In this moment of unknowns and uncertainty, let the humanities, art, writing, scholarship, and debate lead you to compassion, solace, activism, creativity, and understanding.
– Alexis Boylan, Director of Academic Affairs, UConn Humanities Institute and Keynote Speaker at HURS 2021
“The Humanities” are a diverse set of academic disciplines that concern themselves with what it means to be human. Focusing on cultures, histories, structures, languages, and ideas, the humanities fields analyze and pose answers to major questions encountered in the human experience. Facing the inequities and crises of our time, delving into the humanities is increasingly important in order to understand the self, the community, the world, and how to impact change within each sphere.
The fifth-annual Humanities Undergraduate Research Symposium will take place on April 10th, 2026 from 9:00am–5:30pm in the Humanities Institute Conference Room (Homer Babbidge Library, 4th floor).
Breakfast and lunch will be provided for all attendees and participants, and the event will be followed by a reception with refreshments.
HURS 2026 Schedule
9:00am
Breakfast and Welcome
9:15am–10:30am
Society, Future, and The Case for Hope
Josephine Burke, “Higher Education in Prison in Connecticut: An Overview of Experiences, Constraints, and Institutional Politics”
Sugita Mahendarkar, “Building Agency in Connecticut’s Kids (BACK): Sexual and Reproductive Health Education in Connecticut”
10:45am–12:15pm
The Balance of Power: Trump’s Second Term and Connecticut
with Christi Thrower, Charlotte Harvey, Anna Heqimi, and Dan Stark
12:15pm–1:15pm
Lunch
1:15pm–2:30pm
Fascism, Political Resistance, and Social Movements
Kai Febus, “Bodies as Test Sites: Puerto Rico & Ethnicide ”
Danielle Lillis, “Gender, Rebellion, and Power: Roman Miscalculation of Boudica’s Revolt”
Elly Hume, “Assessing the Nuance of Roman Identity in the Ottoman Empire after 1453 CE”
2:45–4:00pm
Environment, Place, and Legacy
Michael Wynn, “Environmental Inequality in the South Bronx”
Nicholas Benda, “The Land of Sunshine and Flowers: Steamship Companies, Nature, and Early-20th Century American Interest in Cuba”
James Weitlauf, “Railroad Ferries in American Maritime History”
4:15pm–5:30pm
Art, Media, and Attention
Kim Butynes, “The Thing (from out of this ‘polarized’ world): How Horror Movies Expressed American Political Fears in Trump’s First Presidential Term (2016-2020)”
Breanna Bonner, “Beyond Survival: Gun Violence Prevention Workshops”
5:30
Reception with refreshments