The Department for the Study of Religion (DSR) and the Religion Undergraduate Student Association (RUSA) will be jointly hosting the 5th annual Undergraduate Student Conference on the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 in JHB100 from 9:45am to 4pm. All those with an interest in the study of religion are most welcome to attend. This year is especially meaningful, as it also marks the DSR’s 50th anniversary — so this will be a special edition of the conference, featuring outstanding undergraduate presenters and a chance to celebrate the end of the academic year.
Schedule
| Time | Program |
| 9:45 – 10:00 AM | Registration |
| 10:00 – 10:05 AM | Welcome Remarks, with Professor Sarah Gallant and RUSA |
| 10:05 – 10:30 AM | A Conversation between RUSA Presidents, Past and Present
|
| 10:30 – 10:45 AM | Unity, Authority, and Cultural Misrecognition in Islam (Ibrahim Ahmad, 1st Year Studies in Social Sciences) |
| 10:45 – 11:00 AM | Do Animals Have Religion? Ritual and Emotion Beyond the Human (Audrey Miatello, Specialist in Religion) |
| 11:00 – 11:15 AM | Accounting for Peter’s Authority and Apostasy in Matthew's Gospel (Ethan Gill, Double Major in Religion and Political Science) |
| 11:15 – 11:30 AM | Algorithmic Idolatry: The Rise of the Digital Messiah (Sarah Naveed, Major Political Science, Minors in Religion and Philosophy) |
| 11:30 – 11:45 AM | Ambiguity and Paradox in the Feminine Divine: The Coexistence of Benevolence and Ferocity in Hindu Goddess Traditions (Kushali Vyas, Specialist in Mathematics & Its Applications and Minor in Religion) |
| 11:45 – 12:00 PM | Resurrecting Medieval Liturgy: Translating “La Seinte Resureccion” for a Modern Audience (Meagan Mellor, English Specialist; Medieval Studies Major and Lauren Saxberg, Double Major in English and Religion, Minor in Medieval Studies) |
| 12:00 – 1:00PM | LUNCH BREAK - Participants are responsible for their own lunch |
| 1:00 – 1:15 PM | Celebrities Are The New Religion: The Korean Pop Industry Proves It (Vishurdeey Sivakumar, Major in English, Minors in Drama and Creative Writing) |
| 1:15 – 1:30 PM | Ironmanning Antisemitism: What Is Antisemitic? (Hugh Considine, Specialist in Religion, Minors in Environmental Geography and GIS) |
| 1:30 – 1:45 PM | Transmissive Love and the Materiality of Guanyin: Buddhist Ethics, Family Affection, and Hybrid Religion in Chinese Immigrant Life (Sean Lim, Specialist in East Asian Studies and Minor in Political Science) |
| 1:45 – 2:00 PM | Buddha-Nature Beyond Gender: Women’s Enlightenment in Mahāyāna Texts and East Asian Traditions (Yaxuan Zhao, Specialist in Buddhist Studies, Major in Religion and Minor in East Asia Studies) |
| 2:00 – 2:15 PM | Would You Trust Norman Bates to Take Care of You? An Analysis of Luke 10: 25-37 (Valentina Cucchi, Double Major in Religion and Italian Studies, Minor in History) |
| 2:15 – 2:45 PM | RLG426H1: Religion in the Public Sphere: Community-Engaged Learning Panel
|
| 2:45 – 3:00 PM | Celebrating Our Undergraduates and Closing Remarks, with Professor Sarah Gallant and RUSA |
| 3:00 – 3:15 PM | Celebrating the Contributions of Professor Jennifer Harris, with Pamela Klassen and Sarah Gallant |
| 3:15 – 4:00 PM | Networking Reception & End-of-Year Celebration |
Conference Committee
Mohamed Alinur
Miranda Crabtree
Kaitlyn D'Souza
Tristan Gosselin
Aneri Patel
Prof. Sarah Gallant
Amy Huynh (Undergraduate Administrator)
If you have any questions, please email religion.undergrad@utoronto.ca.