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Charting Our Course: Women’s and Gender Studies Student Research Conference

Charting Our Course: Women's and Gender Studies Student Conference 2026.You are invited!

The Women’s and Gender Studies Conference is an annual event held in the early Spring on the Iowa State University campus. The event was started in 2016 and has been held annually since then, except for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conference is an opportunity for Women’s and Gender Studies students, faculty, and staff members to gather and share about their impactful research. This is a student conference that is open to any undergraduate and graduate student who’s research, creative project, pedagogy or other projects focus on topics within the lens of gender, women, sexuality, intersectionality, race, or class. The conference is open to students from educational institutions across Iowa as well as the broader community. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate the power of student research and contribute to shaping a more inclusive future.

Note: Individuals with accepted proposals will be automatically registered for the conference.

Online registration for the conference is now closed. However, we are still happy to welcome attendees on-site!

If you would like to join us, please check in at the welcome table upon arrival. While we are glad to have you participate in the conference, please note that on-site attendees will not be included in pre-arranged meals.

The ISU Campanile with spring tree buds surrounding it.

This year’s conference

Join us on the Iowa State University Campus for the annual Women’s and Gender Studies Student Research Conference on Saturday, April 4th, 2026!

The why

This exciting event provides a platform for students to present their research on a variety of topics related to gender, sexuality, identity, and social justice. Whether you’re a researcher, advocate, or simply interested in these vital areas of study, this conference will showcase innovative work and foster meaningful discussions.

Who should attend

The conference is an opportunity for Women’s and Gender Studies students, faculty, and staff members to gather and share about their impactful research. This is a student conference that is open to any undergraduate and graduate student who’s research, creative project, pedagogy or other projects focus on topics within the lens of gender, women, sexuality, intersectionality, race, or class. This conference is open to students from educational institutions across Iowa and the wider community.

Key formats

Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with thought-provoking presentations, network with peers and scholars, and participate in workshops aimed at furthering the impact of gender studies in academic and social spaces. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate the power of student research and contribute to shaping a more inclusive future.

Cost and location

Anyone is welcome to attend this conference at no charge, a light breakfast and full lunch will be provided for those who pre-registered. This year, it will take place at the Iowa State University Student Innovation Center from 9 AM-4 PM.

Women's and Gender Studies Conference attendees listening to a student present.

Conference Schedule

Registration and Breakfast: 8:30 AM to 9:00 AM

Student Innovation Center: Main Lobby and Room 1118

Welcome: 9:00 AM to 9:20 AM

Student Innovation Center: Auditorium, Room 0114

Dr. Kelly Winfrey (she/her), Director of ISU Women’s and Gender Studies

Session 1: 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM

1A: From Subtext to Succubus: Negotiating Queer and Feminine Identities in Film

Moderator: Dr. Kelly Winfrey (she/her)
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 2206 

  • Andre P. (they/them), From Heteropessimism to Homopessimism: A Spectrum of 20th Century Queer Cinema, Grinnell
  • Carter R. (any), The Continued Accuracy of the Bechdel Test in Modern Film and Television, ISU
  • Natalia R. (she/her), The Female Macabre: Feminine Rage within Horror Films Using the Actor Network Theory, ISU 
  • Sofia G. (she/her), Animating Erasure: Race, Transformation, and Profit in Disney Films, ISU

1B: Erasure and Existence: Intersectional Perspectives on Land, Faith, and Gender

Moderator: Dr. Cassandra Collier (she/her)
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 2221 

  • Grace P. (she/her), Don’t TERF on Me: The Invasion of Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminists in Lesbianism, ISU 
  • Ian P. (they/them), Where Do the Cornstalks Grow: Oneida Relationships with Land, ISU 
  • Lotiful B. (Lotiful), Social Class and Minority Women in the 1947 Partition of Bengal: An Intersectional Analysis, ISU 
  • Zoey C. (she/her), Exploring Queer Jewishness as a Lens of Social Justice and Solidarity, ISU

1C: The Politics of Presence: Challenging the Boundaries of Institutional Inclusion

Moderator: Dr. Carrie Ann Johnson (she/her)
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 3204

  • Conrad D. (he/him), Redifining Labor: A Critical Analysis of Labor History’s Relationship to Care Work in America, Grinnell  
  • Elizabeth H. (she/her), Charting Our Course: From Reactive Compliance to Proactive Advocacy in Higher Education, UNI 
  • Grace Z. (she/her), Rethinking Sexual Violence: Expanding Sexual Assault Discourse to Include Male Survivors, ISU
  • Sophia K. (she/her), Charting Our Course: Rethinking Pre-Medical Pedagogy for Equitable Care, ISU

Session 2: 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM

2A: Gatekeepers and Gamechangers: Gender, Justice, and Power in the Sports Industry

Moderator: Dr. Alissa Stoehr (she/her)
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 2206 

  • Annabella T. (she/her), Who Gets to Lead? Gendered Gatekeeping in the Sports Industry, ISU
  • Ashlyn M. (she/her/hers), Whose Justice Counts? Gender, Power, and Accountability in the NFL, ISU
  • Elizabeth S. (she/her), Out of the Closet and Onto the Courts: How Acceptance of Queer Identities in the WNBA Has Empowered Players to Fight for Equal Opportunities, ISU

2B: The Architecture of Ideology: Surveillance, Hierarchy, and the Erotic

Moderator: Dr. Cassandra Collier (she/her)
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 2221 

