Liz Onufer
Submitted Article
Idaho State University and the English Graduate Student Association will host the Intermountain Graduate Conference on April 20 and 21. Graduate students from across the West will be presenting on the theme “On the Edge.” The conference is free and open to the public.
“Speakers will present on a variety of panels with ranging topics: literature pedagogy, genre theory, composition, creative writing, publishing, special topics in literature, and philosophy,” said Anelise Farris, co-chair of the conference.
Beginning at 9:30 a.m. on April 20, presentations will be in the Rendezvous Suites on the ISU campus. The conference will conclude with a mixer at Portneuf Valley Brewing at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, April 21.
The keynote address from Dr. Domani Pothen from Multnomah University will be on Thursday from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
“Dr Pothen holds a PhD in English from ISU, and now she is returning to her alma mater to invest in the next generation of graduate students,” said conference co-chair, Laura Griffith. “Dr. Pothen is a powerful speaker and formidable scholar. The Intermountain Graduate Conference is lucky to have her.”
Several ISU graduate faculty will also be speaking during the conference. Dr. Amanda Zink and Dr. Rob Watkins will be presenting on teaching edgy material on Thursday from 10:30 to 11:45.
Their presentation will draw on sources such as Neil Gaiman’s 2015 book, Trigger Warnings, national debates in higher education, and their own teaching experience. On Friday afternoon, a panel on academic publishing will feature Dr. Brian Attebery, Dr. Lydia Wilkes, and Dr. Matt Levay.
For a complete schedule, the conference program is available at intermountaingraduateconference.wordpress.com.
