March 2, 2023
On Thursday, April 20, 2023, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will hold the 21st annual Undergraduate Research Conference (URC) including 122 student participants and keynote speaker Jenna McElroy ‘16.
Conference registration begins at 8 a.m. in the Bowman Hall lobby followed by welcome remarks from Dr. Anna Jaysane-Darr, Chair of Undergraduate Research, and Dr. Caroyln Dehner, Dean of Academic Affairs. Paper presentations will take place in Bowman 201, 203, and 205 followed by poster sessions in Venable Gym from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. Lunch will take place in the Campus Center Gym at noon led by President James Birge who will announce the Feigenbaum Scholars recipients, followed by the keynote address.
Paper presentations continue throughout the day in Bowman Hall with a mini philosophy conference at 4 p.m. in Murdock 208. A senior art exhibit, “Liminal Spaces: The Overlooked & The Otherworldly,” will close the day at MCLA’s Gallery 51.
The URC highlights MCLA's commitment to nurturing a dynamic culture of research where students will have the opportunity to showcase the hard work they’ve done on various academic projects throughout the year.
Students will present 15-minute talks, posters, and artistic work; the URC will also include special sessions and events focused on specific themes and performances. Members of the media are welcome to cover this MCLA community event, sit in on virtual talks, and interview students and faculty members.
Learn more about the URC at MCLA.edu/urc.
About Jenna McElroy
Jenna McElroy ‘16 works in the Population Health department at Tufts Medicine with
a goal to make Massachusetts healthcare and policies more inclusive to the LGBTQIA+
community while simultaneously broadening gender-affirming care, and separately, working
towards eliminating conversion therapy nationwide. McElroy earned two master’s degrees
– Gender/Cultural Studies from Simmons University, and a Sociology degree from DePaul
University in Chicago. McElroy’s research primarily focuses on Foucauldian studies
and qualitative methodology. Being intrigued by French philosophy and the Frankfurt
School, McElroy’s first thesis and defense compared the rise of Nazi Germany post-Weimar
Republic, with the rise of contemporary fascism in the United States under Donald
Trump. The thesis analyzed how conversion therapy on LGBTQIA+ individuals was deployed
as a weapon of war in Nazi Germany, which made the existing practice in the United
States even more popular post-WWII. Contemporarily, the heinous practice of conversion
therapy thrives with the growing religious and far-right extremism in the United States,
which can only serve as a dangerous warning.
McElroy’s second thesis and defense was an extensive research project that focused on far- and alt-right social movements (groups promoting beliefs for anti-abortion, anti-evolution, flat-earth, anti-vaccinations, anti-LGBTQ, men's rights, white supremacy, and anti-climate change). Adopting an investigative approach, while bringing Foucault into the study of social movements, McElroy personally and strategically moved through these circles to understand how far- and alt-right movements co-opt "the truth" to wreak havoc in our sociopolitical sphere. While McElroy continues to pursue their research interests, they are able to now pragmatize their knowledge for the realm of public health.
McElroy has returned to Massachusetts after living in Chicago for five years and they regularly participate in activism and advocacy for a variety of reasons - including but not limited to anti-1% movements, domestic abuse, sexual assault, LGBTQIA+ rights, and through serving as an ally for BIPOC movements. Aside from this, McElroy regularly enjoys long cross-country road trips with their spouse, going to shows/concerts, oddity hunting, and having the privilege to trace their genealogy.
About MCLA
At MCLA, we’re here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught
by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive
on every level of their lives. In nearly every way possible, the experience at MCLA
is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully
empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 128-year commitment
to public education, we have fortified our commitment to equitable academic excellence.
For 10 of the last 12 years, MCLA has been named a Top Ten College by U.S. News and
World Report. MCLA also appears on the organization’s list of top National Public
Liberal Arts Colleges. Since the list was created, MCLA has risen to #33 as a Top
Performer on Social Mobility and ranks first among all Massachusetts liberal arts
schools, which measures how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell
Grants. Learn more at www.mcla.edu.
