Current Program

The Emerging Scholars Series is a partnership between the Graduate Center at William & Mary and the Williamsburg Regional Library. The series features W&M graduate students in talks hosted by the WRL intended to bring cutting-edge research to the local community. Visit the WRL's Events Calendar.

Jennifer Merriman, History: "How a Pennsylvania Bible Arrived in Enlightenment Germany"

September 30, 2026, 2 p.m., Stryker Center 

Learn about unexpected connections between colonial America and early modern Germany through the story of a 1743 Pennsylvania Bible that made history, was stolen by pirates, and wound up a coveted object at German courts. In this talk, Jennifer Merriman, doctoral candidate in History at William & Mary, will share her research on the important colonial printer Christoph Saur (1695-1758) and will present new findings on the fascinating fate of the first American Bible printed in a European language.

Jessica Brabble, History: "Better Baby Contests in the Early Twentieth Century"

October 15, 2026, 2 p.m., Stryker Center

In the early 20th century, the “better baby contest” arose in the US as a means to standardize babies to attempt to combat a nationwide infant mortality crisis. In this talk by Jessica Brabble, doctoral candidate in history at William & Mary, learn about the origins at agricultural fairs of the child pageantry and baby contests still common in popular culture today. Hear how “better baby contests,” where mothers brought their children to be prodded, poked, and examined by health officials, followed long-standing patterns in livestock and horticultural competitions.  

Colin Hawes, Marine Science: "Exploring Ecosystem Modeling in the Chesapeake Bay"

November 5, 2026, 2 p.m., Stryker Center

We live in an exciting era for numerical modeling, a tool used to answer complex research questions regarding climate change. In this talk, Colin Hawes, doctoral student at William & Mary’s Batten School for Coastal and Marine Sciences, will discuss how numerical models are being used to simulate the physics, chemistry, biology and ecology of the Chesapeake Bay. This talk will explore many kinds of numerical models and how they reproduce past conditions to better predict the Chesapeake Bay’s future.

Taylor Garrison, History: "Slave Marriage in Pro- and Anti-Slavery Children’s Literature"

February 11, 2027, 2 p.m., Stryker Center

In the antebellum US, children’s books—just like adult fiction and newspaper columns—served as a battleground for debates over slavery. Ideas about slave marriage, comprehensible and emotionally resonant with children, offered a useful plot device for both sides of the debate. In this talk, Taylor Garrison, doctoral candidate in History at William & Mary, will explore how children were active members of antebellum political debate and will delve into the phenomena of enslaved people’s marriages in a time when such bonds were culturally resonant, but not legally binding.

Alexander Raffetto, Biology: "Conservation Genetics of a Threatened Tidal Plant"

March 24, 2027, 2 p.m., Stryker Center

Virginia's tidal marshes hide a remarkable plant that's slowly vanishing. Sensitive joint vetch (Aeschynomene virginica) once thrived across the Mid-Atlantic coast, but today it clings to survival in just a few locations due to development, invasive species, and rising seas. In this talk by Alexander Raffetto, master’s student in Biology at William & Mary, hear about research that explores how the genetics of this and similar species may offer clues for conservation efforts to save a tidal marsh plant that is part of Virginia's natural heritage.

Carly Barnhardt, American Studies: "Who’s Afraid of Needles? 'Needle Mania' in Popular Media"

April 14, 2027, 2 p.m., Stryker Center

Needles are found everywhere: not only in hospitals and on urban sidewalks, but also in advertisements for weight-loss drugs, government-sponsored PSAs, and film and media such as The Substance (2024). In this talk, Carly Barnhardt, doctoral candidate in American Studies at William & Mary, will describe her interdisciplinary research into cultural, scientific, and literary discourses surrounding the hypodermic needle, its depiction in media, and its environmental impact. Hear about the promises and cultural anxieties that have surrounded the hypodermic needle since its invention in the nineteenth century.