The 2026 Milton Plesur Graduate Conference is a forum for graduate students to share their scholarship with their colleagues, faculty, and interested members of the public. This year’s conference is titled “Breaking the Silo: A Celebration of Interdisciplinary Scholarship and Cross-Departmental Conversations.” The process of knowledge production is often isolating and can relegate us to particular silos of thought. To that end, “Breaking the Silo” is the intentional effort to provide graduate students the opportunity to share their combined intellectual and methodological strengths as scholars in the humanities and social sciences and to celebrate the work of our fellow graduate students.

The Plesur Conference is a two-day event. Day 1 kicks off with a keynote speech from Dr. Susan Burch followed by a facilitated discussion. Dr. Burch is an award-winning historian and professor of American Studies at Middlebury College in Vermont. She will be discussing the importance of interdisciplinary scholarship and collaboration as it relates to her work. Refreshments will be provided.

Day 2 will consist of a series of moderated panels featuring UB graduate student speakers from several departments including history, English, gender studies, Africana and American studies and more! Panels will focus on a wide range of themes, including but not limited to theoretical interventions in current scholarship, sovereignty and statehood, writing as praxis, and much more! Breakfast and lunch will be provided.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Alyssa Martin at ajm223@buffalo.edu.

All participants must review the GSA’s Safety Acknowledgement and Participant Disclaimer before attending.