Lee University’s Department of Language and Literature recently hosted the Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Conference on Latin American and Iberian Studies.   

The conference’s purpose is to cultivate academic excellence among undergraduate students and to bring students and professors from a wide variety of disciplines together. Students from local high schools were also invited to participate in this event.   

Panel presentations were given by students and professors from Lee and other schools including Samford University, Emory & Henry College, and Western Carolina University.  

“There are very few conferences like this one that are focused primarily on research and student engagement,” said Dr. Oleski Miranda, professor at Emory & Henry College. “This is the second time that Emory & Henry College students have participated at Lee University, and we hope that it will continue to grow and become an international conference.”  

The presentations covered five topics: Women and Feminism; México: Identity, Culture, and Conflicts; Music, Ethnicity, and the Abject; Intercultural Competence and Linguistics; and Community and Hispanic Issues.   

The Lee students presenting at the conference were Allison Cowan, Anna Lawry, Annalise Kozin, Anne Stockton, Bethany Reinsch, Dursun Asik, Julia Gambill, Kierstin Havens, and Shelby Wiggins.   

“This annual conference is an integral experience for the person who wants to learn more about the hidden gems of Latin American and Iberian culture,” said Kozin. “I always leave feeling astounded at the knowledge we have uncovered.”   

Some of the panel presentations included “Feminism in Spain in the past 100 years,” “Intercultural Communication Competence: Why It is Important,” and “The Mysteries of the Incan World” as well as other topics related to the culture of Latin America and Iberia.   

“I loved watching my friends and other students present their research,” said Asik. “It was incredible to see the passion and excitement they felt as they presented these ideas that they had put so much effort into. It was inspiring.”   

The conference also featured “The Conversatorio,” a talk-show-style guest panel with Ana George, King University; Kelly Jackson, Sara Ortega-Higgs, and Tiffany Robayna of Samford University; and Oleski Miranda, Emory & Henry College. “The Conversatorio” addressed how to bring students and faculty together in academia.   

For more information on the conference, contact Dr. Alexander Steffanell at [email protected] or call (423) 614-8216.   

For more information on Lee’s Department of Language and Literature, call (423) 614-8210.