By Olivia Xu

I attended my first academic conference in Florence, Italy in May last year. It was the supernumerary NYU/Purdue University NAVSA/AVSA conference – NAVSA stands for North America Victorian Studies Association, the largest academic association of Victorian literature studies in North America. Due to its location in Florence, Italy, this conference mainly covered the topics such as: the Victorians in Italy, the representation of Italy in the nineteenth century, tourism, art, and garden design. Since my MPhil thesis particularly focuses on the interactions between artistic objects (portraiture) and Victorian literature, this conference well matched my general interests, and I had the privilege to present my work in the panel “Writing and Drawing”.

Before the official conference panels, all graduate students participated in a Professionalization Workshop with the aim to familiarize ourselves with various professional, pragmatic aspects of academic and nonacademic careers. The professionalization workshop was designed to help us think critically and strategically about the academic profession, from publication issues to job markets. Each day featured a set of guests who would help facilitate conversations and bring new perspectives to our discussions. The organizers invited workshop leaders from different countries and at different career stages so that we would have a variety of viewpoints. They also set up mentoring sessions for participants, in which students were paired with senior scholars who could advise them about their careers.

I attribute the most memorable moments in this event to the time I spent with my fellow graduate students. One could not have desired better peers and friends than those I met at this conference. Not only is there a general collegial and supportive vibe among all the graduate students, but also most of them tried to contribute to others’ projects with their specialties, insightful ideas and other resources. Before my own paper presentation, the other two panelists, also graduate students (though far more senior than me), gave warm support and encouragement to help me get through the presentation smoothly. My own supervisor, Dr. Jessica Valdez, also came to my presentation. I undoubtedly felt proud of myself for completing my very first conference presentation but more importantly, I was and would always be grateful for all the kindness bestowed on me all along the way.


Farewell Dinner with my Roommates


Group Photos of All Graduate Students

Published on: June 6, 2018 < Back >