What is the KPA?

The Kentucky Philological Association holds an annual conference that meets at a college or university in Kentucky, typically on the first Friday and Saturday in March. The KPA offers scholars in the region an opportunity for an intellectual gathering of peers. Papers are thoughtful and cover a broad range of topics. The best papers are carefully screened for publication in a rigorously juried MLA-indexed journal, the Kentucky Philological Review.

Is there a mission statement?

Yes, in 1995 the membership voted to adopt the mission statement that can be found here.

How long has it been around?

The 2010 conference is the 37th annual conference. The upcoming KPR is volume 24.

How can I get involved?

Attend the conference! If you're interested in providing input, please consider attending the business meeting after the session on the Saturday of conference.

Can undergraduates participate?

Yes, as long as the undergraduate student has a faculty sponsor. We encourage the sponsor to attend the panel at which the student will present and walk with the student through the process to encourage early preparation for conferences and graduate research.

What about creative writing?

Typically about 20% of the presentations are creative writing. Creative submissions must include a sample or excerpt from the works to be presented.

What's the Graduate Student Essay Award?

The brainchild of Philip Krummrich, this competitive award provides $100 to the graduate student with the best essay at the conference. The award has been around for three years.

Officers

Executive Director

Scott Vander Ploeg

scott.vanderploeg@kctcs.edu

President

Karah Stokes

karah.stokes@kysu.edu

Vice President

Peter Smith

peter.smith@kysu.edu

Secretary

Position open

Creative Writing Representative

April Fallon

april.fallon@kysu.edu

Foreign Languages Representative

Philip Krummrich

p.krummrich@moreheadstate.edu

Editor, Kentucky Philological Review

Katherine Kurk

kurk@nku.edu

Webmaster

Justy Engle

justy.engle@louisville.edu