Early September Newsletter
This is the MAPACA Newsletter for early September. Our next Annual Conference will take place November 6-8 in Philadelphia, PA.
In this newsletter, we have:
2025 Divine Impact Award - Cherri Gregg
#MAPACA2025 Annual Conference news - early registration ends 8/31 and hotel information!
Call for Proposals for our high-density Popular Culture Crash Course
Important dates
2025 Divine Impact Award - Cherri Gregg
The winner of the 2025 Divine Impact Award (DIA) is Cherri Gregg! Celebrate with us at #MAPACA2025! The DIA recognizes outstanding creative or scholarly achievement in the production, performance, or scholarly consideration of popular and/or American culture that exhibits exceptional contribution, longevity, originality, and impact.
Cherri Gregg is co-host of Studio 2, the flagship daily radio news program on WHYY, Philadelphia’s NPR station. She is also the executive producer and host of Emmy Award winning “Good Souls Project,” WHYY’s effort to highlight individuals serving as role models for compassion, generosity and service. Prior to her current position, Cherri covered civil rights, social justice, race and public affairs issues impacting marginalized communities, spending nearly a decade on air at KYW Newsradio and CBS 3 Eyewitness News. Cherri, who is also a licensed attorney, is a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Law & Justice Journalism Project, a non-profit focused on shifting the journalism narrative around public safety, crime and justice. She is the founder of Create Genius Media, LLC, an ideas focused firm. Its mission is to expose injustice, educate and empower communities. Cherri believes in speaking truth to power and manifesting the best of what life has to offer.
#MAPACA2025 conference news
2025 Annual Conference
November 6-8, 2025
Philadelphia, PA
Early registration for this year’s conference will end August 31! Early registration rates are the lowest of the year. Registration rates will increase 9/1, so register now and save!
The Annual Conference will be returning to the Sonesta Philadelphia Rittenhouse! Reserve your room for #MAPACA2025 today via this link! You may also call 1-800-SONESTA.
The base rates for hotel rooms are $183 for single and double occupancy, $193 for triple or quad occupancy + 16.36% local tax (subject to change without notice).
Call for Proposals for our high-density Popular Culture Crash Course
MAPACA seeks proposals for a special session at the 2025 annual conference. Please note: You are allowed to present at the Crash Course whether you are already presenting at our 2025 conference or not. As long as you register for the conference and your proposal is accepted, you are welcome!
Panel overview
This high-density session will feature several 5-minute micro-presentations about current popular culture topics in a “crash course” about new and interesting phenomena. Since many attendees often spend the majority of their conference time attending presentations related to only one or a few areas, this special session will offer a chance to learn about a diverse range of topics meant to inform popular culture scholars beyond their specific research interests. Proposals will be selected based on merit and diversity of topics.
Topics
An ideal topic will be: current, significant, interesting, and the sort of thing people discuss before class/at parties/on social media. Examples could include (but are not limited to):
Public interest in viral moments like the Coldplay "kiss cam"
KPop Demon Hunters
Labubu
"Stomp-clap-hey" music and the worst song discourse
The TikTok (un)ban
Insert your great idea here
How to submit
Email a brief biography and a 75-word proposal that includes a presentation title, explanation of the topic, and identification of significance for contemporary popular culture research. (Please include this information in the body of your email, not as an attachment.) Email Dr. Tom Grochowski at crashcourse@mapaca.net. Deadline: September 4, 2025.
Important dates
Early Registration - Now - August 31
Crash Course proposals due - September 4
Regular Registration - September 1 - September 30
Late Registration - October 1 - October 15
November 6-8, 2025 - MAPACA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, PA