Call for Papers
MATHEMATICS AND ENGINEERING
Southwest Popular / American Culture Association (SWPACA)

48th Annual Conference, February 17-20, 2027
Marriott Albuquerque
Albuquerque, New Mexico
https://www.southwestpca.org
Submissions open: September 1, 2026
Proposal submission deadline: October 31, 2026

Proposals for papers and panels are now being accepted for the 48th annual SWPACA conference. One of the nation’s largest interdisciplinary academic conferences, SWPACA offers nearly 70 subject areas, each typically featuring multiple panels. For a full list of subject areas, area descriptions, and Area Chairs, please visit https://swpaca.org/subject-areas/.

Mathematics and engineering are often confined to academic settings, yet they form the foundation of life and popular culture alike. When we examine engineering marvels in movies, books, and other media, we uncover rich symbolism and deeper meanings that reveal how these disciplines shape our understanding of the world.

Panels are now forming on topics related to all aspects of mathematics and engineering and their intersection with popular culture. Possible topics may include (but are not limited to):

• Chaos Theory
• Set Theory
• Probability
• Fractals
• Duality
• Symmetry
• Game Theory
• Civil Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Scholars, teachers, professionals, grad students, and others interested in mathematics and/or engineering are encouraged to participate. The above list of topics suggests a few possible ways to consider how mathematics and engineering affect popular culture, but it is not final. Any other approaches to discussing these areas are certainly welcome.
All proposals must be submitted through the conference’s database at https://swpaca.org/app.

For details on using the submission database and on the application process in general (including submitting proposals for roundtables and preformed panels), please see the FAQS & Resources tab on https://swpaca.org/.

Individual proposals for 15-minute papers must include an abstract of approximately 200-500 words and a brief summary of 100 words or less.

For information on how to submit a proposal for a roundtable or a multi-paper panel, please view the above FAQs & Resources link.

The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2026.

SWPACA offers monetary awards for the best graduate student papers in a variety of categories. Submissions of accepted, full papers are due January 1, 2027. More details are here: https://swpaca.org/graduate-student-paper-awards/. SWPACA also offers travel fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as contingent faculty: https://swpaca.org/travel-awards-students-faculty/.

Registration and travel information for the conference is available at https://swpaca.org/albuquerque-conference/.

In addition, please check out the organization’s peer-reviewed, scholarly journal, Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy, at https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dialogue/.

If you have any questions about the Mathematics & Engineering area, please contact its Area Chair, Heather Miller, Missouri Southern State University, miller-h@mssu.edu. If you have general questions about the conference, please contact us at support@swpaca.org, and a member of the executive team will get back to you.

This will be a fully in-person conference. If you’re looking for an online option to present your work, keep an eye out for details about the 2027 SWPACA Summer Salon, a completely virtual conference to take place in June 2027.

We look forward to receiving your submissions!