CALL FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS TO SERVE AS KEYNOTE AND PLENARY SPEAKERS: due by 2/08/26

The Undergraduate and Graduate Victorian Studies Association (UGSVA) is announcing our fourth annual online conference. The UGSVA conference is run by a team of undergraduate and graduate students primarily from Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada and Carroll University, Waukesha, WI. The conference will take place on Tuesday April 28st from about 9:00 AM-4:00 PM EST (time approximate) via Zoom.

The complete CFP (for student papers) will be distributed in about a month. At this point, we are looking for two current graduate students (or perhaps two groups of graduate students) to fill two important roles: 1) Interactive Keynote Speaker and 2) Interactive Plenary Speaker. Speakers will be granted a stipend of $150. Please consider applying for these positions. Applications are brief and described below. Please submit applications to Brooke Cameron at  brooke.cameron6@gmail.com by 2/08/26. The speakers will be selected by a panel of undergraduate students.  

 
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Interactive Keynote Speaker: $150 stipend.

The keynote will occur from about 11:55 AM – 1:20 PM Eastern Time and should consist of a lecture and interactive activities that make use of Zoom breakout rooms. The keynote should be a lively event that helps establish the theme of the conference. To apply for the keynote, please tell me the following:

1)     Contact info:

List your name, institution, and email. (If there are more than one of you presenting, please list that information for all presenters. Unfortunately, I cannot increase the stipend for teams of presenters).

2)     Keynote title:

Please list the proposed title of your address.

3)     Lecture description:

Please provide the following:

• A brief abstract explaining what your lecture will focus on. (No more than 200 words and less than that is fine!)
• Please also indicate how many minutes you intend to lecture.
• Any topic is welcome. As you propose your topic, consider that your audience will consist of undergraduates, graduates, and faculty.

4)     Activities:

Please provide the following.

• Outline the activities you will incorporate in addition to your lecture.
• Please specify how long you think each activity will take. (And you can just have one activity or multiple activities; activities can also be organized throughout your lecture or just at the end. It’s up to you!) 
• Indicate how you intend to make use of Zoom breakout rooms to stimulate conversation and interest.

5)     Windup/conclusion:

• How will you end the keynote? Will you bring everyone together for closing thoughts? Have breakout groups present their thoughts? Provide some of your own thoughts?

6)     Spend the day?

As a reminder, our conference will be April 28th from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Eastern Time. Would you be able to spend the entire conference with us? (Moderate panels, attend the closing plenary session, etc.) If you can’t, can you let us know how much time you could spend with us? (It is OK if you can only spend the keynote with us.)

Again, applications are due by 2/08 to Brooke Cameron at brooke.cameron6@gmail.com. I will remove all identifying information and submit applications to the undergrad panel. Please remember that descriptions should be brief. Please also make sure to clearly signal that you are applying for the keynote session.

Note that application instructions for Interactive Plenary Speaker are found on the next page.

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Interactive Plenary Speaker: $150 stipend.

This will occur from about 3:00 – 4:00 PM Eastern Time and close the conference. Here we are looking for something that will allow participants to reflect on their conference experience and/or on themes pertinent to the Victorian era. We are looking for something that is fun but still linked to the issue that defined the period. We are very open to a variety of ideas here: unconference sessions, games, gallery walks, etc. Let your creativity guide you as you propose!

To apply for the plenary session, please tell me the following:

1)     Contact info:

List your name, institution, and email. (If there are more than one of you presenting, please list that information for all presenters. Unfortunately, I cannot increase the stipend for teams of presenters).

2)     Session title:

Please list the proposed title of your session.

3)     Session description and list of activities:

Please tell us about your session. What do you intend to do? How will you organize it? What activities will you engage in? Please also include time estimates for how you will make use of the hour.

4)     Spend the day?

As a reminder, our conference will be April 28th from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Eastern Time. Would you be able to spend the entire conference with us? (Moderate panels, attend the closing “unconference” session, etc.) If you can’t, can you let us know how much time you could spend with us? (It is OK if you can only spend the plenary with us.)

Again, applications are due by 2/08 to Brooke Cameron at brooke.cameron6@gmail.com. I will remove all identifying information and submit to the undergrad panel. Please remember that descriptions can and should be brief. Please also make sure to clearly signal that you are applying for the plenary session.