AHCT Virtual Conference 2025
We are pleased to announce that this year, along with many panels on performance studies of early modern Spanish theater, our conference will feature presentations on professional development.
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Anne Krook will present our keynote address. Dr. Krook is a nationally known speaker who frequently works with marginalized communities to promote professional development. For our conference she will focus on the timely topic “What to do when your department and your field seem to vanish?” Before our eyes, whole departments are being eliminated; as this happens across multiple universities, whole fields are withering, gradually or swiftly. What should you do as a scholar in one of those fields? This talk looks at how those fields began to offer a way of structuring courses to remain relevant to undergraduate and graduate student learning, to place themselves in cooperation with other disciplines, and to support career development of their faculty.
Special Sessions:
Dr. Bonnie Gasior (CSU, Long Beach) and Dr. Darci Strother (CSU, San Marcos) will present on Boundaries, Burnout, and Balance: A Wellness Workshop for Faculty. This will be an interactive session exploring the emotional labor of academic life and the mounting pressures faculty face—from heavy teaching loads and research demands to institutional instability and dwindling resources. Grounded in Mental Health First Aid principles, this workshop offers practical tools for recognizing burnout, setting boundaries, and implementing sustainable self-care practices. Through guided reflection and peer connection, participants will leave with a personalized wellness plan and renewed clarity on how to protect their mental health this semester and beyond.
Dr. Lynn L. Vidler (U of Colorado, Colorado Springs) and Dr. Kerry Wilks (U of Wisconsin, Green Bay) will present on
Using Adaptive Leadership to Drive Positive change: Countering Chaos and Toxicity in the Academy and Beyond. As the title indicates, this session will directly address the challenging times facing both the academy and the US in general. With more than 25+ combined years of administrative, adaptive leadership, and advocacy experience, Vidler and Wilks will give you the tools and honest answers on the most effective ways to advocate for positive change, while protecting your own well-being. Whether you tend to follow the ostrich model of burying your head in the sand or you prefer to storm the proverbial castle, using the tools of adaptive leadership can help you make progress on what matters to you most … even if it has nothing to do with your career.
Conference Dates: October 10-11, 2025
Check out our conference schedule so far! This sentence will link to the conference program page.
Registrants will receive information about connecting to all our sessions through zoom. Please register for the conference today!