A class paper turned into a learning experience beyond the classroom for Grace Danielewicz ’27, who participated in the first-ever undergraduate seminar at the Shakespeare Association of America conference in Boston, Mass., a premier gathering for Shakespearean scholars in the U.S.
Shannon Kelley, PhD, an associate professor of English in Fairfield Meditz, recognized Danielewicz’s passion and strong writing skills in her “Imagining Shakespeare” course and encouraged her student’s conference participation. “My classroom experience and scholarship are collaborative efforts with students,” she said. “It just feels natural to include them in conferences when I have the occasion to do so.”
Danielewicz’s participation in this particular conference was especially meaningful for Dr. Kelley, who has attended the renowned annual conference for nearly 20 years. The Shakespeare Association of America event brings together professors, academics, scholars, performers, artists, and those interested in performance studies to connect and collaborate in approximately 20 different seminars.
With Dr. Kelley’s close mentorship, Danielewicz applied to attend and participated in a rigorous five-month process of reviewing and writing responses to the pre-circulated papers of her seminar cohort, which included students from institutions such as Boston University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Cornell University. At the conference, the group engaged in open dialogue about their own work and that of their peers.
Marking her first conference participation, Danielewicz was grateful for the practical experience of engaging in discussions, presenting ideas, and networking with other scholars. “This was something I never really saw for myself,” she said. “I think it’s amazing that we can learn things in the classroom, but then also apply them to outside of the classroom. I had real-life experiences that are great for résumés and future career opportunities.”
With Dr. Kelley’s guidance, Danielewicz also applied for and secured conference travel funding through Fairfield University’s Lawrence Family Fund and the English Department. “Professors are truly grateful for such funding,” said Dr. Kelley. “The Office of the Provost plays a crucial role in helping our students succeed when traveling for conferences like this. These opportunities are also funded by donors who care about student success—those families are the legacy of the University and what it stands for.”
Dr. Kelley also attended the European Shakespeare Research Association’s annual conference at the Universidade do Porto in Portugal this summer, where scholars from five continents gathered to discuss the role of time in Shakespeare’s plays and non-dramatic poems. There, she furthered Fairfield University’s ongoing presence in Shakespeare scholarship with a presentation of her work on gender and herbal texts in the famous garden scene from King Richard II.
