Ursinus Well-Represented at Northeast Modern Language Association Convention
Five members of the modern languages department represented Ursinus at the NeMLA conference in Philadelphia March 6-9.
Several members of the modern languages department recently traveled to Philadelphia to present their scholarship and research at the 56th Annual Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) convention.
The annual four-day event showcases the work of teachers, scholars, and students across literature, language and culture. Each year, it includes panels, roundtables, interactive workshops, special events, guest speakers, and more for attendees.
At this year’s convention, which took place March 6-9 at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Center City, two students and three faculty members gave the following presentations:
- Assistant Professor of French Andrew Jones, Ph.D., and French major Joshua Coster ’25 presented a paper titled“Le Kabary au grand écran: Cinéma et décolonisation à Madagascar” in the panel “African Francophone Cinema,” along with faculty from Syracuse U, SUNY Purchase, and Sarah Lawrence.
- Assistant Professor of Spanish Nicole Fadellin, Ph.D., presented a paper titled “Revolutionary Engineers: Lessons from the Cuban nuclear program” in the seminar “Revolutionary Imaginations from Latin America and the Caribbean.”
- Associate Professor of Spanish and Modern Languages Department Chair Teresa Ko, Ph.D., co-organized and co-chaired the panel “Blackface Performances in Latin America.” The title of her paper was “Blackface and Racial Impersonation in Early-Twentieth-Century Argentine Theater.”
- Spanish major Matthew Adams ’27 presented a poster related to his research project on Argentine Rock. The title of his presentation was “Rock Nacional: A Return of the Repressed.”
“I was very proud to have two modern languages students present their projects at a national conference of the highest caliber,” said Associate Professor of Spanish and Modern Languages Department Chair Teresa Ko, Ph.D. “I hope they had the opportunity to connect with and learn from other scholars, but also see themselves as scholars, which they truly are!”
Coster, a first-time presenter, said, “My advisor, Andrew Jones, helped a lot during the preparation phase and it was a great experience to be able to present our research together.”
The Northeast Modern Language Association is the largest regional affiliate of the Modern Language Association, according to its website.