Three undergraduate English students and two alumni recently presented their thesis research at the interdisciplinary Mid-Atlantic Popular and American Culture Association (MAPACA) annual conference in Atlantic City, NJ. For several presenters, MAPACA was their first regional scholarly conference.
Breanna Guinta, English undergraduate student, presented on her departmental honors thesis on Nathaniel Parker’s Willis’s travel essays from France during the 1832 cholera pandemic. The essays were published out of the chronological order in which Willis composed them, but Guinta sequenced them by composition date. Doing so showed that Willis fraudulently visited a Parisian hospital and saw dozens of dying and dead patients, which traumatized him. His subsequent essays show signs of PTSD but also provided him with an early form of writing therapy.
Guinta remarked, “It was an amazing experience to present at a regional conference attended by students, professors, and scholars from other parts of the world.” She said she benefited from how her audience responded to her presentation, adding, “they were engaged and were able to connect the 1832 cholera pandemic to the recent COVID-19 pandemic,” a connection she intends to pursue in future research.
Meghan Reilly, English undergraduate student, presented on a portion of her Honors School thesis on Judith Ortiz Cofer’s book “Silent Dancing,” which describes Cofer’s adolescence in Puerto Rico and Paterson, NJ. Drawing on postcolonial cultural studies, Reilly’s linguistic analysis showed how Cofer uses typographical and rhetorical strategies to normalize Spanish terminology for English-only readers, which builds bridges between cultures and illustrates the author’s hybrid identity.
Reilly said, “This was a great experience to talk in front of listeners outside of the Monmouth community and work on building upon my experience and professional development. The conference also allowed me to speak further on a part of my thesis that I have not yet presented, and to think about its content critically.”
Ashley Zingillioglu, English undergraduate student. presented on her Honors School thesis, an interactive social story to teach interpersonal skills to students with autism. She explained her game’s development process from writing a dialogue script and developing a wireframe outline, to coding with the JavaScript library p5.js and the text-to-image AI service Midjourney, ending by demonstrating her partial prototype.
“Presenting at this interdisciplinary regional conference was a big step for me, as my only prior experience with presenting was in a classroom,” Zingillioglu said. “The conference gave me a first-hand exposure to presenting my ideas in a professional setting. It provided a supportive environment for me to show my project’s early steps to a curious audience of professors and graduate students, They were eager to help me see my vision come to fruition. I felt privileged, honored, even ecstatic!”
A recent alumna, Nicole Mautone ’24, was invited to present her award-winning Honors School thesis on the visual novel “Doki Doki Literature Club!” Her semiotic analysis showed how the early parts of the novel feature three sign systems—Visual, Auditory, and Written Language—that establish expectations of an anime-style dating simulation. These expectations are then subverted in a key moment that creates psychological horror. “I still have so much love for my topic so it is always exciting to be able to talk about it again,” Mautone reflected. “I was able to take my research and work that I did at Monmouth and share it with others. I am always excited to be able to share my work with new audiences.” She is currently pursuing a graduate degree at Montclair State University.
Also presenting was Bill Elwell ’19, adjunct professor in the Department of History and Anthropology, who spoke about his ongoing research into the interrelationship of railroads, tourism, and commuters at the Jersey Shore. While railroads created and shaped the Shore’s development as a tourist destination, they were able refocus to commuters, redefining themselves and the Jersey Shore as a whole. Specifically, he explained the role of railroads in the development of Atlantic City as a resort. Elwell said that “presenting for an academic conference was enlightening and a great way to hone works to different audiences while networking with people in and out of my field,” adding, “it was an honor to join the Monmouth contingent in speaking at MAPACA in Atlantic City.”
Another Monmouth presenter at the conference was Stanley S. Blair, Ph.D., associate professor of English, who presented on his research in Frank R. Stockton’s 1879 novel “Rudder Grange” and its connections to Sandy Hook and Highlands, NJ. Serving as academic advisor and/or thesis director for the four students, Blair recruited the Monmouth contingent to MAPACA and coached them through the entire process from initial proposal abstracts to final conference presentations.
“Academic advising and professional mentoring are a distinctive feature of a Monmouth University education. Advising and mentoring enable students’ personalized learning and their professional development in the direction of their post-graduation success,” Blair noted. He said he appreciated his department’s support of its students and was moved by the five presenters’ enthusiasm and gratitude.
Elwell added, “It was incredible experiencing what Monmouth students have to offer the academic world, and the breadth and scope of each student’s presentation is testament to the Monmouth community and its support.”
