Lisa Perdigao's Statement

Lisa K. Perdigao is an Associate Professor of English at the Florida Institute of Technology. Her research and teaching interests are in the areas of American literature, young adult literature, television, film, and Florida culture. In cultural studies, she has published articles on Florida/Disney studies and the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dollhouse, and Community. She has pieces forthcoming this year on several films and series, including Nolan’s Memento and Inception, Burton’s Big Fish, Whedon’s Firefly and Serenity, ABC’s Once Upon a Time, and NBC’s Grimm. She has developed a curriculum in cultural studies at Florida Tech, designing courses in television, film, and film/television adaptation that she teaches each semester.

Perdigao first joined NeMLA in 2003 while in the Ph.D. program at Northeastern University, and, despite a migration south, she has attended every NeMLA convention for the past twelve years. In addition to chairing sessions and presenting papers, she has worked with NeMLA’s Board in a variety of roles, starting as the elected representative from the Women’s and Gender Studies Caucus (2006-2009), working with the WGSC officers and Board members to promote the Caucus’ membership and activities. She later served as the caucus liaison to the Executive Board (2010-2011), promoting the interests of all the caucuses—WGSC, Graduate Student, LGBTQ, and CAITY. Most recently, Perdigao served as the Special Programs Coordinator (2012-2013), planning, advertising, and overseeing special events for the 2013 convention. 

The Culture and New Media Studies area is a particularly dynamic one. In all the years of her work with NeMLA, Perdigao has focused both on programming and on the vitality of the individual communities within the whole organization, and she will bring that experience and commitment to the area director’s position. She plans to work with board members, for example, to promote workshops in the digital humanities, grant opportunities involving new media, and special sessions/guest speakers in adaptation, graphic novels, and visual culture, in addition to helping NeMLA continue to grow with new media.