2108 G Street NW, Washington, DC 20052

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Welcome back AMST family! Wishing you a successful Spring 2026!

1528 - England and France declare war on Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.

1968 - Aretha Franklin’s 14th studio album “Lady Soul” is released.

1984 - Apple’s ad for the new Macintosh computer directed by Ridley Scott, loosely based on George Orwell’s “1984” plays during the Super Bowl.

2017 - “Call Me By Your Name”, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Timothée Chalamet, premieres at the Sundance Film Festival.

This Is Not an Average Winter Storm, Weather Experts Warn. The New York Times.

The stunning art trove hidden in a D.C. building marked by Trump for disposal. The Washington Post.

GW orders schools, divisions to develop FY2027 budget-cut plans as international applications lag. GW Hatchet.

Image credit: Sofía Stacchiola

This newsletter edition we spotlight Sofía Stacchiola, a first-year American Studies MA student. Last May, Sofía received her BA from Cornell University in American Studies and Spanish, with a minor in Latina/o Studies.

During her time as an undergraduate student, Sofía explored topics such as immigration to Spain and educational tactics for Spanish as a second language while studying abroad in Sevilla. She also studied abroad in Uruguay, where she learned about the differences in education and work between the North and the South and how Uruguay migration patterns compare to those in the U.S.

Sofía’s undergraduate coursework was varied and interdisciplinary, but her focus was on transnational histories of migration, culture, and resistance among Latine communities. She studied the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and its effects on Mexican(-American) land ownership and citizenship. Her work also examined Chilean migration including the settlement of Chilean exiles in the U.S. and the geopolitical reasons for the impediments on migration during the Pinochet dictatorship. Sofía was involved in the Latine communities of Ithaca and upstate New York, participating in the annual Teatrotaller and Pastorela performances. She also supported the Orozco Gallery, founded by Yen Ospina, current president of the Latino Civic Association of Tompkins County. Lastly, Sofía participated twice in the Coloquio anual de literatura, lingüística y cultura hispanoamericanas y peninsulares, organized by SaGA at the University of Central Florida.

As a master’s student, Sofía will continue to investigate different transnational histories of migration and transmutational culture among Latine communities. Last semester, she interned at CASA in Action, pairing her academic work with boots-on-the-ground efforts to increase Latine participation in local elections. This semester her research focuses on Latine migration and community formation in the Midwest, and the implications of a Midwest mestizaje to the broader nation as a whole. Outside of her academic studies, Sofía enjoys exploring the city and indulging in alfajores at the Argentine café Flor Coffee + Books!

Institute for Middle East Studies Annual Conference
Tech Futures: The Science of Life, Death, and Ecology in the Middle East

When: Friday, April 17, 2026; 9:00-4:00 PM
Where: 1957 E St NW, Room 602

RSVP link forthcoming.

Prof. Libby Anker recently spoke to Aljazeera about Netflix’s plan to buy Warner Brothers.

Current PhD student Jonah Fox had a paper accepted for the annual meeting of the Memory Studies Association, to be held in Buenos Aires this summer. The title is “Gaza Online: The Digital Currency of Holocaust Memory After October 7th."

Current PhD candidate Ben Hanley had a paper accepted for the Popular Culture Association Annual Conference in Atlanta, GA. The paper is titled “Monstrous Mediation: Pokémon Plush Toys and the Politics of Representation."

Alum John M. Hamilton (PhD ‘83) was recently promoted to the Boyd Professorship at LSU. The Boyd Professorship, established by the LSU Board of Supervisors in 1953, is the most distinguished and highest professorial rank awarded by LSU.

Call for Applications: The Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) in Gelman Library is looking to fill a number of student positions for the Spring Semester. Click here and here to learn more // Deadline: varies.

Call for Papers: The Twenty-first Annual Yale University American Art Graduate Symposium is currently accepting abstracts for their upcoming event. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Jan. 31, 2026.

Call for Applications: The Massachusetts Historical Society is accepting applications for a variety of research fellowships for the 2026-2027 academic year. Click here to learn more // Deadline: varies.

Call for Papers: Critical Ethnic Studies is currently accepting submissions for a special issue devoted to the transnational exploration of caste domination and anti-caste social movements and theories, with emphasis on the interrelation of caste and race in the history and geography of empire. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Feb. 2, 2026.

Call for Applications: CCAS invites eligible PhD candidates to apply for the Dean’s Dissertation Completion Fellowship (DCF) for the 2026-2027 academic year. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Feb. 6, 2026.

Call for Papers: The DC History Conference is currently accepting papers for their 52nd convening. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Feb. 9, 2026.

Call for Papers: The Parsons/Cooper Hewitt Graduate Symposium is currently accepting papers for their upcoming symposium titled "The Environmental Turn in Art and Design History." Click here to learn more // Deadline: Feb. 15, 2026.

Call for Applications: The Gay & Lesbian Review (The G&LR) announces the 4th annual Charles S. Longcope Jr. Writers and Artists Grant for emerging scholars, writers, and artists across disciplines and fields that make a contribution to LGBTQ+ scholarship or the arts. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Feb. 15, 2026.

Call for Applications: The Eudora Welty Foundation and the Mississippi Department of Archives and History (MDAH) announce the 2026 Eudora Welty Research Fellowship to encourage and support research using the Eudora Welty Collection and related materials at the MDAH. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Mar. 6, 2026.

Call for Applications: The George Washington Upward Bound Summer Institute is seeking instructors for the summer courses. Click here to learn more // Deadline: Mar. 16, 2026.

Need Support?

Like what you see? Have spotlights, kudos, events, or opportunities that you would like to share? We want to hear from you! Navigate to our feedback form using the link below, or more simply, forward your tip to amst@gwu.edu.