Image: Friday, 18 October - The Institute for Women's and Gender Studies hosted its biennial Women and Girls in Georgia (WAGG) conference at the Miller Learning Center on Friday. The first WAGG conference since the pandemic, Friday's event featured scholarship from across the university and the state. Students, faculty and community members gathered in MLC's Reading Room for a day of presentations, screenings, and staged readings around this year's theme: Southern Futures. This year's WAGG was the result of restructuring the event to center around small grants awarded over a year ago to twelve different projects. "We wanted to create a smaller, more focused conference and use the bulk of our money towards research rather than conference expenses," said WGS Director Dr. Patricia Richards. "It is amazing how much of a difference even a little money can make in the progress of a research project." Topics at the conference included community history projects, housing equity, eco-performance activism, abortion pedagogy, reimagining science, and the experiences of black single mothers. Attendance was robust and conversations continued throughout the day as participants eagerly engaged with each panel. The event ended with an informal reception in the North Tower and promises to keep in touch on future research.