Alva Review-Courier -

Two Northwestern Oklahoma State University faculty members presented papers at the 2017 Southwest Popular/American Culture Association (SWPACA) Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Feb. 15-17.

Dr. Kathryn "Kate" Lane, associate professor of English and chair of the English, Foreign Language and Humanities Department, presented the second day of the conference with her paper, "Why Jane Can't Decode Her Own Body: NBC's 'Blindspot' as Re-Visioning of Parler-Femme," for the category titled "Women, Gender, and Sexuality 6: Fantastic Feminisms."

"I've presented at SWPACA since coming to Northwestern," Lane said. "It's particularly helpful in my Pop Culture Comp courses. I also find the pedagogy panels helpful to spark new ideas in my own teaching. I plan to continue participating in this conference (currently I'm an area chair, and I'm proposing a pre-conference workshop for next year) for a long time as it offers invaluable pedagogical innovation."

Dr. Kathleen Earnest, assistant professor of English, presented the third day with her paper, "Reflection of a First-Generation College Student through Personal Narrative," for the category titled "Biography, Autobiography, Memoir, and Personal Narrative 3."

"I have attended the Southwest Popular/American Culture Association Conference for several years and always enjoy the variety of topics and presentations," Earnest said. "I usually try to attend sessions which will give me new ideas for my teaching practice and also introduce me to new topics that I don't usually have time to explore when I get back to my semester routines."

Lane and Earnest also attended other sessions throughout the conference.

"I attended other sessions on the pedagogy of incorporating pop culture topics into writing assignments for composition coursework," Earnest said. "This conference gives me an opportunity to experience new ideas and also share a few of my own perspectives when I read a paper at a panel presentation."

SWPACA promotes an innovative and nontraditional academic movement in humanities and social sciences celebrating America's cultural heritages. The organization also looks to provide an outlet for scholars, writers and others interested in popular/American culture, to share ideas in a professional atmosphere, and to increase awareness and improve public perceptions of America's cultural traditions and diverse populations.

For more information on their topics or the English program contact Lane at 580-327-8470 or [email protected] and Earnest at 580-327-8472 or [email protected].