Organising Committee — Swiftposium 2024: An academic conference on Taylor Swift

Executive Committee

Dr Eloise Faichney

University of Melbourne
CHAIR
Dr Eloise Faichney is Lecturer at the University of Melbourne. Her PhD explored biofiction, authorial subjectivity and women's life narratives. Her latest publication, “‘Becoming’ and POET literary placemaking as creative methodology for writing character and place in biofiction” is published in New Writing. Eloise’s research examines historical, pop culture, and digital life narratives, and creative writing across digital platforms. She is currently working on a novel about the volatile friendship between authors, Naomi Mitchison, and Doris Lessing.
Dr Jennifer Beckett

University of Melbourne
COMMS DIRECTOR
Dr Jennifer Beckett is a senior lecturer in the media and communications program in School of Culture and Communication. Her research is at the intersection of internet and platform governance, online communities, digital hostilities, and the mental health of digital workers who moderate content.
Jen’s current favourite Taylor Swift Song is ‘No body, no crime’ (feat HAIM)
Dr Emma Whatman

University of Melbourne
PROGRAM & SOCIAL MEDIA
Dr Emma Whatman (she/her) is an early career researcher, lecturer, and writer from Melbourne. Emma completed her PhD in 2019, winning the Alfred Deakin Medal for best university thesis. Through an analysis of cultural texts for girls, Emma’s thesis argued that postfeminism and neoliberal feminism are the primary modes of feminism introduced to young people. This research is the basis of her first monograph, currently under contract with Wayne State University Press (2024). Emma’s research explores contemporary feminism, feminist history, young people, digital texts, and sex education. She is currently working as subject coordinator and research fellow in Gender Studies at the University of Melbourne.
Dr Anna Kosovac

University of Melbourne
STUDENT COORDINATOR
Dr Anna Kosovac is a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts. Her research centres on the role of cities in the global sphere. She is interested in the legacies left behind by large public events such as a Taylor Swift conference.
Dr Hannah McCann

The University of Melbourne
PUBLICATION COORDINATOR
Dr Hannah McCann (she/her) is a Senior Lecturer in Cultural Studies at the University of Melbourne. Her research is in critical femininity studies, and includes work on feminist debates on femininity, the beauty industry, and queer digital culture. Her monograph Queering Femininity: Sexuality, Feminism and the Politics of Presentation was published with Routledge in 2018. Her co-authored textbook Queer Theory Now: From Foundations to Futures was published in 2020 and is available via Bloomsbury.
Dr Rebecca Trelease

AUT University
NEW ZEALAND/INTERNATIONAL LEAD
Dr Rebecca Trelease (Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi) is a Senior Lecturer at AUT University, New Zealand. As a Reality Television fan, academic, and former participant, her PhD thesis examined the hybrid nature of the genre through the lens of taste and class, with recent publications on the romance reality sub-genre.
Rebecca is currently supervising an AUT colleague’s Masters thesis on the promotion of Red (Taylor’s Version) (Angela Asuncion, 2024). After securing tickets to the Melbourne concert, Rebecca reached out to Hannah, resulting in the tweet that launched Swiftposium2024.

Steering Committee

Associate Professor Samantha Owen

CURTIN UNIVERSITY
Samantha is the Director, Gender Equity and Inclusion (Academic Lead) at Curtin University. She is also an Academic Lead for the Curtin University Gender Research Network, which brings together over 200 researchers. The GRN aims to establish Curtin University as a centre for thought leaders in gender research, leverage and build on Curtin University’s strengths in gender research; and contribute evidence needed for the design and evaluation of gender aware policies, strategies and practices. Samantha is an historian and a gender researcher passionate about understanding communities and how they work. Her current work is on gender, safety and sexual violence. Samantha’s daughter is a Swiftie and there is a sustained commitment to Swift fandom in her household.
Kate Pattison

RMIT UNIVERSITY
Kate Pattison is a third year PhD Candidate at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia. She researches pop music fandom, with a focus on fans of Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Delta Goodrem and BTS. Her PhD research looks at the relationship between pop music fandom, skill development, creativity, and professional pathways. Kate also works as a social media consultant in the entertainment industry, through her business The Idea Cult.
Dr Philippa Chandler

MONASH UNIVERSITY
Dr Philippa Chandler is a human geographer at Monash University. She is interested in the intersections of emotion, place and community, and has explored these themes in a diverse range of contexts including COVID contact tracers, school leaders and principals, retirees in caravan parks, and bushwalkers. Prior to her academic career, Philippa worked in event-management and media, and her arts and culture journalism is occasionally featured in The Conversation, The Age / Sydney Morning Herald, and Guardian Australia.
Associate Professor Madeleine Dobson

CURTIN UNIVERSITY
Dr. Madeleine Dobson is a Senior Lecturer in the Curtin University School of Education. She is an Associate Investigator with the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, and a member of the Curtin Gender Research Network. Madeleine's research encompasses themes of gender, identity, lived experience, trauma, and more. Her work with the Digital Child focuses on the innovative use of digital technologies to enhance pedagogical approaches in early childhood environments. Madeleine's teaching at Curtin focuses on play-based pedagogies and caring, learner-centred, and creative approaches to create a sense of belonging in educational contexts. Madeleine is also passionate about creative writing, with her pieces embracing themes of trauma, survival, connectedness, and belonging through a queer feminist lens
Laura Carman McClintock

Laura is an experienced student support professional at a multi-university partner, with previous experience in casual lecturing and tutoring contracts. She has been a Swiftie since she first heard "Our Song" in 2006 at age 12. After completing her Honours, Laura presented her paper, "Serious games & GamerGate: The myth of an online egalitarian utopia" examining online gender inequality, harassment, and agency, at TASA 2015. When Taylor Swift's "Reputation" was released, Laura was on her own journey of empowerment in the UK, volunteering at her college union and writing her master's thesis, "choosing narratives of tumblr feminism: a project in queering methodology". She aspires to pursue an interdisciplinary PhD in the future, and her research interests include: intersectional feminism, queer theory, crip studies, and popular culture, using critical approaches.
Kayla Greenstien

UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Kayla (she/they) is a psychology PhD candidate at the University of Sydney, researching ethical considerations, consent and the use of touch in psychedelic and MDMA therapies. Kayla also serves on the research committee for Student's for Sensible Drug Policy. Prior to starting a PhD, Kayla worked for several years in community-based domestic abuse and sexual assault intervention services. In their work and research, Kayla is passionate about subverting power structures and highlighting the multiplicity of lived experiences. Kayla openly admits that she is not a 'real' Swiftie, but became fascinated with the dynamics of Swift fandom from watching way too many TikToks of the eras tour, and noticing the parallels with religious and psychedelic experiences.
Elizabeth Baca

CURTIN UNIVERSITY
Elizabeth Baca is a representative of the Gender Research Network at Curtin University, bringing gender researchers together from a broad range of fields of study, promoting gender research projects within and outside Curtin University. Elizabeth’s previous research has covered children’s rights, social justice, experiences of sexual violence in Australia, and caring communities. Elizabeth has a background in literary and cultural studies, professional and creative writing, social media, and photography.
Dr Jennifer Frean

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE
Jennifer recently completed her PhD in the School of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne, where she now works as the Strategic Communication Lead, Arts/Fine Arts & Music. Her academic research interests are digital communication and education, specifically learning from reading in university contexts. She likes nothing more than singing to Taylor’s greatest hits in the car with her six year old, who implores her to quiet down because she’s drowning out the music.