Carroll College will kick off their Digital SURF Event this year with a keynote address titled "The Cloister and the Trailer Park: How My Research Became Transformative" on the evening of Thursday, April 22, 2021, by Dr. Bridget Kevane, director of Liberal Studies at Montana State University.

About the Keynote Address
How do we get from the cloister to the trailer park? From contemplation to engagement? My talk will explore how literature, specifically Latin American and Latino literature, shaped my professional life and how the limits of academia led me to the trailer parks. There is often a deep disconnect between the study of literary texts and the politics of the real world. This talk hopes to describe how and where social engagement and the humanities converge to deepen our understanding of community.

About Dr. Bridget Kevane
Bridget Kevane is a professor of Latino/a/x Studies at Montana State University. She teaches courses on the history, politics, and identity of Latinos in the United States and has published widely in the field. Bridget has long been active in Gallatin County working to create better services for the Latino population. She is a regular Montana Humanities speaker on Latinos in Montana. In partnership with Community Health Partners, she received an INBRE and Montana Health Care Foundation grant to train and mentor Latina women in Gallatin County as health advocates for their families and community. In 2019, she led students to the Arizona border where they worked with non-profits to assist migrants crossing over. More recently, she received a grant to create an English Learner summer camp for newcomer arrivals to the county.

About the Student Undergraduate Research Festival
The Student Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF) is a celebration of the research done by Carroll College students. The event occurs every April, and everyone is invited to attend. SURF is seen as the highlight of the year for all of the students doing research, and it is a wonderful opportunity for other Carroll students, Carroll faculty and staff members, and community members to see the amazing work done by our students.