Welcome to LowCountry Africana Anita and thank you for sharing your Ancestors PHENOMENAL journey with us!

In truth, you've accomplished what most Genealogists can only dream of achieving!

We accept that while the realities may not be pleasant, not knowing and honoring our Ancestors is far worse.

We look forward to sharing, learning and growing as we support one another through this experience.

Thank you so much, your contribution to LowCountry researchers will be invaluable.

Best,

Luckie.
LCA Moderator

Here's a hearty LowCountry Welcome to Debbra, Selma and Jim! LCA is thrilled to have you join us!:-)

Luckie.
LCA Moderator

Luckie,
My mother is the one who passed the stories on, as they had been passed to her. In 2000 I wrote to the Guinean Consulate and told the story of my Great-Great Grandmother. I wanted to see how much could be verified. She said that she was 12 and they were at the River mining Gold for her father, who was a King. I still have the response sent to me by President Conte's wife (he has two and this was his Christian wife). She said that the Children had be taken, and they were taken to Bermuda, before being sold in South Carolina. Those children were so important to Guinea, that they continued to search for them. She also told me that they were planning to do a documentary in South Carolina, and she was working with the Governor's office. She asked me if I would be part of the documentary, and I told her I would love to. By the time she took that back to South Carolina, I was out of the picture. I did see a documentary several years later, by some historian (a white man), but they did not go into what the slaves experienced here, or interview descendants. In fact after accepting the offer from President Conte's wife, I did not hear from her again. I have the documentation to prove that she verified the story my Great-Great Grandmother told. The other fact that I want to mention is that my Great-Great Grandmother's tribe were Muslims, who came from Mali. The Malinke Tribes founder was Sundiata Keita (or Keita Sundiata), who lived from 1200 to 1260. They were the builders of Timbuctu, and Muslim Scholars. When my ancestor was taken there was a war between the tribes, which may have sparked the children being kidnapped. My ancestor stated that they were held and put on board a Dutch Ship. She had a lot of details about who she was, and what happened.

My mother told us stories, as we worked around the house. As a female I spent a lot of time with my mother growing up. Back East, the Kitchen was the center of activity for our family, and where my mother shared many stories. In the Winter we sat by a pot bellied stove, to keep warm, and she would tell us stories to keep us quiet (or so I thought). It was not until after roots that I wanted to document the stories my mother told. She did not understand the importance of documenting the stories. She said it is the truth, my mother told me, and her grandmother told her. There were several different versions of the story in my family. None of the census records stated that she was born in Africa. Of course they would not say that because she was not asked, the census taker made assumptions. Her correct age is not mentioned until she is in Pennsylvania, in the 1910 census. Somebody guessed her age to be around 100. Again, the census taker did not ask, he guessed. It is doubtful, given her experience with whites, that Leah would have even spoke to them.

It has taken many years for my family to accept the findings about my ancestor. I am sure there are still skeptics, but I know that my mother was right on the mark. She passed in 2001, knowing that the Great-Great Grandmother Leah's story was being heard.

Thanks to everyone who has put this wonderful site together.

Anita

How blessed you are Anita to have been able to inherit your family history from your Mother. Ms. Lula Ruth lives through you and documentary or not, her journey and sacrifices have not been lost.

You truly inspire us to dig deeper and to work without fail - in spite of the challenges. This knowledge is our birthright.

Thank you for sharing Ms. Lula Ruth with us!:-)

Luckie.

Luckie,
Thank you for this site, which allows us to gather and share our history.

Anita

Anita - I'd love to take credit for the genius behind LowCountry Africana & AfriQuest, but I'm afraid I cannot!:-)

Toni Carrier, Joyce McCollum & a team of dedicated GeneaHolics created this work.

I am blessed to be the "new kid on the block", with a penchant for computers!:-)

Luckie.

Hi Anita,
You are incredibly blessed to have the knowledge of you family's history, kept alive by the Griots of each generation. And your accepting the torch keeps Leah Ruth-Warner's history - and legacy - alive.
You are so generous to share your knowledge and hard-won research with all of us. Thank you so much. ---toni

Hi Everyone!

There is a new group on GenealogyWise: 1790 Census: Slave Holders, Other Free Persons and Slaves!

Best and Cheers,
Toni :0)

Welcome Dee Dee and Deborah Coleman! Looking forward to your participation!

