05/15/2026
We here at the history department want to take a moment to recognize one of our master’s students, Oli Pierce, for their amazing work and to congratulate them on receiving the Senior Research Excellence Award!
Under the mentorship of Dr. Rachel Buff, Oli started their research journey working on “The Gangster Buffs of Charleston: Jewish Safety in a Southern City.” From there, Oli forged a personal connection with one of Dr. Buff’s relatives, Leah. Drawing from their own background as a q***r historian, Oli found various patterns and clues that Leah left behind, leading Oli to propose that Leah was also a q***r person who entered a lavender marriage. What once began as a group research project directed by Dr. Buff soon became a solo project of Oli’s own, exploring the importance and erasure of q***r history through the story of a mysterious woman and her tragic, untimely death.
While Oli is currently writing a research article about their findings, they hope to turn this project into their master’s thesis and, eventually, a doctoral dissertation.
Oli has presented their research at various academic conferences, including the UW System Symposium, the National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), and UW System’s Research in the Rotunda. We also had the honor of watching Oli and the other amazing SERA recipients present their research at yesterday’s Senior Excellence in Research Colloquium, and we could not be prouder! Keep up the fantastic work Oli! We can’t wait to see where your research takes you next!
