Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
What Would Helen Lewis Do? Celebrating the Legacy of the Grandmother of Appalachian Studies
Session Abstract or Summary
Helen M. Lewis, known as the grandmother of Appalachian Studies, has made an undeniable mark on the region and its scholarship. This panel will celebrate the work and legacy of Helen Lewis with a mix of scholars, activists, friends, and mentees sharing stories, memories, and lessons learned from Helen’s impressive academic activism. Panelists will reflect on the multifaceted legacy of her work through an intergenerational and interdisciplinary dialogue centering on the question, “What Would Helen Lewis Do?”
Presentation #1 Title
What Would Helen Lewis Do? Celebrating the Legacy of the Grandmother of Appalachian Studies
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
See session abstract. There will also be several more participants in the panel.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Kathryn Engle is a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology at the University of Kentucky. She holds an MA in Appalachian Studies from Appalachian State University and is the Lend-A-Hand Center Grow Appalachia site coordinator.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Patricia Beaver is Professor Emerita of Anthropology and Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University. She was founding director of ASU's Center for Appalachian Studies, and co-editor with Judi Jennings of Helen Matthews Lewis:Living Social Justice in Appalachia.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Maria Hale is a graduate student in Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University. She earned her BA in Anthropology in 2013 and recently finished a graduate certificate in Archival Studies from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. Currently, Maria is researching student and faculty dissent on East Tennessee State University during the time that Helen Lewis taught there.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Judi Jennings is a native of Kentucky with deep roots in the coalfields of Appalachia The first in her family to attend college, she earned a Ph.D in British History, and is the author of books on articles on the abolition of the British slave trade. She worked at Appalshop, Inc. a media, arts and education center in eastern Kentucky, served as founding director of the UofL Women’s Center and directed the Kentucky Foundation for Women from 1998 through 2014. She currently directs the Special Project, focusing on creating weekly artmaking activities to strengthen protective factors for children and families in the visitors lobby of the Metro Louisville Jail.
What Would Helen Lewis Do? Celebrating the Legacy of the Grandmother of Appalachian Studies
See session abstract. There will also be several more participants in the panel.