Toni at LCA :0

New records in the Lowcountry Africana database, Sunday, July 26:

Drayton, W.H. Inventory and Appraisement, St. Luke's Parish, Beaufo...

Drayton, William Henry. Inventory and Appraisement, Charleston, SC,...

Drayton, William Henry. Inventory and Appraisement, Charleston, SC,...

Happy Ancestor Hunting!

Toni

New Records in the Lowcountry Africana database, Monday, July 27, 2009:

Parker, Thomas. Will. Charleston, SC, 1821

Parker, Isaac. Will, Charleston, South Carolina, 1824

Parker, Arthur M. Inventory and Appraisement. Charleston, SC, 1828

Parker, Charles. Will, Charleston, South Carolina, 1859

Parker, Charles. Inventory and Appraisement. Charleston, South Caro...

Parker, Rachel V. Inventory and Appraisement. Charleston, South Car...

Peace,
Toni

Hi Everyone!
Hope your week is off to a good start. We have aded 50 new documents to the database in the last two days, all for South Carolina and related to the Drayton family research. You can view them here:

http://www.werelate.org/dlib/handle/6

Toni

A big welcome to Joyce Reese McCollum and Betsy Rissellor Butler! We invite you (and all members!) to respond to the Introduce Yourself and Queries and Brick Walls discussions above so we can begin to get to know one another and learn from each other' research!

Best and Peace,
Toni

I can't believe that the link was in my own backyard. All of my Alabama slaveholding Hollis clan at Low Country Africana. Now to see if the Hollis clan left good records naming their slaves or the acquisitions of slaves. I know when they migrated to Alabama so that helps. BTW, there were two D.U. Hollis'. Derrill Upright is the one who was the slaveholder of Harriet Hollis. There were also two Daniels, one of whom changed his name to Red Daniel!

Joyce I can't believe we have known each other for eight years and we have never talked about your SC research! Lord.

Who are your slaveholding Hollis family members who may have connections to SC? I'm laughing that we have never discussed this!

---toni :)

Welcome to our newest member Karen Meadows-Rogers!

Toni

Welcome to our two newest members David and Ellen! Looking forward to your participation!

Toni

Lowcountry Africana Welcomes Michael Hait as Coordinator of Resource Library

Lowcountry Africana, a free website dedicated to African American genealogy and history in the Lowcountry Southeast (SC, GA and FL) is pleased to welcome Michael Hait as Coordinator of the Lowcountry Africana Resource Library. In his new role at Lowcountry Africana, Michael Hait will develop and grow the website's online library with helpful resources on how to conduct a successful ancestor search.

Michael Hait is superbly qualified for his new role at Lowcountry Africana. He began tracing his own family tree at the age of nine, questioning his grandparents and great-grandparents to learn more, and has continued for over twenty years. His family tree can be traced back to the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries on some lines.

He is the creator of The Family History Research Toolkit CD-ROM, available from Genealogical Publishing Co., and has authored several articles for Family Chronicle magazine. He also writes the African-American Genealogy Examiner column for Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/x-8873-African-American-Genealogy-Examiner), where he shares a wealth of information on genealogical methods, as well as in-depth advice on how to get the most from particular record sets.

Michael is the Master Editor of a book on Civil War soldiers from the Albany (New York) "hilltowns", and is currently compiling information for a future book on slave families of Prince George's Co., Maryland. Michael is also the administrator for the Genealogy Trails websites for Prince George's (http://genealogytrails.com/mary/princegeorges), Charles (http://genealogytrails.com/mary/charles), and St. Mary's (http://genealogytrails.com/mary/stmarys) counties in southern Maryland.

Michael is a current member of the National Genealogical Society, the Association of Professional Genealogists (National Capital Area chapter), the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors, the Afro-American Historical Genealogical Society, the Maryland Historical Society, the Maryland Genealogical Society, and the Prince George's Co. Genealogical Society.

Lowcountry Africana is honored to welcome Michael Hait. We look forward to his contributions and to the quality his depth of experience and expertise add to the Lowcountry Africana team!

We just found a remarkable Freedmen's labor contract for Colleton County, SC that breaks through the 1870 Brick Wall by positively connecting a freed person with a surname to the final slaveholder. In this case the document links Moses Gedos' wife Margret to former slaveholder D.R. Postell. It is posted to our blog:

http://lowcountryafricana.net/blog.asp

Incredible.

