2026 ULS Academic Summit
This past week, I had the pleasure of attending the 2026 University of Louisiana Systems Academic Summit as both an exhibiting artist and an oral presenter. This year, the Summit was held at Southeastern University, and it was glaring proof that I have not gotten any better at following directions in new places. Not even maps could save me.
But in all seriousness, I met wonderful new people, learned great things, and got to share the things I love. A win in my books.
An obligatory Louisiana Tech group photo
After an audiobook-filled four-hour drive downstate, I met up with the fabulous group pictured above, and the summit kicked off. The first evening was packed with posters, performances, and art.
Now, one glorious thing about the ULS Summit? Everyone had to win something to attend. This means that I was in the land of cool nerds and fascinating research. I quite literally watched two guys compete over who could say the most digits of pi as soon as I walked past registration. Epic stuff.
The gallery was laden with creative talent and statements that admittedly made me cry in a good way. Despite what one might think about the South, creatives here are making astounding things, just as generations of southern makers did before us.
Me, standing next to my dishware set, Tea Time for a Fairy
I got to absorb posters, music, research, and art. Events like this feel like a big coming-together of all that is hopeful; a sort of reminder that people are, and always will be, working to make the world better.
An even more lovely fact about it all is that I get to experience many kinds of fascinating research across a broad range of disciplines. Humanities and art history will always be my favorite home, but I deeply enjoy hearing about the work being done in all fields. That being said, I still cannot quite tell you what a p-value is after two days of presentations.
A little oral presentation moment from me
Pictured above is a moment from my presentation. The question period was great, conversations felt deliciously insightful, and I always have gratitude for those genuinely curious about what I have to say.
All in all, a wonerful happening of research this year.