The English Department’s 2026 Emerging Scholars Conference

On April 13th and 14th, the 2026 Emerging Scholars Conference took place with students from English 2010 and 2020 enjoying the opportunity to share their research with the wider USU community. There were 29 presentations with 38 presenters, as well as over 400 attendees.

This conference provides an opportunity for students to present their innovative ideas to a specific audience, introducing them to the world of academic conferences. 

“In my 2010 courses, I emphasize that research isn’t done in a vacuum, that here at USU we are surrounded by valuable research and collaboration that has an impact on issues and on others beyond our campus,” Senior Lecturer Ashley Wells notes. “So, I encourage my students to share their research at the Emerging Scholars Conference to put that idea into practice.” 

Students who were interested in presenting submitted an abstract of their research and were chosen to present at one of the sessions. One of these students was Elle Urie, who presented on political polarization and social media. They reflect, “I presented on how social media causes political polarization to get worse, and how education in fact checking and in-person argumentation can fix that.” Elle also touched on topics including how college students can talk to others about politics in a non-confrontational way. 

Elle had submitted their research, not expecting to be chosen, but was pleasantly surprised when they were selected to present. “I’ve always loved presenting in front of people, and this is a topic that I’m super passionate about that doesn’t get talked about enough,” Elle says.

Senior Lecturer Mary Ellen Greenwood reflects, “I love this event because it helps students understand their interests, writing, and the presentations afford them opportunities to share with a broader audience at USU.”