Dr. Tracy Lassiter Co-Organizes International Conference Dr. Tracy Lassiter, assistant professor of English at UNMGallup, is co-organizing a conference titled “Visual Depictions of the American West” to be held in Venice, Italy this September. By Lee Lamb, Sr. Public Relations Specialist In this ongoing pandemic, it has been difficult to imagine what the global community will look
like beyond the lockdowns, travel restrictions, and virtual world that most humans have had to interact within since the early part of 2020. With the promise of a vaccine, plans for an eventual return to normal in the later part of this year remain in flux, but there is hope that many of the hallmarks of academic life—such as attending conferences, presentations, and other in-person activity—may return by the fall, if not sooner.
Dr. Tracy Lassiter, assistant professor of English at UNMGallup, is looking beyond the COVID-19 pandemic by coorganizing an international conference, Visual Depictions of the American West, to be held in Venice, Italy, from September 13 to September 16. While plans for an in-person conference will depend on progress with the ongoing pandemic, Dr. Lassiter says that there is growing confidence that speakers and participants will be able to join together in the fall. “This conference includes members of an international cohort who have worked on various academic projects together for sixteen years,” she said. “We are prepared for it to be held virtually if necessary, but we enjoy our camaraderie and the chance to include new scholars in our network, which is fostered more readily with in-person meetings.” Dr. Lassiter also plans to deliver a keynote speech at the conference titled, “Re-Visions: New Perspective of the Old West,” which will address how
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