Athens, Ga. – University of Georgia senior Elizabeth Ridgeway of Marietta, a Latin and Greek major in the classics department, recently participated in the Harvard University Center for Hellenic Studies’ Undergraduate Symposium. The symposium, held in Washington, D.C., is an annual workshop conducted in conjunction with Sunoikisis, a national consortium of classics programs.
Ridgeway traveled with UGA professor Charles Platter, her faculty adviser, and presented her paper at the event.
“The workshop gives select undergraduate students the ‘opportunity to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their work in progress, develop ideas, collect bibliographical suggestions and gain perspectives from their peers and faculty representing a range of institutions,'” Platter said. “It’s a huge honor for Elizabeth and a testament to her ability and hard work.
“Admission to the Sunoikisis symposium is extremely competitive. Less than 10 percent of students who participated in the program were chosen. In addition, Elizabeth is the only one that is not from a private college. Thus, her success also testifies to the ability of UGA to provide elite educational opportunities to all Georgians.”
The symposium focused on Greek comedy and Latin literature of the late republic.
“Thanks to Dr. Platter and CHS, I’ll be able to approach future projects with greater confidence in using classics research tools, crafting a nuanced thesis and weaving secondary scholarship into an argument,” Ridgeway said. “I’m very thankful for this opportunity.”
The symposium serves to encourage peer feedback and foster working relationships between students and their faculty advisers. Following the presentations, participants finalize their papers using peer commentary in preparation for publication in the Sunoikisis Undergraduate Research Journal.
Ridgeway’s travel was funded in part by the CURO Research Assistantship, a UGA initiative created by the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost.
For more information on the classics department at UGA, see www.classics.uga.edu.
