Spring 2026

Creating a world informed & inspired by research

Director's Message

It's in our hands

There's something about how Marina Ashurkoff '26, a geology and English double major, cradles the quartz crystals above that captures the promise of our mission and the fragility of our moment.

Our students are generating knowledge to meet the challenges of today: informing leaders at the state and national levels, contributing to medical solutions to antibiotic resistance and inaccessible cancer drugs, and inspiring us to embrace the human spirit through artistic exploration and collaboration.

Our students need your support now more than ever.

Thank you for considering a gift to make a direct and lasting impact on W&M's undergraduate researchers!

Support the Charles Center!

Charles Center Community News

Honors Research Symposium to feature 100+ students

More than 100 W&M students will present their honors research to the campus community April 3 in Sadler Center.

Join us to see the impact of your support for a Charles Center Summer Research Grant or Honors Fellowship!

Learn more

Barr Fellows to face off

for $1,000 public speaking prize

Barr Fellows are honors students who will have just five minutes to effectively explain their research and its importance to a general audience.

The competition takes place at 7pm April 2 in the Music Arts Center, Comey Recital Hall.

Learn more

WMSURE researchers to return to Barbados this summer

WMSURE faculty and students will return to Barbados this June to continue work on the Linguistic Atlas of the Caribbean – a project started by WMSURE co-Director Iyabo Osiapem in collaboration with Jason F. Siegel at The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill.

W&M research teams wow Virginia General Assembly

Six undergraduates represented the university at the second annual Network for Undergraduate Research in Virginia (NURVa) showcase at the State Capitol in Richmond in January. The students presented their projects to several dozen members of the General Assembly, scholars, and members of the public.

Carline '26 delivers W&M's

first Churchill Scholarship

“Her first week on campus, she asked me how she should prepare herself for graduate studies,” remembers Prof. Dan Cristol, director of the 1693 Scholars Program. “She was 17!” Now that commitment has paid off royally for Carline, who is the first-ever W&M student to win a Churchill Scholarship.

Undergrads expand the chemical toolbox for cancer drugs

Many cancer patients suffer from their treatments' unwanted side effects and limited efficacy. In a recent Bioconjugate Chemistry publication, W&M researchers designed an antibody-drug conjugate with the potential to improve the potency and accessibility of cancer drugs.

Building trust through diplomacy: a human activity

Students in Prof. Marcus Holmes’s seminar engaged directly with the people and institutions that shape contemporary international affairs. In both Washington, D.C. and New York City, the course featured hands-on, face-to-face engagement.

A different approach to fighting antibiotic resistance

Assistant Professor of Chemistry Isabelle Taylor tackles antibiotic resistance with a dedicated group of students, including Charles Center Summer Research Grant recipient Nicolas Zimmermann ’27, one of the student co-authors on their recent Biochemistry publication.

Geology majors rock their research in diverse landscapes

Bridging gaps between human and natural histories, geology majors are proving that undergraduate research “rocks” — literally. Supported by Charles Center Summer Research Grants, studies have taken them from American historical landmarks to the barren Alaskan tundra and beyond.

Katelyn Workman '27

and the art of the outdoors

Katelyn Workman has always loved the outdoors. But try as she might, the junior art major says she hasn’t quite figured out how to convey the experience on canvas.

“It’s like the wind in your face, and the sounds,” she said. “It can’t be matched.”

Scholarship is not solitary

at honors thesis retreat

Organized by W&M Libraries, the Charles Center, and the Writing & Communications Center, the Undergraduate Honors Thesis Retreat provides honors thesis writers with dinner, uninterrupted work time, and room to connect with each other. While the work space and time is coveted, students say they value the connections most.

Student research ambassadors champion undergraduate research

Research Ambassadors are resources to students interested in completing research during their time at W&M. They host weekly office hours where they help students identify a research area of interest, find a faculty mentor, and apply for grants to launch their research journey.

Short Takes

Students in the Charles Center's Sharp Journalism Seminar discussed their yearlong reporting and writing journeys in a showcase held March 26 in the Grimsley Boardroom.

Seminar students' stories cover a range of topics and will be published later this spring on the Pulitzer Center website.

The Charles Center sponsored a March 3 masterclass by the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in Phi Beta Kappa Memorial Hall.

Dance faculty, students, and campus community members joined ensemble members on stage for an hour of instruction and inspiration.

NBC News Digital Producer Maggie More '20 held a lunchtime discussion for prospective journalists March 26 in the Grimsley Boardroom.

More described the power of liberal arts to prepare graduates for research, writing, and adapting to ever-changing fields in the professional world.

Research on ice!

To honor the Olympic spirit and undergraduate research excellence at W&M, members of the Charles Center's communications team took to the ice last month to learn about the research that Assistant Professor of Chemistry Isaiah Speight and his students are conducting in the Speight Research Group! See more on Instagram!

Approaching Events!

Barr Prize in Public Speaking!

April 2

The Barr Fellows are honors Arts & Sciences seniors who will have just five minutes to effectively explain their research and its importance to a general audience. Seven finalists will compete for the $1,000 first prize!

Learn more

Honors Research Symposium

April 3

The Spring Honors Research Symposium will feature the research of 100+ undergraduate honors seniors in a variety of presentation formats, reflecting a wide range of majors across the university's disciplines.

Learn more

WMSURE Research Conference

April 10

The 6th Annual WMSURE Undergraduate Research Conference will take place in Sadler Center. More than 20 students will discuss their research through digital poster sessions or panel presentations.

All are welcome!

Learn more

Charles Center Staff Spotlights

Thank you, Kate!

For the past four years, Kate Patterson has served as the Charles Center's Undergraduate Research Program Administrator, overseeing the Monroe Scholars Program, Charles Center summer and semester research grants, and so much more.

Kate's contributions to the center – and to the lives of the students we serve – are immeasurable.

Not only did she spearhead the reimagination of several Charles Center signature events, including the Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium, the Research Opportunities Fair, and the Spring Honors Research Symposium, her focus on student support and success has helped create a nurturing culture of mentorship, accessibility, and professionalism.

We wish you all the very best, Kate, in your next adventure! We will miss you!

Your Support Makes a Difference!

Giving to the Charles Center Fund ensures your gift will support the areas of greatest need and student impact. In all we do, we seek to put our values in action: inclusivity & accessibility, collaboration & connection, and inquiry & innovation.