A Message from Scott Henderson
2009-2010 President of MAPACA
On behalf of the board and members, I welcome you to the Mid-Atlantic
Popular/American Culture Association. Here is a place where you will
find scholarship covering an array of interests, often cutting across
disciplinary boundaries in exciting and innovative ways.
While MAPACA is one of the largest of the regional branches of the PCA/
ACA, it has always retained an intimate and welcoming feel. We host an
annual conference that is one of the friendliest and most diverse
around, and one that attracts participants not only from the Mid-
Atlantic states, but from throughout North America and around the
globe. It has truly become an international gathering. Past
conferences have been fantastic, most recently in Boston, and before
that in Niagara Falls as we ventured across the border and into Canada
for the first time. Coming up is our 2010 conference in Alexandria,
Virginia in the DC region. This will provide an opportunity to savour
the delights of the historic old town while being in close proximity
to the vibrancy and history of the nation’s capital. With a wide range
of Areas, there is something for everyone at the conference. Attendees
include new and experienced scholars, as well as practitioners from
outside of academia, all of whom find common ground and receptive
audiences for their work. The annual conference serves as a great
place for up and coming scholars as well as established scholars to
meet and share ideas. Events, including a welcoming reception and a
Saturday evening closing dinner, provide the opportunity for
socializing and networking. Many a successful academic project has had
its origins at our conference.
Of course, the strength of any organization is its people, and MAPACA
is no different. We benefit from many who volunteer their time to
MAPACA, including a strong, engaged board, our valued and dedicated
Area Chairs, and the many conference participants who are willing to
share their work and ideas with us. We are presently working on
expanding our reach beyond the conference; updating our website and
making use of social media as a means of engaging more actively with
our members throughout the year. We want to find ways to most
effectively employ the experiences of our many members so that they
can share ideas about topics such as research, job-hunting, teaching,
publishing and so forth.
Feel free to contact me, or any of our board members, with any ideas
or thoughts you have. It is the input of our members that enriches our
organization and contributes to our growth and success. I am honoured
to be able to serve as your President and look forward to an enjoyable
year and another vibrant conference in Alexandria.
Sincerely,
Scott Henderson
Associate Professor
Communication, Popular Culture and Film
Brock University
St. Catharines, Ontario Canada
shender@brocku.ca
