Known for its STEM pursuits, the bulk of UW’s reputation comes from work in tech and finance. But for those who seek a different kind of innovation, there’s a space for students to engage hands-on with history and nature.
Located in St. Jerome’s University is the Medieval Digital Research in Arts and Graphical Environmental Networks Laboratory (DRAGEN lab). Founded in 2016, the lab is a learning and research center whose work sits at the intersection of environmental science, technology, and the arts.
“We are a hub for interdisciplinary projects that kind of span across the humanities,” says the lab’s assistant director, Shannon Drew. The DRAGEN lab is the main hub of Environments of Change, an initiative developing resources and technology to explore environmental history and anthropology. Two projects under the initiative include the digitization of Anglo-Saxon artifacts found in the Tees Valley of the UK, and the augmented-reality (AR) game, Northeye, which simulates flooding in a medieval village to educate students about the historical impact of climate change. The DRAGEN team at UW also collaborates with scholars from institutions across Canada and the UK in said projects, as well as archaeological excavations in both countries.
Aside from faculty, the lab also is home to a close-knit group of students. “Ever since the formation of the DRAGEN Lab, there has been a very strong undergraduate presence as well as graduate presence … it kind of was a loose group of folks before there was ever a title for it,” Drew says. Undergraduate students, usually volunteers, are paired with graduate students working on lab projects for research mentorship and leadership opportunities. Initially, the undergraduate lab members formed an unofficial body advocating for students in medieval studies and other arts programs. “It was [meant to be] a safe space, but also provide a great learning environment and collaborative environment,” says Drew. “Over the years we’ve had a lot of undergraduates stick around and be involved.” The ragtag collective then formally became the Undergraduate Caucus last year.
Research isn’t the only kind of opportunity available for students in the DRAGEN lab. The caucus also helps coordinate outreach and organize events for both the UW community and the general public. “The purpose behind [the caucus] is making events more accessible to a larger audience,” says Drew, “and with that, making digital humanities and arts and interdisciplinary collaboration more accessible to people.” Past events have included a Minecraft speed building competition where participants raced to build historic sites, and holiday-themed medieval card-making workshops.
“We try to do these events that can showcase one, the [lab] space; and two, how all these different folks with different interests can access fun events and collaboration together,” Drew emphasizes. The DRAGEN lab plans to host another historical Minecraft challenge in the coming months, as well as the Evidence Jam, an ecology-focused hackathon running from Nov. 13 to Nov. 16.
But the largest of the DRAGEN lab’s outreach efforts by far is the annual Conference on Archaeological, Medieval and Experiential Learning of Tomorrow (CAMELOT). The event, which took place on Sept. 26 in SJ2, brings together UW community members and members of the public to learn about experiential learning in environmental studies and the humanities. This year’s lineup included sessions like stunt swordfighting workshops, an undergraduate presentation on the portrayal of women in the history of Islam, and a panel on careers in archaeology.
The conference is also entirely student-led, organized by the undergraduate caucus, which owes its existence partly to the undertaking of running CAMELOT.
“Steven [Bednarski], who runs the lab, was like, ‘Hey, do you guys want to run a conference?’ And we were like, ‘Sure!'” says Amelia Dreyer, president of the caucus and fourth year student in medieval studies and history. “We had no idea what we were going into, but then that sort of formed the caucus [and] gave us a goal to work towards.”
CAMELOT had originally launched in 2018, but ceased running after its 2019 iteration. “We all came along roughly in 2025 with essentially no idea what we were doing, so we built a conference essentially from scratch,” says third year history student Theo McCarthy, financial officer and secretary of the undergraduate caucus.
Last year, 96 attendees and four vendors came to CAMELOT. This year, attendance and vendor registration more than doubled, with a headcount of 190 visitors and ten vendors. The success, McCarthy says, will hopefully help break down barriers between disciplines at UW. “There’s this idea, with academic conferences, where you go to your own subject area and none of the other ones are useful to you. But in environmental science, even math, you can definitely gain useful information from these conferences.”
Adjunct professor in anthropology, Dr. Maria Liston, was invited to present at a panel on careers in archaeology. While now retired from teaching, Liston continues her research investigating human remains excavated in Greece.
“Archaeology teaches students first about how to turn the real world […] into data,” Liston stated at the conference. “These data sets are fragmentary, incomplete and dealing with things we don’t completely understand, and yet you learn how to produce real reproducible results from that.”
“Even if you’re never going to be an archaeologist, learning how to think like an archaeologist is good for an engineer, for a computer scientist, or [anyone]. And it’s inherently a way that’s kind of fun and different.”
First year mechatronics engineering student Grace Xu agrees. “I didn’t know they had projects like this, and it’s right up my alley,” Xu said about the event. History is one of her major interests outside STEM, and one she hopes to incorporate in her future engineering career. “The goal is to be well-rounded and well-read so that I can better help society, because engineering isn’t only about making things, it’s why as we do it too.”
Xu also cites particular interest in DAMMES, a proposed DRAGEN project to build an accessible database of 14th-century court records found in the French town of Manosque. The database would use AI to transcribe the documents and partially translate them into English and French. “I’m grappling with my stance around AI use, all things considered,” she expressed. “I’m looking to be exposed to many opinions on the subject and I definitely want to know how the people working on this project feel about the ideal practice around using AI.”
So after the conference, what’s next for the DRAGEN lab? “Unfortunately, like most groups on campus, everything is contingent on funding,” says Drew. Funding for the Environments of Change project will end in May 2027. “My role will also not exist after May. So it’s going to be interesting to see the pivot and the change that this group of folks will take on,” Drew noted. She clarified that she will “still be around [the lab], just not in the role” of assistant director.
Dreyer will continue on as an undergraduate research assistant in the lab, though with less involvement in organizing CAMELOT. “I hope that the lab expands its support for undergrad students and increases the projects that we can help out with. It’s a wonderful opportunity and I’d love to see more students being able to access that.”
Overall, the DRAGEN team and their supporters hope that word of the lab’s research will help bridge the gaps among academic silos at UW, while the team’s studies on the past and present provide insights for the future.
“A lot of folks don’t really know about the DRAGEN lab, which is unfortunate because, you know, we’ve had all this funding for this many years,” said Dreyer. She also notes that events run by DRAGEN, like CAMELOT, are a critical forum for learning and building connections. “The arts don’t get this opportunity very often, especially history … having this conference where we can all get together and nerd out a little bit is very important.”
Liston agrees, and hopes that the university will not waver in its support during a challenging time for the humanities. “I want UW to continue to develop the faculty of arts, and recognize that what we do is not separate from math and science and engineering, but is a critical part … Arts are what provide that relevance, that scope or reference point, for connecting to human beings.”
Ultimately, Drew wants those inspired by DRAGEN’s work to carry it forward. “I think [the] bottom line [is] making sure that exposure to these experiences is accessible to as many people who are wanting and committed to receiving it as possible. If we’re able to keep doing that and meeting in the middle and working together, I think that is the best possible outcome that we could have.”
