MGA’s 2026 Interdisciplinary Student Conference To Explore South’s Natural World

Macon, GA

Gordon Johnston and Odessa Blaine

“Our South: Resources and Challenges in the Natural World” is the theme of Middle Georgia State University’s (MGA’s) 2026 Interdisciplinary Student Conference planned for April. Students and prominent guest speakers will explore environmental, cultural, and creative perspectives tied to the South during the three-day event.

Scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, through Friday, April 10, the conference will feature presentations by Mercer University professor Gordon Johnston, author of “Seven Islands of the Ocmulgee: River Stories,” and Odessa Blaine, a fiction writer whose work draws from Appalachian lore, folklore, and Southeastern regional culture. Other conference events - all open to the public - include student-led presentations and panel discussions on topics ranging from community health, art, literature, and the social sciences.

“The Interdisciplinary Student Conference provides our students with the opportunity to demonstrate their growth and abilities though thoughtful scholarship and innovative creative projects,” said Dr. Monica Miller, an MGA associate professor of English who holds the Carolyn Wynn Smalley Distinguished Chair of Georgia Studies.

“The abundance and beauty of Middle Georgia’s natural and human resources inspired this year’s theme,” she said. “From inquiries into the rich history of the Muscogee people, to environmental concerns and efforts at conservation, to the production of literature in which authors revel in natural experiences of the area, the theme includes various disciplines. Our South is multitudinous, and we are happy to celebrate it.”

Johnston will deliver the conference’s keynote address, “Horizon Lines — A Writing Life,” at 11:30 a.m. Friday, April 10, on the Macon Campus. Johnston’s book, published by Mercer University Press, was a finalist for the 2025 Townsend Prize in Fiction. Johnston is also co-author, with MGA’s Dr. Matthew Jennings, of “Ocmulgee National Monument: A Brief Guide With Field Notes.”

Blaine will present a virtual plenary session titled “Southern Appalachian Roots: Storytelling in Film and Writing” at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8. She will discuss how environment and culture shape creative work and will screen her short film “And the Moon Sees Me.” Her debut novel, “Where the Roots Tangle,” is scheduled for release in fall 2026 from Mercer University Press.

Conference events are planned across MGA’s campuses. More information, including a full schedule, is available at www.mga.edu/arts-letters/events/interdisciplinary-conference.php

February

MGA’s 2026 Interdisciplinary Student Conference To Explore South’s Natural World