Toni

Have to correct myself on my last post. As I read the document again I realized that it connects Moses Gedos' wife Margret to the plantation, not necessarily to D.R. Postell. We would have to know more about the plantation's owners to know if D.R. Postell was the final slaveholder.

I made one of those snap assumptions!

Toni :)

Welcome to our newest member Vicky Daviss Mitchell! Vicky has spent the last year indexing Georgia WPA Slave Narratives... welcome Vicky!

Hope everyone is enjoying a great weekend! We have just rolled out a tremendous new block of content in the Lowcountry Africana Research Library; more than 100 Freedmen's Labor Contracts for Colleton County, 1866 as well as Bureau Land Reports which identify final slaveholders in Colleton County and provide insight on conditions there at the close of the war:

Freedmen's Labor Contracts, Colleton County, South Carolina, 1866

Final Slaveholders, Colleton County, South Carolina

We would like to invite you to join and post to our new Discussion Forums. We look forward to your participation!

Happy Ancestor Hunting from the LCA Crew!

New Lowcountry Africana Content!

Hi Everyone,

Hope you are enjoying a great holiday weekend. We have posted new content to Lowcountry Africana:

Dr. A.E. Gibbes: Former Slaveholder of Samuel Gibbes, Sampson Fenwi...

Historical Contexts: History of the Freedmen's Bureau in SC

Hope there is a tidbit here for your research!

Best,
LCA Crew

The Lowcountry Africana Resource Library by Michael Hait: Principles of Sound Genealogical Research

Finding a record on Lowcountry Africana which names an ancestor is exciting. But how can you use that record to further your family research?

Genealogist/historian Michael Hait, Coordinator of the Lowcountry Africana Genealogy resource Library, offers advice for conducting sound genealogical research, documenting sources and evaluating evidence. Michael's library is growing. We invite you to visit and enjoy!

Here is sampling of the offerings in Michael's Resource Library:

What is the Genealogical Proof Standard?

The Genealogical Proof Standard provides an outline for sound and responsible genealogical research. By subscribing to its standards, you can ensure that your research will be as accurate as possible.

What Constitutes a Genealogical Source Record?

Under the current standards of genealogical proof, source citation and analysis are supreme. But what constitutes a genealogical source record?

Evaluating a Source Record

One important aspect of the Genealogical Proof Standard is its focus on the principles of sound record analysis. Using these principles, you will be able to distinguish between different types of record, information, and evidence and use these distinctions, together with other factors, to determine the reliability of your facts.

The entire content of Lowcountry Africana is and always will be 100% free. We invite you to enjoy, and share your comments on, the articles in Michael's Resource Library.

New Article by Aaron L. Day: DNA to Africa

A new article by author Aaron L. Day has been posted on the Africana Heritage website. Aaron explains DNA testing and shares his personal experience of tracing his family's African roots.

DNA to Africa by Aaron L. Day

Hope you enjoy!

Best,
Toni

if anyone needs help with brickwalls i am avaible to help

hi catrina , i found the name you were loooking for . do you have a name for the wife

Hi Robyn,
Thank you so much for your research help! How thoughtful of you.

Toni :0)

Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for posting! Do you know the location? It will help us pin down which records to search.

Happy Holidays!
Toni

Hi Karen,
I see a bill of sale to Isaac Bradwell, Jr. from Joseph Inabinet in 1842, which includes a man named Mingo. Here is the link to the abstract in the SCDAH Online Database Index:

http://www.archivesindex.sc.gov/onlinearchives/RecordDetail.aspx?Re...

If the record is of interest you can order a copy of the bill of sale from microfilm at SCDAH. ---toni

I am looking for information on Bonapartes who were slaves throughout South Carolina. My ancestors may have come from the Caribbean or Lousiana. I found a Bonaparte who was the overseer of a Plantation. I do not know the name of the Plantation, but it was an Island off of South Carolina. There were Bonapartes in Charleston who were free prior to the Civil War.

Anita

Hi Anita,
I will look through our records to see if I see any Bonapartes. More after I check...

