Graduate research transcends disciplines at annual joint colloquium

May 4, 2026

By Alaina O'Regan

Last Friday, Princeton graduate students gathered to present research spanning the evolution of social behavior through natural selection, the quantum nature of atomic nuclei, and the effect of tropical cyclones on global climate.

The annual data and computation joint graduate certificate colloquium, held on April 24, brought together students across the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and engineering to share their work and exchange ideas.

This year, the Center for Digital Humanities (CDH) joined the Center for Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML) and the Princeton Institute for Computational Science and Engineering (PICSciE) for the first time. The event was held in the new Commons Visualization Lab.

“Few, if any, graduate student events focused on research have participation across all areas of scholarship at the University,” said Michael E. Mueller, interim director of PICSciE, director of the graduate certificate in computational science and engineering, and acting chair of the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering. 

“Some of the most interesting research questions came from students driven by sheer curiosity about domains completely removed from their own.”

CDH grad certificate students included:

• Laura Nelson, History 
  Adviser: Laura Edwards
  “Unseen fragments, seen lives: From data to biography in digital public history”
• April Gilbert, Comparative Literature 
  Adviser: Claudia J. Brodsky
  “Narrating narrative’s lifespan: Exploring data from the conference programs of the International Society for the Study of Narrative (ISSN)”
• Sharifa Lookman, Art & Archaeology 
  Adviser: Carolina Mangone
  “From pixel to foundry: Recuperating sixteenth-century bronze techniques and technicians through 3D-imaging and historical reconstruction.”

Read the original story: Graduate research transcends disciplines at annual joint colloquium (Source: MAE)