March 28-29, 2025
Chitwood Hall on WVU Downtown Campus
The History Graduate Student Conference is sponsored by the WVU History Department and the Senator Rush D. Holt Endowment
Remembering, celebrating, and writing about the past has never been reserved for trained historians. Indeed, ordinary people frequently use bygone experiences to reflect on their daily lives.
Memory has no boundaries and can be found on local, regional, national, and transnational levels. People have used it to celebrate as well as mourn, to unify as well as divide. This conference seeks to examine the many complexities and manifestations that memory has taken on over the years.
The West Virginia University History Graduate Students Association (HGSA) invites scholars, graduate and undergraduate, to explore how individuals and communities throughout history used the past to navigate their presents. Prospective attendees are encouraged to be creative with submissions, but possible topics could consider how memory related to more traditional histories, cultivated identities, addressed trauma, strengthened authority, or assisted with activism. All topic presentations will occur on March 29, but participants are encouraged to attend a keynote address on the prior evening (March 28).
We welcome proposals for individual papers, panels, and roundtable discussions that engage with the conference theme. Submissions should include an abstract (300 words max) outlining the proposed presentation covering the topic, theme, and connection to the conference theme, along with a brief biography of the presenter(s). Proposals must be submitted by February 14, 2025. Preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate cohesion, originality, and compatibility with the theme.
Please fill out the Submission & Registration Form which will open January 15th.
For inquiries, please contact Danny Brennan at dpb00010@mix.wvu.edu or Matthew Powell at mcp00019@mix.wvu.edu. Visit our Conference Staff page to meet our team.
Your support will ensure the continuation of this important research opportunity for our graduate and undergraduate students. To donate, visit GiveWVU and under What would you like your donation to support? select the option for "Department of History Chair's Operations - 2V239".