Toni

Hi Karen,
First, I didn't answer your question about inventories and bills of sale coming up on Lowcountry Africana - the answer is yes to both, we will be digitizing Charleston inventories spanning 1732-1870 and many bills of sale for slaves. Once we get started we will need plenty of volunteers to index the records so hope everyone will stay tuned and index a few records as you can.
Second, I checked our records (posted and not yet posted to the website) and I am not seeing any new information on Bradwell plantations. If you send the names of specific ancestors you are seeking we may have records for them and I will be happy to check and send you any records we have.
Did your Google search turn up these two sites for SC plantations?

Plantations of South Carolina by Mrs. Johnie Rivers:
http://lowcountryplantations.org/

South Carolina Plantations at SCIway.net:
http://south-carolina-plantations.com/

If not, do give them a look.

Best and Wishes for a Happy New Year,
Toni

Hi Anita,
It looks like we do have a few Bonaparte records, you may have already found these via a Google search of our Africana Heritage Project website:

African American Genealogy: Freedmen's Labor Contracts, Berkeley ...Livie Bonapart, fullhand. Ann Saul, fullhand. Harriet Simmons, fullhand .... Bonaparte Doctor Lizzie Doctor William Palmer Charlotte Palmer Gabriel Gardner ...



[RTF] LIST OF DESTITUTE PERSONS who will need rations and seed in St ...File Format: Rich Text Format - View as HTML
Edgar Bonaparte, M, 65, Refugee. Made no crop last year. Has contracted. .... Lydia Bonaparte, F, 40, Crippled in both hands. Mary Ball, F, 70, Feeble ...
www.africanaheritage.com/uploads/2065/DESTITUTE20May1866.rtf


[RTF] Census Record - USF Africana Heritage Project. Rediscovering ...File Format: Rich Text Format - View as HTML
Bonaparte. Elsie. Sarah. DAVIS, Solomon. Betty. Jonas. Bella. Jeramiah. Stephen. Syke. SEGAR, Andrew. Rachel. Alexander. Tilla. Henry. BROUGHTON, Geoffry ...
www.africanaheritage.com/.../BLACKRESIDENTS1870Oakleyp61-80.rtf


[RTF] Census Record - USF Africana Heritage Project. Rediscovering ...File Format: Rich Text Format - View as HTML
WASHINGTON, Bonaparte. Dolly. Best. Robin. SIMPSON (?), Sam. Rose. Richard. WALASHAN (?), Hanah. Ceaser. Sylbe. Sophia. D***. Hannah. Ellemia (?) ...
www.africanaheritage.com/uploads/.../BLACKRESIDENTS1870p61-80.rtf

I'll do some further searching in our records.

Best,
Toni

Hi Anita,
Sorry, I dropped that first link, here it is:

www.africanaheritage.com/Labor_Contracts_BerkeleyP.asp

Best,
Toni

Hi Anita,
I'm seeing Lydia Bonaparte in this record in the Lowcountry Africana database:

Report of Rations, Berkeley County, South Carolina Plantations, Fre...

The surname Bonaparte is also in this record but the first name is illegible:

South Carolina, Freedmen's Bureau Field Reports: Register of Destit...

I will check records not yet posted and send any Bonaparte records I find.

Best and Happy New Year,
Toni :0)

Hi Karen,
You are welcome, if any new Bradwell records come up I will be sure to send them.

Best,
Toni

Toni,
Thank you for this information. I am going to go through the links and see if anything matches.

Anita

Welcome to our new members! We encourage our new - and current (!) members to post ancestors you are seeking in the Lowcountry. We all work in these records for our research and have much to share with each other.

Who are You seeking in the Lowcountry? Let's look for them with our collective knowledge of record sets and Lowcountry history/sources/ancestors!

