The Women’s and Gender Studies Program (WGS) will host its eighth annual student conference from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in room 3580 of the Memorial Union Saturday.

Rose Cooney, program specialist for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Administration, said the conference invites students from every college and university across the state of Iowa to join in presenting on topics that relate to women’s and gender studies.

“This year, we have folks from six different universities that are going to be here participating,” Cooney said. “It is a student conference, so that means most of the presentations are done by students from these universities, both undergraduate and graduate students.”

The conference will feature opening speaker Jordan Mix in the morning session, director of educational programming for Iowa Safe Schools and a keynote speaker, Meggie Mapes, a professor of communication students at the University of Kansas, during the lunch hour. Cooney said Mapes’ talk will focus on carceral feminism, detailing feminism within the incarceration system.

The event is free and open to all students. Cooney said the WGS department is asking those who plan to attend to register online or on the day of the event in room 3580 of the Memorial Union. Cooney said lunch is not guaranteed for those who register the day of, but attendees are welcome to stop by for a single session, the keynote speaker or anything that sounds of interest to them.

More information on the conference can be found on the Women’s and Gender Studies Program website.