2026 Undergraduate Conference
Midwest Undergraduate
Philosophy Conference
A gathering of emerging philosophical voices coming together to share ideas, engage in rigorous inquiry, and experience the vibrant community of undergraduate philosophy — hosted at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
Date
Saturday, April 11, 2026
Hours
9:00 AM – 4:55 PM
Host
Creighton University Philosophy Department
Welcome
A Day of Ideas
We are delighted to welcome students, commenters, and faculty from across the country for a day of rigorous philosophical dialogue and scholarly community.
This conference offers a rare and wonderful opportunity for undergraduate philosophers to share their work, engage with peers, and experience the give-and-take of genuine philosophical dialogue. We are proud to host such a rich and diverse set of papers spanning ethics, epistemology, philosophy of mind, and metaphysics.
— MUPC 2026 Organizing Committee
Conference Date
Saturday, April 11, 2026. Sessions run from 9:00 AM through 4:55 PM.
Venue & Sessions
Mike & Josie Harper Center, Creighton University, Omaha NE. Concurrent sessions in Rooms 2045 and 2046 all day.
View campus map →
View campus map →
Meals Provided View menu ↓
Breakfast and lunch are included for all participants on Saturday at Harper Center 2057/58.
☀️ Breakfast Buffet
Harper 2057/58 · 8:00–8:55 AM
Fresh Fruit, Mini Butter Croissants, Mini Scones, Hash Brown Cakes, Bacon, Sausage Links, Cage-Free Scrambled Eggs · Coffee, Hot Tea, Orange Juice
🌮 Lunch
Harper 2057/58 · 12:00–12:55 PM
Walking Taco Bar — Doritos & Fritos chips, seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, shredded lettuce, jalapeños, salsa
Fajita Build-a-Bowl — Grilled chicken or steak, cilantro rice, southwest pinto beans, sautéed fajita veggies, lettuce, cheddar, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips
Billy Bluejay Cookies · Tea
Saturday, April 11
Full Schedule
Sessions run concurrently across two rooms. Use the color coding to plan your day.
Harper Center 2045
Harper Center 2046
Morning Welcome
8:00 – 8:55 AM
☕ Breakfast Buffet
Harper Center 2057/58
Fresh Fruit · Mini Butter Croissants · Mini Scones · Hash Brown Cakes · Bacon · Sausage Links · Cage-Free Scrambled Eggs · Coffee, Hot Tea, Orange Juice, Butter & Jellies
Morning Sessions
9:00 – 9:55 AM
HC 2045
The "Performative Male": Appropriation and the Social Regulation of Identity
Kai Chill Donnelly — College of St. Scholastica
Commenter: Emily Hawley (College of St. Scholastica)
HC 2046
Artificial Intelligence is Suicide
Zachary Walter — University of Central Arkansas
Commenter: Katie Kerlik (Coe College)
10:00 – 10:55 AM
HC 2045
Algorithmic Epistemic Injustice: How Social Media Corrupts Users' Capacities as Knowers
Anna Keller — Creighton University
Commenter: Connor Graham (Creighton University)
HC 2046
Dry Taps, Overflowing Stocks: AI's Water Morality
Caden Collins — Creighton University
Commenter: Darbie Argotsinger (Creighton University)
11:00 – 11:55 AM
HC 2045
Moral Literacy and Criminal Liability: Psychopathy and the Ethics of Excuse
Ryan Luby — University of Missouri-Columbia
Commenter: Cassidy Jenecke (Coe College)
HC 2046
The Need to Recognize Fault
Sarakanti Iyer — Johns Hopkins University
Commenter: Dr. Emma Herzog (Creighton University)
Midday Break
12:00 – 12:55 PM
🌮 Lunch
Harper Center 2057/58
Walking Taco Bar Doritos & Fritos chips, seasoned ground beef, nacho cheese, diced tomatoes, sour cream, shredded lettuce, jalapeños, salsa
·
Fajita Build-a-Bowl Grilled chicken or steak, cilantro rice, southwest pinto beans, sautéed fajita veggies, lettuce, cheddar, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream, tortilla chips
· Billy Bluejay Cookies & Tea
Afternoon Sessions
1:00 – 1:55 PM
HC 2045
Harman vs. Sturgeon
Isaac Stevens — Coe College
Commenter: Corbin McElwaine (Coe College)
HC 2046
Change and Permanence: The Same or Different
Fiona Hamilton — University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Commenter: Maya Dimmel (Creighton University)
2:00 – 2:55 PM
HC 2045
Untangling the Normative Web
Jared Coleman — Fort Lewis College
Commenter: Connor Graham (Creighton University)
HC 2046
The Unstable Self: Personal Identity, Psychopharmacology, and Ethical Judgment
Ryan Inman — Creighton University
Commenter: Eleanor Harrison (College of St. Scholastica)
3:00 – 3:55 PM
HC 2045
Scientific Understanding and Ability: Generating Knowledge or Permitting Speculation?
Maya Dimmel — Creighton University
Commenter: Gus Calini (Creighton University)
HC 2046
Infinite Copies, Finite Selves: A Dignity-Based Framework for the Digital Person
Esther Lim — Brown University
Commenter: Jossy Fette (Creighton University)
4:00 – 4:55 PM
HC 2045
Forced Pregnancy and Philanthropy: Legal and Ethical Grounds for Abortion Rights
Grace Reid-Vensel — Washington & Jefferson College
Commenter: Sofie Hartman (Creighton University)
HC 2046
Deontological Ethics Without Rational Agency
Jacob Molina — University of California, Berkeley
Commenter: Noah Peterson (Coe College)
Getting There
Venue & Directions
All Saturday sessions are held in the Harper Center on Creighton's main campus in Omaha, Nebraska.
Mike & Josie Harper Center
602 North 20th Street
Omaha, NE 68178
Omaha, NE 68178
Room 2045
Second Floor, East Wing
Room 2046
Adjacent to Room 2045
Room 2057/58
Breakfast & Lunch
Visitor parking is available in lots adjacent to the Harper Center. Look for MUPC conference signage at the main entrance. A full campus map is available at creighton.edu/maps.