University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown

The Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Literatures Conference

Welcome to the Western Pennsylvania Undergraduate Literatures Conference!

Thank you for joining us at the 2025 Conference!

Our event photojournal is below, along with the indexed keynote speaker and panel schedule from March 22.

Details about the next conference coming early 2026!

Above: Lunch is served!

Above: Drew, Tracey, and Ryan from Dr. DiMauro's "Games as Literature" Panel.

Above: Dr. Justus addresses the morning gathering of scholars.

Above: Dr. Justus poses with our keynote speaker, Dr. Matthew Ferrence (and his book!)

Above: Dr. Paul Lucas and his Communication panel presenters stand for a victory pose after the most-attended panel in conference history!

Above: Drew stands with Dr. Spectar

Above: Highlights from Dr. Cox's keynote address in the morning session

Above: Dr. DiMauro readies his panel to talk about video games (Photo credit: Kaylee Kolonich)

Above: Networking, scholarship, and food!

 

 

Keynote Speakers

Matthew Ferrence: "One of the Last Places Where Your Life Matters: Poetics, Politics, and the Power of Literary Practice"

Matthew Ferrence is the author of three books, most recently I Hate It Here Please Vote For Me: Essays on Rural Political Decay (WVU Press 2024), an exploration of the electoral consequences of rural narrative stereotypes. Ferrence lives and writes at the confluence of Appalachia and the Rust Belt, where he serves as a professor of English and Creative Writing at Allegheny College.

Dr. Cathy Cox: "From Patriarchal Pariahs to Feminist Icons: Reimagined Women in Religion & Literature"

Catherine S Cox is Professor of English at the University of Pittsburgh’s Johnstown campus, where she teaches biblical and medieval literature and culture, as well as contemporary literature and theory.

She is the author of two published books on topics related to Middle English texts and their cultural contexts, Gender and Language in Chaucer and The Judaic Other in Dante, the Gawain Poet, and Chaucer. She is a frequent presenter at MLA, NCS, and other professional conferences.

Conference Schedule

9:30–9:50 AM – Registration (Blackington Hall Atrium)
Check in and connect with fellow attendees.

9:50–10:00 AM – Welcome Remarks (Blackington 131)
An introduction to the day’s themes and events, delivered by Dr. Mark DiMauro

10:00–10:30 AM – Faculty Keynote (Blackington 131)
Dr. Cathy Cox
“From Patriarchal Pariahs to Feminist Icons: Reimagined Women in Religion & Literature”

Concurrent Session A (10:40–11:30 AM)

Panel: The Critical Examination of Entertainment: Popping the Pop Culture Balloon
Chair: Dr. Paul Lucas
Blackington 131

  • Mackenzie Tanase – “Adult Cartoon Relevancy in the Face of Cancel Culture: A Review Using Fantasy Criticism”
  • Rebecca Ribblett – “The Rhetorical Arrow of Storytelling in The Hunger Games”
  • Ariel Gardner – “Pentadic Criticism: Ghostface Unveiled, Nostalgia, and Revenge in Scream IV”
  • Drew Thompson – “Why Aren't You Laughing? Batman and the Modern Age of Comics”

Panel: Religion and Literature
Chair: Dr. Cathy Cox
Blackington 138

  • Kaylee Kolonich – "The Sacred, The Sexual, and The Human"
  • Brianna Shipley – "Misinterpreting Genesis: Augustine's Interpretations and Their Impact"

Concurrent Session B (11:35 AM–12:25 PM)

Panel: Post-colonial and Neo-Colonial India
Chair: Dr. Ann Rea
Blackington 131

  • Kaylee Kolonich – "An Inherent Degree of Alienation"
  • Hannah Kim – "The Utilization of Morality in The White Tiger"

Panel: Studies in American Literature and Culture
Chair: Dr. Jeremy Justus
Blackington 138

  • Ben Cotchen – “Appeal and Independence in Lady Brett Ashley and Holly Golightly”
  • Sasha Tarabrin – “Brett Ashley's Complex Liberation”
  • Ean Jaber – “An Examination of The Cinema as a Medium of War-time American Patriotism and Propaganda”

12:25–1:00 PM – Lunch (Blackington Atrium)
Enjoy a break to refuel and network with peers and mentors.

1:00–1:40 PM – Creative Writing Award Winners
Chair: Dr. Michael Cox
Blackington 131

Celebrating outstanding creative work by:

  • Hannah Kim
  • Tylor McTavish
  • Charlie Fetsko

Concurrent Session C (1:45–2:35 PM)

Panel: The White Tiger as Bildungsroman
Chair: Dr. Ann Rea
Blackington 138

  • Olivier Petrosky – "Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger as an Economic and Social Bildungsroman"
  • Katie Wolfhope – “Adiga's The White Tiger as a Redefinition of the Traditional Bildungsroman”
  • Morgan Bihary – "The White Tiger: The Autobiography of Balram Halwai"

Panel: Side Quests and Side Characters: Ludology and Narratology in Generation IV Video Games
Chair: Dr. Mark DiMauro
Blackington 131

  • Tracey Pham – “Animal Crossing and the Purpose of Pointless Games”
  • Jonathan Kohler – “The Art of War: Narratology and Characterization in Call of Duty II”
  • Ryan Felesky -"Reality is Horror: A Fantasy-Themed Criticism of Haunting Ground"

Panel: Pop Culture Perspectives
Chair: Michaela O’Toole
Blackington 134

  • Ryan Wilmotte – “Cap or Bust: Why Should Major League Baseball Implement a Salary Cap?”
  • Justin Hetz – "Paper or Plastic: Money Edition"
  • Daniel Kim – “Video Game Development (vs. Videography)”

2:40–3:30 PM – Keynote Lecture
Blackington 131
Matthew Ferrence
"One of the Last Places Where Your Life Matters: Poetics, Politics, and the Power of Literary Practice"
Conclude the day with a keynote lecture that promises fresh insights and inspiring dialogue.

Thank you again for joining us for an unforgettable day of critical inquiry, creative celebration, and rich academic exchange!