Fordham Medieval Studies was well-represented at this year’s Moravian University undergraduate conference on Medieval and Early Modern Studies, hosted at the historic campus of Moravian University in Bethlehem PA on Saturday December 4, 2021. The conference drew together undergraduate students from a number of local colleges and universities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York to present research on a wide variety of medieval and early modern topics.
Three Fordham seniors presented their papers: Brendan McNulty (“Gods of the Saracens in Medieval Literature”), Megan Kurz (“The Animal’s Cage: Understanding Humanity Through Comparative Analysis of Yvain and The Third Branch of the Mabinogi”), and Nicholas Roveto (“Sicilian Political Theology Through Funerary Culture: 1130-1250 CE).
All three students enjoyed the conference, including the opportunity to present their work, get feedback, and see and hear what their peers at other institutions have been working on. Conferences are an important part of professional development for young scholars, helping them to practice the skill of effectively presenting their research, as Brendan McNulty reflected: “I think the toughest part for me was right before I went up to present – it was a lot more intimidating than giving a presentation for a class. Once I began, though, it came fairly naturally to me. The toughest part of the preparation for me was honestly the research itself.” They also appreciated the opportunity to present their work to an audience specifically interested in medieval topics. Nicholas Roveto noted that the audience was comprised of “other undergraduates and professors who were actually interested in my work. After a semester of researching, writing, and editing, it felt like something I did paid off.” And Megan Kurz enjoyed the opportunity to “revisit an interesting paper and expand upon it and receive lots of guidance, as well as being able to share it alongside lots of other enthusiastic students.”
Congratulations to these three students! We encourage Medieval Studies students to think about presenting their work at next year’s conference.