Greetings: I am a descendant of Capt. Edmund Bellinger, Sr., master of the ship "Blake" which allegedly brought the first cattle to cattle to S.C., Judge in Admiralty, Surveyor-General, and 1698 created Landgrave of Tombodly & Ashepoo Baronies, S.C. Ashepoo was near today's Walterboro, S.C. The genealogy room of the Walterboro Public Library had a 4x5 card which indicated a black lady was collecting information on black Bellinger families of that area. Not directly connected, I read a news artical that a black man had moved his slave museum to that area. This is over a decade ago when I lived in Charlotte, before my US Airways mechanic retirement to Southport, N.C.; I knew there a wonderful old gentleman, long retired as a V.P. of the original Wachovia Bank (grandmother Ruby Valery Woollen, age 17 (b1885), OLd Salem, was Wachovia's first female employee, a steno-typist for co-founder Col. Fries. I knew the co-founder Shaffner family too). Mr. Bellinger invited me to the circa five-day black Bellinger family re-union in the piedmont area of S.C., I think it's called Blacksville/burg, S.C., where the five or so black Bellinger siblings' lived, who's accomplished descendants hold their every other year re-union--a wonderful family. Towards the last days, except when I saw my arms; I'd forget I was the only "white" there; I felt as but one, with them spiritually and physically except separated by color: but then neither of us picked our ancestors. I suspect these 1850's piedmont S.C. black Bellingers somehow connect with the Walterboro ones? On-line in the Depression era "Slave Narratives", a former female slave then living in Florida I think, told of her time as a house slave of a Mrs. Bellinger on a S.C. plantation, and how at the end of the Civil War and first Freedom Days, Mrs. Bellinger one-by-one called in her now free former slaves, looked in her plantation slave book, then for each wrote out what she called their "Birth Certificates", telling all, especially those who did not underastand it, to keep them with them, for as they dispursed in Freedom and Life, and loose contact; one day Mrs. Bellinger and the book will be gone, and they may need that "birth Certificate" information. I hope it not only named the date of birth, but the parents also. Has anyone ever seen one of these? Can't find my 4x5 Bellinger cards; when I do I'll be back. Looking for descendants of two of my Civil War heros of Hilton Head Island, S,C, Union black Sgt. Bellinger, and Pvt. Bellinger. Have some data, one married in camp, removed to Charleston as a carpender. The other died in-service in S.C. and if he does not have a tombstone or memorial stone, as a Union soldier is entitled to a U.S. government provided stone. I am in the SCV, I have seven (possibly an eigth) Confederate ancestors; I need to apply for a free US government stone for my Pvt. James Landreth Malcolm, CSA musician, who's unmarked grave I just learned, is allegedly near the marked Old Salem, N.C., grave of his son-in-law, Sgt. James Anderson Woollen, CSA musician. At a meeting of our new SCV chapter here, we were looking for new projects; someone suggest looking for unmarked Confederate graves, then apply for free US government tombstones/memorial stones. I added, and if we find an unmarked Union soldier's grave, that we do the paperwork on him too. A polite "Oh nooooooo...." I can not grasp that mentality! It's reasoning alludes me. Hilton Head Island (once the "Barony" of 1698 Landgrave John Bayley (1682 Landgrave John Bailey had "Otter Island" Barony), created 1698) was supposedly named for explorer Capt. Wm. Hilton, Jr., who 1663 named the Cape Fear River and Hilton River (now Brunswick) which flows past Southport, N.C., where I live. Wm. Jr.'s brother was Exeter, N.H., lawyer Edw. Hilton, Sr., my ancestor who wed Mrs. Catherine Shapleigh Treworgye, the sister of Capt. Nicholas Shapleigh who drafted early charts of the Cape Fear River. Did he do any S.C. coastal maps? Edward and Wm's parents were Explorer Capt. William Hilton, Sr., and Ellen Mainwaring, and so on maybe three generations to Hilton Castle, England. The mulato Joseph Pendarvis, Esq., family is often incorrectly attributed as a Landgrave. Has anyone heard a Barony name attributed as his, or believed date of Landgrave "creation" attributed to him? He apparently was a large land owner. In Linked In (focusoninfinity) I created the history/genealogy "Group", Heirs of Hereditary Landgraves & Cassiques of Colonial Low Country South Carolina (see Archived Websites, 1999) to which anyone interested in the once institution, is welcome to join. If you are in anyway connected to a defunct "Barony" or just interested--welcome! Jim Miller

Hi Jim,
Thank you for joining, and welcome! We look forward to your participation in the group. As you might imagine our Drayton research weaves in and out of the Bellinger family lines. If you have any Bellinger family documents or photographs you would like to share, they will find a happy home here!