  • Dayana G. (they/she), Parent-to-Prison Pipeline: A Case Study of the Crumbley Family Prosecution, Grinnell
  • Keilah B. (she/her), From Innocence to Corruption: The Fall of Fairness in Paradise Lost, Central
  • Rebecca Maria D. (she/her), The New Age of Feminist and Queer Theory: Erotic and Willful, ISU

2C: Biopolitics and the Body: Navigating Autonomy, Disability, and State Control

Moderator: Dr. Carrie Ann Johnson (she/her)
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 3204

  • Delilah S. (she/her), Contagious Implantation: A Foucaultian Analysis of Torrey Peters’ “Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones,” Grinnell
  • Hannah G. (they/them), Legality and Access Surrounding Gender Affirming Care for Young People in the Midwest, Drake
  • Lauren S. (they/them), The (Reclaimed) Body as a Canvas – Exploring the Interconnectivity of Art and Disability, ISU

2D: Cycles of Exploitation: Gender, Power, and the Failure of Protection

Moderator: Dr. Michèle Schaal (she/her) 
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 0114

  • Emma C. (she/her), The Vicious Cycle of Climate Change and Human Trafficking, ISU
  • Julie D. (she/they), #BalanceTonPorc and the “Freedom to Pester”: The Influence of Culture on Frances #MeToo Response, Grinnell
  • Millie R. (she/they), Systemic Vulnerabilities in Intimate Partner Violence Protection: Charting a Better Course, ISU
  • Kit N. (they/them), Resilience Narratives: Exploring How Queer College Students Describe Growth After Diversity, ISU

Lunch Break & Networking: 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM

Student Innovation Center: Main Lobby and Room 1118

Plenary Session: 1:30 PM to 2:15 PM

Student Innovation Center: Auditorium, Room 0114

Charting Our Course With Knowledge, Solidarity and Hope

Dr. Kelly Winfrey (she/her), Director of ISU Women’s and Gender Studies

Session 3: 2:30 PM to 3:45 PM

 

3A: The Medium and the Message: The Art and Labor of Social Influence

Moderator: Dr. Alissa Stoehr (she/her)
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 2206 

  • Anna D. (she/her), Butches Need Women’s Liberation Too, Central
  • Lilian A. (she/her), Beyond Disengagement: Building Ethical Consumerism in Relationships Among Gen-Z Women, ISU
  • Natalie M. (she/her), Political Power and the Representation of Jesus in American Media, ISU
  • Sydney C. (she/her), Vanguards of the Mainstream: Young Women, Queer Media, and the Paradox of Devalued Cultural Labor, ISU

3B: Strategic Shifts: Mapping Power in Policy, Press and Populism

Moderator: Dr. Carrie Ann Johnson (she/her)
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 2221 

  • Adrienne G. (she/her), Amélie P. (she/her), Annabel A. (she/her), and Tianyu Z. (she/her), Funding Resilience for Women-Focused NGOs in Iowa, Grinnell
  • Andy H. (they/them), The Road to Dobbs: The Anti-Abortion Movement from 1973-2022, Grinnell
  • Halina K. (she/her), Language, Power, and Othering: Transgender Representation in Legacy Press, ISU
  • Julia P. (she/her), Translating Masculinity in Brazil and the United States, ISU

3C: Unsettling the Narrative: Strategic Resistance in Literary and Folk Traditions

Moderator: Dr. Cassandra Collier (she/her)
Location: Student Innovation Center: Room 3204

  • Ashlee D. (she/her), Negotiating Agency in the Gothic Victorian Landscape Through the Dialogue of Estella and Catherine, ISU
  • Clair R. (she/her), A Word of Warning, ISU
  • Mackenzie T. (she/her), Unsettling the Home: Magical Realism and the Domestic Space in Ozarks Women’s Folktales, ISU

Registration and Proposal Information

  • Registration

    Students walking together through ISU campus among the spring flowers.Who:

    Students and faculty from educational institutions across Iowa, as well as members of the broader community, are welcome to attend.

    Deadline:

    Online registration for the conference is now closed. However, we are still happy to welcome attendees on-site!

    If you would like to join us, please check in at the welcome table upon arrival. While we are glad to have you participate in the conference, please note that on-site attendees will not be included in pre-arranged meals.

  • Proposal Submission

    The question and answer portion of a student presenting at the Women's and Gender Studies conference.Who:

    All undergraduate and graduate students from across the state of Iowa are invited to present their research as it relates to topics within gender, women’s and sexuality studies topics. Presentations can be creative works, panels, powerpoint presentations, or other formats.

    How:

    Fill out the proposal submission form (which also registers you for the event!). Submissions will be accepted on a rolling bases via email.

    Deadline:

    The deadline was Monday, March 23rd at 5:00 PM. We cannot wait to learn from you!

The conference will be in Ames, IA at the Iowa State University Student Innovation Center: 606 Bissell Rd, Ames, IA 50011.

All undergraduate and graduate students from across the state of Iowa are invited to present their research as it relates to topics within gender, women’s and sexuality studies topics. Presentations can be creative works, panels, powerpoint presentations, or other formats.

This conference is open to anyone and is free to attend! The event is geared towards college students. Everyone who plans on attending must register for the event. Same day registration is allowed, but food is not guaranteed.

Presenters (individual or group) will have 15-20 minutes to present their research.

There are free lots to park in over the weekend. Make sure that the lot you park in is not a 24 hours reserved lot. The closest lots to the Innovation Center are lots 3, 8, 6 and 6A. There are also limited meter spots for a fee. This map highlights the lots closest to the Student Innovation Center.

There is no registration cost. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided for attendees and presenters who register by March 27th. Those who register after are not guaranteed food.