On September 23rd and 24th, 2011 the College of Educational Studies and the School of Law will co-host the First Annual Emerging Scholars Conference. The conference will explore issues of disability, diversity, and human rights in education, the social sciences, humanities, and law. There will be paper presentations by emerging scholars—including doctoral students, law students, new faculty and researchers in education and law—who will present their research in the rapidly growing field of interdisciplinary studies.

There will also be several Keynote Speakers. The first on Friday will be Dr. Laura Rothstein, Professor of Law and Distinguished University Scholar at the University of Louisville. The second keynote speaker will be on Saturday and is Dr. Alfredo Artiles, Professor of Culture, Society & Education at Arizona State University.

On Friday evening the documentary Wretches and Jabberers will be shown followed by a Q&A with the actors in the documentary, Larry Bissonnette and Tracy Thresher. Wretches and Jabberers follows Larry and Tracy, two men with autism, as they embark on a global quest to change attitudes about disability and intelligence. At each stop, they dissect public attitudes about autism and issue a hopeful challenge to reconsider competency and the future. From beginning to end, Wretches and Jabberers inspires viewers with a poignant narrative of personal struggle that rings with intelligence, humor, and courage.

For more information about the Emerging Scholars Conference and to register please visit the webpage at http://www.chapman.edu/EmergingScholars2011/