Senior Symposium 2026

This year’s School of Liberal Studies Senior Symposium brought together a diverse array of impressive projects. Students from across Arts Management, Law and Justice, Global Studies and General Studies presented their culminating work before a full audience in the Red Room. Here we share snapshots of the projects presented to peers, faculty, family, and friends on April 29, 2026.

Sofia Rishel’s Curating Under Constraint builds on feminist curatorial theory and auto-ethnographic methodology to investigate how institutional conditions limit feminist activism in the curatorial world of art.

Isabel Messerrly’s capstone, titled A Poisoned Knowledge Ecosystem, examined societal fractures exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic and the rise of anti-intellectualism, and how communities can rebuild trust and shared reality through physical space, creative expression, and deep listening. 

Law and Justice major Josie Parker-Blue explored the intersection of law and psychology in Showtime: Storytelling and Presentation as Litigation Tools in the Courtroom. Her research analyzes the role of courtroom theatrics and their psychological impact during trials.

Jolie Babatunde’s e-Portfolio Capstone, titled Those That Divide Us,  explored the weaponization of mass media and how it drives us towards fascism. As a Law and Justice major, Babatunde’s analysis narrows in on the historic influence media has had on contemporary legal frameworks and political developments.

Lindajean Alvarez, a General Studies major, presented Voces of Community: A Personal Glance into the Importance of the Overlooked and Community Building. Her project provides a multifaceted look at the negative effects of systemic oppression, highlighting how community functions as a vital form of healing and safe space. 

Law and Justice major Brandon Bland’s capstone, Easy to Praise, but Hard to Know: Misconceptions of Military Personnel, offered a critical exploration of the relationship between military training methods and overall soldier well-being.

Rounding out the presentations was General Studies major Tomas, who presented Prohibition, an investigation into decolonization as a living practice through autoethnographic playwriting.

Congratulations to all the graduating seniors on these exceptional contributions to their respective fields! 

Looking ahead, many of the symposium presenters were gearing up for the next chapter of their academic and professional lives. Sofia Rishel was honored with this year’s President’s Award for Student Achievement and plans to pursue graduate study. Isabel Messerrly was destined for Istanbul after graduating to participate in a study-abroad internship, and Tomas was invited to present their work at the Sewanee Writers’ Conference over the summer. Tomas will embark on the MFA Playwriting program at the University of Arkansas this fall, where he has been awarded a full graduate study fellowship.

Our heartfelt congratulations to the Class of 2026 on their outstanding scholarship, creativity, and accomplishments!