Lexa Murphy, dean of the College of Communication, welcomes participants to the DePaul Pop Culture Conference.
Stephanie Grau, graduate assistant, and volunteer Stephanie Crean double-check the charity silent auction.
Guest speakers Dylan Pank, left, and John Caro discuss the role of the scientist in time travel narratives.
Keynote speaker Caroline M. Yoachim answers a question while conference organizer Dr. Paul Booth looks on.
Attendees of the DePaul Pop Culture Conference study the day's program.
Books and T-shirts were among the items available for purchase, with proceeds benefitting this year's conference charity, Inside Circle.
Conference participants take a moment to look through the items up for bid during the silent auction.
Keynote speaker Jana Sinyor discusses time travel in therapy at the DePaul Pop Culture Conference.
(Photos by Erick Quezada/DePaul University)
DePaul's College of Communication hosted the 10th annual Pop Culture conference last month on the Loop Campus. This event brings together fans, scholars and media makers from around the world to engage in a conversation about popular culture and cult media.
Each year, the conference theme reflects a pop culture moment. This year's theme, "A Celebration of Time Travel," explored such topics as "Doctor Who and Star Trek: Icons of Time Travel"; "Time Travel in Education; Writing and Reading Time Travel"; and "The Dynamics of Time Travel on Television."
Keynote speakers included Caroline M. Yoachim, author of the short-story collection "Seven Wonders of a Once and Future World," discussing "The Psychology of Time Travel Stories: Understanding Our World by Changing the Rules"; Ron Mallett, professor emeritus of physics at the University of Connecticut, on "The Real Science of Time Travel"; and Jana Sinyor, creator of the TV series "Being Erica."
Since 2014, keynote speakers nominate a charity to benefit from the conference's silent auction, donations, and baked-good and T-shirt sales. This year, more than $500 was raised for Inside Circle, a nonprofit that builds transformative environments for justice-involved youth and adults to heal, find purpose and build meaningful lives of service.
Next year's Pop Culture conference will take place on May 4, 2024. Most pop culture fans can guess what next year's theme will be!