Winter 2022-23

Director’s Message


Research + Mentorship = Transformative Experiences


Sometimes the most profound forces are described by the simplest of equations.


What we do is simple, but profound. We create mentored research experiences that equip W&M undergraduates to tackle the world’s greatest problems. And we do this by curating life-changing opportunities for our students to collaborate, discover, and cultivate understanding.


How we do it, though, isn’t so simple. It takes a passionate and nimble team on our end and the partnership of dozens of donors, hundreds of faculty mentors, and thousands of students and alumni to make it all work.


Together, we direct more than $1M annually to students conducting innovative research alongside mentors who are leaders in their fields. As a result, 1 in 5 W&M undergraduates benefits from Charles Center programs.


2022 has been an extraordinary year. As we look forward to new and expanded initiatives in 2023, we are immensely grateful for the opportunity to convene a community of scholars—from emergent to senior—committed to collaboration, intellectual cross-pollination, and excellence.


We couldn’t do it without you. Thank you.

 

Elizabeth Harbron, Director

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Charles Center Community

1693 Scholar Zoha Siddiqui '23 garners Mitchell Scholarship


1693 Scholar Zoha Siddiqui '23 is one of 12 students in the nation to receive a George J. Mitchell Scholarship for one year of graduate study in Ireland.


Read more

Fall Research Symposium draws 400+


More than 200 undergraduates who received Charles Center Summer Research Grants presented their original research to hundreds in Swem Library Sept. 30th.


Read more about one student's journey.

Charles Center convenes inaugural fall event


300 Students took a study break on the Sadler Center terrace Nov. 4th to learn about research & internship opportunities in Summer 2023. We are grateful to the ten campus organizations who partnered to make this new annual event a success!


Learn more about Charles Center internships.

100+ attend STEM/social science research fair


Faculty and students representing 14 disciplines convened in Sadler Center Oct. 26th to share a range of research opportunities with undergraduates.


Learn more about research opportunities.

New Charles Center Research Ambassadors make research accessible


For many students, the word “research” can be intimidating. Many are interested in research, but knowing where to start can be challenging. Our new Research Ambassador duo can help!


Learn more about our research ambassadors.

Meet the Team

Charles Center team adds new faces


2022 has been a year of continuity and change. Our longstanding mission to foster transformative mentored-research experiences hasn't changed one bit, but much of the team that brings Charles Center programs to life has.

Charles Center in the News

Incubator grant funds eviction research


Supported through an innovative new Charles Center Faculty-Mentored Research Incubator initiative, W&M students spent Summer 2022 observing eviction court hearings in Richmond and Newport News, Virginia. Professor Caroline Hanley served as their mentor.


Read article

Research hits home with student veterans


Supported in part by the Charles Center, Government Professor Dan Maliniak formed a research team that included student veterans to interview Georgian military personnel and government officials.


Read article

iGEM team wins gold


Bolstered by Charles Center summer research support in 2022, iGEM

team members returned

home from Paris bearing gold.


Read more

City eyes new trail


Through a summer research grant, Jack Boyd '23 identified 75 potential sites for inclusion in a new African American Heritage Trail in Williamsburg.


Read more

Woody internship inspires


Caroline Donovan '23 spent the summer unearthing Colonial Williamsburg's hidden history as a

Woody Museum Studies intern.


Read more

Honors & Scholars Programs

Learn more

1693 Scholars Program excels


The 1693 Scholars Program provides extraordinary opportunities for learning and growth. The program offers our current 31 scholars personal faculty mentoring, supports collaborative as well as individual research initiatives, and provides substantial financial support. Check out our Year in Review!

Honors Program swells to 185+ students


The W&M Honors Program is thriving and draws students from nearly every department and program across the university. 52 students received Honors Fellowships through the Charles Center to support their faculty-mentored research last summer.


Learn more about the Honors Program.

Does anyone read your W&M Honors thesis?

Yes! More than 2,000 Honors theses are typically downloaded per month.

Here are the most popular downloads this fall:

How differences

in Political Ideology

Impact Close Relationships


by Erin Murray '21

Psychology

advisor: Xiaowen Xu


Read it here

Meeting the Lumpia Filipino: Self-Orientalism in Filipino America


by Jamelah Jacob '21

Global Studies

advisor: Francis Tanglao Aguas


Read it here

"Summer's Gone:" Rethinking the History of the Beach Boys, 1961-1998


by Grant Wong '21

History

advisor: Charles McGovern


Read it here

Upcoming Events & Programs

Learn more

Summer 2023 research grant applications now open!


Graduate & Honors Research Symposium

March 30-April 1, 2023


We are thrilled to be partnering with the Arts & Sciences Graduate Center to feature the amazing research of W&M graduate students, as well as undergraduate Honors students.


Learn more about the spring symposium.

Your Support Makes a Difference


Giving to the Charles Center Fund ensures your gift will support the areas of greatest need and student impact. We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of new and innovative programming that fosters student and faculty creativity.


Many of our signature programs were established as a direct result of gifts to the Charles Center.


Thank you for your generosity.

Give to the Charles Center

Mentored Research

Mentored research is woven into the fabric of every Charles Center program.


Learn more

Innovative Internships

Our experiential, research-centered internships give students real-world opportunities to learn.


Learn more

Scholars Programs

We oversee the Monroe Scholars, WMSURE Scholars, 1693 Scholars, & Sharpe Scholars programs.


Learn more

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