Maddie Kerr
Please provide the tile and a brief summary of your research/conference presentation.
My presentation, which summarized the full-length paper that I wrote from this research, was called “Invisibilization Under the Microscope: Experiences of PhD Students with Chronic Illness.” As the title suggests, my research explored the healthcare, social, and academic experiences of PhD students who identified as having a chronic illness or chronic health condition. I used a case study approach, drawing on qualitative interviews with 16 participants. Broadly, my findings centered around how participants described their simultaneous sense of invisibility and hypervisibility around chronic illness in a university context. This pattern extended across many participants’ interpersonal interactions, experiences with institutional systems (e.g., medical leave, accommodations), and understandings of embedded cultural norms and power relations within academia. In my paper and presentation, I also identified several concrete ways that academics can create more accessible, anti-oppressive PhD environments, based on participants’ narratives. This made it especially exciting to share my findings with an audience of higher education researchers and practitioners who wanted to learn about supporting this particular group.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
I began with a broad interest in how disability is constructed and treated within academia, particularly after reading about the concept of “academic ableism.” This concept describes the ways in which structures and practices in higher education often marginalize disabled people, regardless of conscious intentions. A lot of research on disability in academia has focused on undergraduates, with a growing body of literature exploring faculty experiences, but I found very little work that centered PhD students. I thought this was a critical gap, given that PhD programs operate as an important gateway to academic careers. The focus on chronic illness specifically came from my interest in exploring healthcare access as part of accessibility in higher education. Chronic illnesses are distinct in that they often necessitate ongoing medical support, but conversations about disability access in higher education often just focus on the classroom.
What conference(s) did you present at and how did you find out about them?
I presented at the American Education Research Association’s 2024 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. I was fortunate to learn about the opportunity from a mentor (formerly at the Office of Undergraduate Research!) with expertise in research on higher education. Having this mentor’s support throughout the whole process definitely helped me have a positive experience with the conference.
What was it like presenting at a conference? Anything that you didn’t expect?
My presentation was a paper session, which meant that I gave a 15 minute talk to an audience as part of a small panel. To be honest, I was terrified for this presentation for weeks leading up to the conference. What gave me the ability to not only give my talk but also communicate in a way that I felt proud of was remembering the purpose of research (in my opinion) – that is, to share it with others to help drive material, justice-oriented change. One thing I didn’t expect was the overwhelmingly supportive and engaged response that my presentation was met with. As an undergraduate, I wasn’t sure how I would interact with an audience of more advanced scholars and professionals, but they really treated my ideas with earnestness.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in presenting at a conference one day?
First, try to push back against any imposterization that you feel – you have valuable ideas to share, and you’re worthy of giving yourself this opportunity. I never thought I would be capable of this kind of presentation, but having this chance to push myself showed me that being afraid and uncomfortable isn’t the same thing as being unable or undeserving. Second, don’t be afraid to draw upon your support network throughout the whole process, from identifying a conference, crafting your submission, using the submission portal, registration/logistics, practicing your presentation, and navigating the conference itself. Conferences can be intimidating, but having guidance from your professors, academic advisors, OUR staff, peers, and family can make a huge difference.
Here’s a link to the slides that I presented during my talk!: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16AhBEngMg–gr9Xj-1LsnpzpatuVPMupARn0X1c-2gU/edit?usp=sharing
What was a memorable interaction that you had on campus this week?
More of an observation than an interaction, but I’ve seen so many tiny dogs in little sweaters being walked around recently and it brings me so much joy.