednesday, March 29, 2017
9:30am-12:30pm
Gorgas 205

Speakers

Madeleine Lewis is a senior double majoring in math & religious studies with a minor in the Blount Undergraduate Initiative.

Leif Midgordon is a senior majoring in History with a minor in Religious Studies.

Matthew McCullough is a senior double majoring in religious studies & political science.

Maggie Patterson is a senior majoring in religious studies with a minor in creative writing.

Sierra Lawson is a senior double majoring in anthropology & religious studies with a Spanish minor.

Parker Evans is a junior double majoring in English & religious studies with a minor in the Blount Undergraduate Initiative.

Jackson Nock is a senior double majoring in psychology & religious studies.

Organized by Prof. Matt Bagger

This year’s 4th Annual Research Symposium is a part of the department’s 50th Anniversary celebrations.

Thursday, March 10, 2016
Session I: 9:30am
Session II: 11:00am
Forum Room (3700) of the Ferguson Student Center

Speakers
Session I

Joey Clarke is a senior majoring in communication studies and religious studies. He will be presenting his paper “Religion and the Construction of Identity.”

Anna Davis is a senior majoring in geography and religious studies. She will be presenting her paper “Islamic Tolerance: Religious Freedom in the United States.”

Madeleine Lewis is a junior majoring in computer science and religious studies. She will be presenting her paper “Institutional Identity and Queer Politics.”

Caity Walker is a sophomore majoring in anthropology and religious studies. She will be presenting her paper “Spiritual Marketplace: Simplifying Agency and Individual Choice.”

Session II

Sarah Griswold is a senior majoring in math and religious studies. She will be presenting her paper “There is a Well at Cawnpore: The Politics of Commemoration in Colonial India.” In addition, her paper was selected for presentation at the undergraduate panel of the annual meeting of SECSOR.

Liz Long is a senior majoring in psychology and religious studies. She will be presenting her paper “Feminism, Power, and the LDS Church: The Glorification of Eliza Snow and the Excommunication of Kate Kelly.”

Jared Powell is a senior majoring in English and religious studies. He will be presenting his paper “And the Beat Goes On: Imaginings and Retellings of Han Shan by Gary Snyder and Jack Kerouac.” His paper was also selected for presentation at the undergraduate panel of SECSOR.

Organized by Prof. Matt Bagger

Wednesday, March 4, 2015
First Panel: 9:00-9:45am
Second panel: 10:30-11:45am
Forum Room (360) of the Ferguson Student Center

Speakers

Jordan Atkinson is a senior majoring in history and minoring in religious studies. He will be presenting his paper “A Tale of Two Empires: A Postcolonial Perspective on Paul’s Letter to the Philippians.”

Mark Ortiz is a senior majoring in New College and religious studies. He will be presenting his paper “Sorcerous Subjects: The Puerto Rican Syndrome and the Construction of ‘Juan Q. Citizen.’”

Jared Powell is a junior majoring in English and religious studies. He will be presenting his paper “Shakti Pithas: Sacred Tools for Not-So-Sacred Ends.”

Nicholas Starnes is a senior majoring in finance who has been working on his thesis with Dr. Finnegan. He will be presenting his paper “Managing Risk for Global Business through an Investigation of Orientalism: Terrorism, Islam, and the Middle East.”

Emily Vork is a sophomore majoring in history and religious studies. She will be presenting a paper “Reconstructing the ‘Southern Belle’: Nostalgia and Myth in Antebellum Plantation Narratives,” which she completed as part of an independent study with Dr. Simmons.

Organized by Prof. Eleanor Finnegan

Thursday, February 27, 2014
University Club

Speakers

Andie Alexander graduated from UA in fall 2012 with a BA in religious studies and history. She will be presenting her paper “Shifting the Focus” that she is also presenting next month at SECSOR.

Jordan Atkinson is a senior majoring in history and minoring in religious studies. He will present a paper that he has been working on in his course with Prof. Jacobs.

Seth Cox is a graduating senior majoring in religious studies and philosophy. He will present a paper that he’s been working on this semester in his class with Prof. Altman.

Wesley Davidson is a senior majoring in religious studies and minoring in Judaic studies. He will present his independent study paper “Post-Holocaust Thought and the Reconstruction of Identities.”

Katelyn Smith is a senior majoring in anthropology and minoring in religious studies. She will be presenting her paper “Multigenerational Families and the Korean Church.”

Organized by Prof. Eleanor Finnegan