by Carolina Bermejo Goodwin and Edwina Chih-Yu Chen, Department of Political Science, University of South Carolina
As graduate students, we often find ourselves searching for spaces that prioritize our needs: places where we can share ideas, get meaningful feedback, and connect with others who are navigating similar academic paths. That is exactly what we hoped to create with the 2025 Political Science Graduate Symposium at the University of South Carolina: a conference designed by and for graduate students. Thanks to the generous support of the APSA Centennial Center through a Summer Research Grant, along with additional sponsorship provided by the Department of Political Science and the Walker Institute of International and Area Studies at the University of South Carolina, we were able to turn this vision into reality. Four Political Science graduate students – Edwina Chen (ABD), Carolina Bermejo Goodwin, Conor Craig, and Ryan Dennehy – applied for the APSA grant and worked together to organize and carry out a graduate research symposium that would help both students in the department and those at nearby universities.
Held on March 8, 2025, in Gambrell Hall, the symposium brought together over 40 graduate students from 9 universities across the Southeastern United States and beyond. In addition to 15 of our own graduate students who participated, 17 of our faculty were involved – either in attending the reception, serving as discussants, or headlining a workshop or roundtable – and 4 alumni returned to help. The day featured five thematic panels on topics such as migration, representation, and conflict; a professional development workshop on spatial methods by Dr. David Darmofal; a keynote address from Dr. Stephen P. Nicholson (Philip H. Alston Jr. Distinguished Professor at the University of Georgia); and a faculty roundtable on interdisciplinary collaboration. We also hosted a welcome reception and a post-conference happy hour that helped foster deeper connections across institutions.
Beyond the panels and programming, what made this event truly special was its energy. Presenters shared works in progress, exchanged ideas across subfields, and left with new insights and potential future collaborators. Faculty also offered mentorship in both formal and informal ways. For many attendees, this was their first time presenting at an academic conference, an opportunity we were honored to provide in a low-pressure, supportive environment. The funding allowed us to waive registration fees, provide meals and refreshments, and cover key logistical needs, lowering many of the barriers that often prevent graduate students from participating in academic conferences.
Organizing the symposium was a major undertaking, but also one of the most rewarding experiences of our graduate careers. Each member of the planning team took on a leadership role: from programming and outreach to logistics and communications. The process taught us how to think strategically about academic community-building, how to work across roles and time zones, and how to support one another through the highs and lows of planning. It also reinforced how much graduate students can accomplish when we are trusted to lead – and when our institutions support us in doing so.
The symposium was a reminder that professionalization does not need to happen in exclusive or high-cost spaces. It can happen in classrooms and common rooms, at receptions and roundtables, and in conversations over coffee with someone who just became a new colleague or friend. If others are interested in providing similar opportunities, we are happy to share what we have learned from the experience. We would love to hear from anyone who would like to connect or collaborate on offering graduate-oriented events like this in the future.
To view a gallery of photos from the symposium please visit: https://www.psgsatusc.com/photo-gallery