Connections Conference 2025: Landscapes

The UC Davis English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) is hosting its third annual student-led Connections Conference under the wide-ranging theme of “Landscapes.” Connections 2025 examines the concept of landscape in its broadest sense—not only as physical terrain but also as a cultural, social, and political construct. We are excited to present creative and scholarly work, research, and collaborations from undergraduates, graduates, and emerging scholars of all levels. Held in Walker Hall at UC Davis on April 18, 9:00 am - 4:30 pm, this all-day conference will feature panels and roundtables, creative exhibits, interactive events, opportunities for involvement in student organizations, and conference awards.

This year’s keynote talk, “Decolonization and the Language of Landscapes,” will be given by Dr. Claire Napawan, Professor of Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design at UC Davis. Claire Napawan is a landscape architect, urban designer, and academic who has designed and studied urban environments for over 15 years. Her research and creative work includes co-design methodologies to achieve community resilience to climate change. Examples of her design and research include: Smart Sidewalks, the winning proposal for Reinventing Payphones in New York City, which seeks to address the digital divide and improve urban environmental resilience; #OurChangingClimate, a research and design project that broadens and diversifies climate conversations; FOGWASTE, a public art installation that seeks to bring greater awareness of San Jose’s vital infrastructures to local communities; and The Alameda Creek Atlas, a selected proposal for the Resilient by Design Bay Area Challenge that looks at unlocking flows of sediment, people, and fish. These projects represent award-winning proposals, commissioned by local municipalities, and/or exhibited at notable venues throughout the U.S.

Click here to go to the Connections Conference website and learn more about this year's programming as well as our past conferences.

Conference registration confirms your attendance and is free for all participants, presenters, and general attendees in the community. We highly encourage you to attend for as much of the day as you can and take part in all of the conference’s programming!

Please note the two ticket options on Eventbrite for registration:

1. Conference Registration (with lunch): Select this option to reserve a lunch ticket in addition to general attendance. Breakfast is still included for all attendees.
2. Conference Registration (no lunch): Select this option to register for general attendance but WITHOUT a lunch ticket. Breakfast is still included for all attendees.

We recommend choosing the ticket option “with lunch” if you are certain you will be staying during the lunch hour. If you aren’t sure, we suggest choosing the “no lunch” option and changing your ticket later if/when you confirm your lunch attendance.

Attendees may also walk in and register on the day of the event, but we highly suggest registering here on Eventbrite in advance to guarantee your attendance and a lunch ticket, if desired.

Location: Walker Hall, 300 Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616

Parking: We recommend parking in the UCD Visitor Parking Lot 5 on Old Davis Rd or in the Quad Parking Structure near the Memorial Union. Both lots are about a 10-minute walk from Walker Hall. Parking cost for visitors is $17 on weekdays and can be paid using AggiePark via the AMP Park app, or a day-use permit may be purchased from the permit machine at the Gateway Garage. For more details about visitor parking at UC Davis, please visit: transportation.ucdavis.edu/visitor.

Other Transportation: The UniTrans bus system operates throughout the city of Davis from roughly 7 am to 8 pm on Fridays. Various lines pick up and drop off at either the Memorial Union (10-minute walk from Walker Hall) or the UC Davis Silo (5-minute walk). A single ride fare costs $1.50 and can be paid in exact amount cash on the bus or through the ZipPass mobile app. For more information about UniTrans routes and fares, please visit: https://unitrans.ucdavis.edu.

See below the schedule of events in brief. The digital program and full conference schedule (with panels and specific locations) will be available on the Connections Conference website after March 31.

8:15 - 9:00 am // Registration and breakfast

9:00 - 9:15 am // Opening remarks and welcome

9:30 - 10:30 am // Keynote: Dr. Claire Napawan, “Decolonization and the Language of Landscapes”

10:45 - 12:00 pm // Session I

12:00 - 1:00 pm // Lunch

1:15 - 2:30 pm // Session II

2:45 - 4:00 pm // Session III

4:15 - 4:30 pm // Closing Remarks + Awards

For questions and inquiries about how to get involved with Connections 2025, please reach out to the conference organizers and 2024-2025 EGSA Co-chairs, Stacey Baran ([email protected]) and Yasmin Mendoza ([email protected]).

Event Venue