Invited Keynote Presentations

Stang, S. (2023). The Pitfalls and Potentials of Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies in the Humanities. Brock University Humanities Graduate Student Symposium. March 25.

Stang, S. (2023). Identity, Embodiment, and Monstrosity: Playing as the Nonhuman Other. Culture at Play: Avatars, Players, and Others. University of Freiburg, Germany. March 10.

Stang, S. (2021). Succubi, Sirens, Harpies, and Hags: Unpacking Misogynistic Female Monstrosity in Games. Tampere University Game Research Lab Spring Seminar – Invited expert commentator and keynote speaker. Virtual seminar. April 20-22.

Watch here

 

Invited Talks

Stang, S. (2023). Re-Balancing the Triforce: Gender Representation in The Legend of Zelda. The Legend of Zelda: Exploring the Legacy of Breath of the Wild. Japan Foundation of New York Pop Culture series, Arts & Cultural Exchange Program. August 17.

Stang, S. (2023). Monstrosity and Motherhood in A Vampire Story. Brock University Department of Dramatic Arts Public Research Panel. March 8.

Stang, S. (2023). Virtual Panel (Oct 2023): Sarah Stang. CAR-PGa: The Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playing Games. October 19.

Stang, S. (2023). Sirens, Gorgons, and Harpies (oh my!): Video Games and the Reimagined Mythical Monster. Brock University Classics Department. February 27.

Stang, S. (2023). Re-Balancing the Triforce: Gender, Cross-Dressing, and Heroism. Network for the Cultural Study of Videogaming: Queer Links to Zelda. UNC Greensboro. February 24.

Stang, S. (2022). Wicked Witches, Hideous Harpies, and Seductive Sirens: Monstrous Women in Video Games. Brock Talks series. October 24.

Stang, S. (2021). Representation and Identification in Roleplaying Games. RPGs, Community, and Inclusion. Organized by Game in Lab, Asmodee Canada, York University’s Institute for Research on Digital Literacies (IRDL), and Ryerson University’s Centre for Digital Humanities.

 

Guest Lectures

“Game Research: Process and Methods” GAME-696 Games and Gamers. American University, April 19, 2024. Invited by Professor Steven Dashiell.

“Video Games, Industry Issues, and Ethical Purchasing.” SJES 5P45 Active Voice: Social Justice and Media. Brock University, March 11, 2024. Invited by Professor Karen Louise Smith.

“Gender Representation in The Legend of Zelda series.” ENG319H5 Sexuality, Race, and Gender in Video Games and Gaming Culture. University of Toronto: Mississauga, March 4, 2024. Invited by Professor Bruno Véras.

“The Monster Manual as Patriarchal Bestiary: Misogynistic Tropes of Female Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons.” GAME-696 Games and Gamers. American University, March 9, 2023. Invited by Professor Steven Dashiell.

“Gender Representation, Monstrosity, & Video Games.” RTA 310: Media Aesthetics and Culture. Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), March 2, 2023. Invited by Professor Safiyya Hosein.

“Gender Representation, Monstrosity, & Video Games.” RTA 310: Media Aesthetics and Culture. Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University), March 1, 2022. Invited by Professor Safiyya Hosein.

“Gender Representation in Video Games: Diversity, Critique, and Backlash.” LLED 565J: Digital Games, Literacies and Learning. University of British Columbia, May 25, 2020. Invited by Professor Jennifer Jenson.

“Gender Representation in Video Games: Sexy Heroines, Aliens, and Monsters.” EDUC 5863: Digital Games and Learning. York University, November 12, 2019. Invited by Professor Kurt Thumlert.

“Video Games and Representation.” COMS203: New Media. University of Calgary, June 11, 2019. Invited by Professor Nicolette Little.

“Analysing Video Games.” University of California, Irvine, May 16, 2019. Invited by Professor Aaron Trammell.

“Video Games: Alternative and Artistic Approaches.” Film 3230: Contemporary Directions in Cinema and Media Studies. York University, March 11, 2019. Invited by Professor Janine Marchessault.

“Monstrosity, Otherness, and Issues of Representation in Video Games.” Digital Games and Learning in connection with the Institute for Research on Digital Learning (IRDL). York University, February 28, 2019. Invited by Professor Kurt Thumlert.

“Representations of Violence Against Women in Video Games.” COMS203: New Media. University of Calgary, June 19, 2018. Invited by Professor Nicolette Little.

“Analysing Representation in Video Games.” Master of Teaching Program. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, January 22, 2018. Invited by Professor Cristyne Hébert.

“Video Games and Game Studies.” FILM 3230: Contemporary Directions in Cinema and Media Studies. York University, November 13, 2017. Invited by Professor Brenda Longfellow.

“Video Games: Alternative, Artistic, Cinematic.” FILM 3230: Contemporary Directions in Cinema and Media Studies. York University, March 13, 2017. Invited by Professor Brenda Longfellow.

“How to Analyse Video Games Part Two.” Master of Teaching Program. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, February 2, 2017. Invited by Professor Cristyne Hébert.

“How to Analyse Video Games.” Master of Teaching Program. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, January 31, 2017. Invited by Professor Cristyne Hébert.

“The Slippery Terminology of Video Game Studies.”  FILM 3230: Contemporary Directions in Cinema and Media Studies. York University, March 16, 2016. Invited by Professor Janine Marchessault.

“Immersion, Interactivity, Agency.” FILM 3840: Studies in Expanded Cinema: Games, Film Rides, and World Fairs. York University, January 20, 2016. Invited by Professor Caitlin Fisher.

