Vedul Palavajjhala, an undergraduate student in the John and Penelope Biggs Department of Classics at Washington University in St. Louis, recently participated in the thirteenth annual University of Tennessee Undergraduate Classics Research Conference on March 1. Palavajjhala presented his paper, A Statistical Exploration of Tacitus and his Relationship to Livy, which was met with high praise from faculty and attendees alike.
Dr. Nikola Golubović, the session chair, commended Palavajjhala’s use of statistical analysis and machine learning to examine Latin intertextuality—an emerging frontier in Classical scholarship. “Vedul’s presentation was focused and methodologically rigorous,” Golubović noted. “It neatly illustrated the possibilities and limitations of using machine learning in scholarship on Latin intertextuality.”
The presentation sparked a lively and productive discussion, with Palavajjhala offering additional insights beyond the content of his prepared talk. His ability to clearly explain complex data science concepts to a diverse audience was particularly noted.
The conference organizers praised Palavajjhala for contributing to the intellectual vibrancy of the event, highlighting his engagement with fellow presenters and faculty throughout the day. They also extended recognition to the faculty at WashU, whose mentorship and training helped prepare him for this outstanding scholarly contribution.
Congratulations to Vedul Palavajjhala for representing Biggs Classics with distinction and for being at the forefront of innovative research in the field.