Best,
Toni

Saw photos of Landgrave Edmund Bellinger's key-wound pocket watch and signet ring. Possibly his signet ring would reveal who his father was? What happend to those two artifacts? My lineage is clear to the Hon. Henry Yonge, Sr., Loyalist, H.M. Surveyor-General of Georgia by wife Elizabeth Bellinger (did she go with him to British East Florida, then the Bahamas, and finally England? Is she buried Savannah? Their summer home "Orangedale", Skidaway Island, is now the site of "The Landings", I think. Son Maj. Henry Yonge, Jr., Loyalist, was H.M. Attorney-General of British East Florida, his plantation now Ormond, Fla., the Public Library there on Yonge St. In his Loyalist claims, Henry Sr. called his first wife Christiana Bulloch "a rebell"; the sister of Patriot Gov. Bulloch.

I'm now told Mrs. Elizabeth Bellinger Yonge's lineage to Landgrave Edmond Bellinger, Sr., is wrong. I thought she was the daughter of militia Capt. Wm. Bellinger, Sr., and Mary Cantey, daughter of Wm. Cantey and Jane Baker, daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson Baker, supposedly of noble lineage. Wm. Cantey the son of Teige and Elizabeth Cantey, Sr. If anyone knows Mrs. Elizabeth Bellinger Yong's correct lineage, please tell me?

Jim

Hi Karen,
Wow, that is exciting (and sad, to hold that bill of sale in your hand...). I hope you have many more discoveries and breakthroughs.

Toni

Welcome to our two newest group members Shannon Norman and Lessie Williams! Shannon and Lessie, we invite you to share the surnames you are researching! :0)

Free Webinar from Tony Burroughs: "Avoid Traps in African American Genealogy" Thurs., March 11, 8 p.m.

Ancestry.com will present a free webinar this Thursday, March 11 by renowned genealogist Tony Burroughs. The webinar "Avoid Traps in African American Genealogy" will air at 8 p.m. on Thursday. The seminar will focus on common mistakes that can hinder your search for African American ancestors.
The free webinar will also be archived and available to view in the future. Whether you are a beginning your family research or have been at it for some time, this free webinar will help you sharpen your genealogy skills!
To pre-register or learn more, please visit the Ancestry Webinars page

7 Days of Juneteenth, Days 3 and 4

Hello Friends!

Here is an update on days 3 and 4 of our 7 Days of Juneteenth Celebration.

For Day 3, we chose 1868 voter registrations for Charleston, SC, St. Andrews Parish. St. Andrews Parish encompassed the Ashley River corridor. Magnolia, Drayton Hall and Middleton Place plantations were among those in St. Andrews Parish.
You may follow the link below to view transcriptions and document images:

Charleston, SC Voter Registrations, St. Andrews Parish, 1868

For Day 4 (today), we've posted 1868 voter registrations for Edisto Island (Charleston County) SC. More than 400 Freedmen on Edisto Island registered to vote in 1868. You may follow the link below to view the transcription and document images:

Edisto Island, SC Voter Registrations, Charleston County, 1868

Edisto Island is located 45 miles south of Charleston, and is part of Charleston County. Edisto Beach, a part of Edisto Island, is in Colleton County.

Hope you find some useful records there!

Best,
Toni

Does anyone know which Landgrave or Cassique owned Edisto Island (S.C.?), and what the name of the Barony was?

7 Days of Juneteenth Days 5 and 6

Greetings Everyone!

Here's the update for Days 5 and 6 of our 7 Days of Juneteenth Celebration. For day 5, we chose 1868 voter registrations for Georgetown, SC, for the Carver's Bay and Brown's Ferry precincts. Below is the link:

Georgetown, SC Voter Registrations, Carver's Bay and Brown's Ferry ...

For today, Day 6, we continue Georgetown voter registrations with the Old Church Club House precinct:

Georgetown, SC Voter Registrations, Old Church Club House Precinct,...

Tomorrow, for Day 7, and Saturday, for Juneteenth, we will post some large, special resources for your research, so please be sure to follow our blog for links to those: Lowcountry Africana Blog.

We hope you find new ancestors here! Happy Juneteenth from the Crew at Lowcountry Africana!

33,000 S.C. Estates/Wills
Slaves named You can help put them online www.lowcountryafricana.com for details. These records will be forever free online at Footnote.com

Welcome to new members Jason and Gary! We look forward to your participation. This is a great place to meet up with other family historians. If you like, please do share your research areas and interests with the group. Welcome!