Northeast Modern Language Association Undergraduate Research Forum

The Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA) is a non-profit organization of teachers and scholars of literature, language, and culture and the largest regional affiliate of the Modern Language Association (MLA). This year, NeMLA will host its 5th Undergraduate Research Forum at its 54th Convention and undergraduate students like you are invited to submit a research proposal. The Convention will take place March 23-26, 2023 at the Niagaral Falls Convention Center in Niagara Falls, NY.

This year’s conference theme is RESILIENCE, an anchor term for critical and creative work that explores how we: bear up under trauma; counter ableism; redress social and racial marginalization; mitigate environmental destruction; celebrate bodily, cognitive, and neurological difference; access silenced voices; recover from the pandemic; and struggle to save the humanities and humanity itself from the maw of neoliberalism. Possible approaches include:

• RESILIENCE as an agent of social, cultural, and political change
• RESILIENCE and its relationship to STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and/or the social sciences
  
• RESILIENCE through trauma
• RESILIENCE and identity formation
• RESILIENCE and the understanding of history
• RESILIENCE and its place in education
• RESILIENCE and the environment
• RESILIENCE and the community (e.g. racial/gender/ethnic/geographic/age)
• RESILIENCE and its role in preserving the humanities

This year, we are asking you to submit your proposal for a 5-minute poster presentation to one (max. 2)  of the following panels:

• RESILIENCE Through the Humanities and Other Discipliness - How does language/literature integrate with STEM and/or the social sciences? How does this interdisciplinarity help us to better explain history, understand the present, and/or realize our future potential?
• RESILIENCE in the World - How does resilience help us make sense of the world (past or present)? How can resilience effect or create social, cultural, and political movements and changes? How can it help us persevere through trauma and difficult times?
• RESILIENCE and Language - What is the relationship between language and society? How does resilience impact language and expression within a society? How does language construct thought? How does language shape the decisions we make and the actions we take?

Please submit a 300-word abstract, a bibliography, and a 100-word bio by Nov. 15, 2022 through the NeMLA website. Visit buffalo.edu/nemla to create a member login and submit your abstract. Accepted students can receive mentorship on writing and structuring their presentations. For questions and further details, please contact Jennifer Mdurvwa at Undergradforum@nemla.org.  

Students participating in this project will learn how to present at a scholarly conference. Students will learn how to create a poster presentation and present a 3- to 5-minute oral presentation on their research. By attending the conference, students will have the opportunity to connect and network with faculty and graduate students in their field, and can attend sessions related to their research. Students can also attend workshops on how to prepare a strong application for graduate school, and learn how to navigate the job market once they've completed their studies.

• Northeast Modern Language Association (NeMLA)
• Modern Language Association (MLA)

• Students are required to submit a 300-word abstract proposal, bibliography and 100-word bio by Nov. 15 in order to be considered for this project.
• It is strongly recommended that students meet with Jennifer Mdurvwa, a faculty mentor or a subject librarian prior to submission, but this is optional and not required.
• If accepted to present, students should review both NeMLA's guidelines on poster presentations and ELN's poster tips and resources. 

Romance Languages and Literatures