About
The Harry Potter Academic Conference emerged from an Interdisciplinary Honors course for undergraduate students at Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia, PA, USA), developed by Professor McCauley and Dr. Wendling and taught from 2009 to 2012. This course used the Harry Potter series as an example of Bildungsroman literature to study the often competing influences of science and philosophy/religion on the development of personal truth and meaning. HPAC was first held in October 2012 as part of the town of Chestnut Hill’s Harry Potter Weekend to provide an academic outlet for a serious – but always enjoyable – study of the themes in the Potter series.
Addressing the Hippogriff in the Room
HPAC stands with our fellow Potterverse organizations like MuggleNet and The Leaky Cauldron in condemning the inhumane, incorrect, and ignorant anti-trans and anti-queer rhetoric of the series’ author. The “toxic author” is a constant conversation not unique to Potter studies (e.g., Buffy studies, scholars of HP Lovecraft). HPAC supports and respects former Potter fans who have separated themselves from the series due to the author’s stance. HPAC chooses to create a space for what conference regular Dr. Brent Satterly calls “half-blood fan,” those who identify as queer or otherwise marginalized and feel harmed by the author’s stance but still feel a strong connection to the Potter series. Every conference since 2020 has included discussions of these issues, queerness in the Potterverse, queering the Potter series, and how scholar-fans can negotiate what has become a difficult space.
HPAC is a non-profit entity in no way affiliated with Warner Bros. or the series author.
Land and Labor Acknowledgement
Land and labor acknowledgements are the smallest, first acts of decolonization and equity-seeking. Chestnut Hill College is located at the northwestern edge of Philadelphia on 75 acres overlooking the Wissahickon Creek on land stewarded by Lenapehoking (Lenni-Lenape). We acknowledge the sacred and historical significance of these lands and waters we benefit from today. HPAC also acknowledges that this country and the city of Philadelphia would not exist if it were not for the enslaved labor of Black and Brown people. We honor the legacy of the African diaspora and the lives, knowledge, and skills stolen by violence and white supremacy.
The HPAC Board
Patrick McCauley, PhD (he/him)
Co-Founder and Co-Chair
Associate Professor of
Religious Studies & Philosophy
Chestnut Hill College
Karen Wendling, PhD (she/her)
Co-Founder and Co-Chair
Science Teacher
Merion Mercy Academy
Laurie Beckoff, MSc (she/her)
Communications Coordinator
Campaign Manager, MuggleNet
Producer, Potterversity podcast
Digital Editor/Producer,
The New York Public Library
Lauren Camacci, PhD (she/her)
Vice Chair
(and Official Conference House-Elf)
Senior Content Specialist,
Fahlgren Mortine
Hannah Yanow, EdD (she/they)
Logistics Coordinator
Program Director & Faculty, Notre Dame de Namur University
Visiting Assistant Professor, Menlo College
Inclusion and Belonging Consultant, Stanford VMware Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab
HPAC Sponsors
The intentionally small, non-profit Harry Potter Academic Conference is a labor of love and made possible by the generosity of our Board, participants, and sponsors. The Board thanks Chestnut Hill College for hosting the conference for over a decade and 45Press for designing, hosting, and supporting this magical website.
Warner Bros. Entertainment and J.K. Rowling are not responsible for this event. The Harry Potter Academic Conference is a non-profit academic conference based at Chestnut Hill College, a non-profit academic institution. The Harry Potter Academic Conference and Chestnut Hill College are not affiliated with J.K. Rowling, Bloomsbury, Scholastic Press, Pottermore, Warner Bros., or Universal Studios. No copyright infringement is intended. Built by 45Press.