Randolph-Macon College Classics students took their scholarship to a national stage this month, presenting original research at the Annual Meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) in Mobile, Ala.—one of the largest gatherings of classicists in the United States. The conference features presentations by undergraduates, graduate students, and professors from across the country to share new research in the field.

Three current students presented papers and posters on work conducted alongside RMC’s stellar Classics faculty, while alumna Aryn Hanna ‘24 presented work based on her master’s thesis. Further, two students were recognized with scholarships by the association. 

“CAMWS is one of the premier academic gatherings in our discipline,” said Classics Department Chair and Professor Bart Natoli. “So, to see so many of our RMC students presenting original research and being recognized for their scholastic excellence is a true testament to the outstanding work and quality of ideas that they are putting forth. I’m so proud of each of these students and can’t wait to see what the future holds for them in the discipline. The future of Classics looks exceedingly bright.”

Maddy Jones ’27 and Maille Carrington ’27 each presented work developed through their Schapiro Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) projects from the summer of 2025, which in turn is part of Professor Natoli’s larger project examining the fourth-century poem Cento Vergilianus de laudibus Christi. Jones presented a paper examining the Docetic Christology of the work attributed to the poet Proba, thought to be one of the earliest female Christian poets, while Carrington presented a poster exploring the dating and authorship of the work.

Bailey Aycock ’26 presented a poster entitled “Numismatic Evidence for Multiculturalism in the Seleucid Empire,” based on his Archaeology capstone project with Assistant Professor and Archaeology Program Director Dr. Nadhira Hill. Hanna ’24, now a graduate student at the University of Georgia, presented a paper based on her Master’s thesis entitled “In Sua Viscera: Gore and the Body Politic in Lucan’s Bellum Civile.”

In addition to the presentations, twins Adita ’28 and Sanita Tatic ’28 received Manson A. Stewart Undergraduate Awards, which come with a $1,000 prize. The pair were nominated by the faculty in the RMC Department of Classics as outstanding undergraduate students who show great promise in the field.

All of these experiences were made possible by past success. The travel and conference costs for the presenting RMC students were all covered by funds from the 2025 Libby and Hiter Harris Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, which Natoli was awarded by the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges in November.