 

Conference Presentations

Stang, S. (2024). Game Design, Motherhood, and Feminist Collaboration: Running “The Mother of All Game Jams.” Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA). Montreal, Quebec. June 15–18.

Stang, S. (2023). Teaching Feminist Game Studies. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA). Virtual conference. June 6–9.

Stang, S. (2023). Playful Cats, Chaotic Geese, and Man-Eating Sharks: Nonhuman Animal Protagonists in Video Games. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA). Virtual conference. June 6-9.

Stang, S. (2023). Missing, Murdered, or Mutated: The Portrayal of Mothers in Video Games. Canadian Communication Association (CCA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Toronto, Ontario. May 30-June 2.

Stang, S. (2023). Agency, Control, and Dominance: Player Choice as Power Fantasy in Dragon Age and Mass Effect. 73rd Annual International Communication Association (ICA), Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 25-29

Stang, S. (2022). Physical Disability and Villainy: Examining Arcane’s Ableist Tropes. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA). Virtual conference. May 31-June 3.

Stang, S. (2022). Mutated, Infected, and Misogynistic Monstrosity: The ‘Techno-Zombie’ in BioWare’s Mass Effect Video Game Series. 72nd Annual International Communication Association (ICA), Paris, France. May 26-30.

Stang, S. (2022). The Portrayal of Old Women in Video Games: Hideous Hags, Wicked Witches, and Cackling Crones. Canadian Communication Association (CCA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities. Virtual conference. May 12-20.

Stang, S. (2021). “The creature itself is nasty, but nothing really compares to the building of dread before you ever get to it”: Online player and developer commentary on female monstrosity in video games. The Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR). Virtual conference. October, 2021.

Stang, S. (2021). Vengeful Monsters, Shapeshifting Cyborgs, and Alien Spider Queens: The Monstrous-Feminine in Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots. 71st Annual International Communication Association (ICA). Virtual conference. May 27-31.

Stang, S. (2021). Sexualized Female Monstrosity: The Video Game Succubus as Pet, Monster, and Demon. 71st Annual International Communication Association (ICA). Virtual conference. May 27-31.

Stang, S. (2021). Queer Harpies and Vicious Dryads: Abject Female Monstrosity in Skyrim. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Edmonton, Alberta. Virtual conference. May 27-31.

Stang, S. (2021). “When will the world learn? Women should be in charge of everything”: Lilith as Villain, Victim, and Feminist in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Canadian Communications Association (CCA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Edmonton, Alberta. Virtual conference. May 27-31.

Stang, S. (2021). Publish and prevail: Graduate student guidance for academic publishing (Roundtable Workshop). Canadian Communications Association (CCA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Edmonton, Alberta. Virtual conference. May 27-31.

Stang, S. (2021). Mutated and Monstrous Mothers: The Abject Pregnant Body in Video Games. The Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS). Virtual conference. March 17-21.

Stang, S. (2021). Video Games and/as Representation: Teaching the Importance of Diversity in Interactive Storytelling. Modern Language Association (MLA), Toronto, Ontario. January 7-10.

Stang, S. (2020). Memory Loss, Identity Crises, and Ghostly Dreams: Final Fantasy and Player-Avatar Identification. Foundations of Digital Games (FDG), Malta. September 15-18.

Stang, S. (2020). Queer Harpies and Vicious Dryads: Abject Female Monstrosity in Skyrim. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Vancouver, British Columbia. June 3-5. (Conference cancelled due to COVID-19). *Panel Chair and Organizer

Stang, S. (2020). “When will the world learn? Women should be in charge of everything”: Lilith as Villain, Victim, and Feminist in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Canadian Communications Association (CCA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, London, Ontario. June 2-5. (Conference cancelled due to COVID-19).

Stang, S. (2020). Cyborgs, Shape-Shifters, and Alien Spider Women: The Monstrous-Feminine in Netflix’s Love, Death & Robots. Film Studies Association of Canada (FSAC) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, London, Ontario. June 2-4. (Conference cancelled due to COVID-19).

Stang, S. (2020). Mutated and Monstrous Mothers: The Abject Pregnant Body in Video Games. The Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Denver, Colorado. April 1-5. (Conference cancelled due to COVID-19). *Panel Co-Chair and Organizer

Stang, S. (2020). “Let no man hold power over you”: Lilith as the Monstrous-Feminist in Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Riverdale: A Land of Contrasts conference, Abbotsford, British Colombia. March 13.

Stang, S. (2019). Sexualized Hybrid Monstrosity: The Ludic Spider Woman as Literal Black Widow. Re-Figuring Innovation in Games (ReFiG), Toronto, Ontario. November 7-9.

Stang, S. (2019). Spider-Women, Hybridity, and Female Monstrosity in Role-Playing Games. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Vancouver, British Columbia. June 5-7. *Panel Chair and Organizer

Stang, S. (2019). Roundtable discussion: Deconstructing Silos: Creating a Conversation Between Industry and Academia. Film Studies Association of Canada (FSAC) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Vancouver, British Columbia. June 4-6.

Stang, S. (2019). Killing Monstrous Mothers: Mutated Broodmothers and Abject Reproduction in Video Games. Canadian Communications Association (CCA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Vancouver, British Columbia. June 3-6.

Stang, S. (2019). Balancing the Triforce: Gender Representation and Androgynous Masculinity in the Legend of Zelda Series. International Communications Association (ICA), Washington, DC. May 24-28.

Stang, S. (2019). Madness as True Sight in The Cat Lady and Fran Bow. International Communications Association (ICA), Washington, DC. May 24-28.

Stang, S. (2019). Interactivity. International Communications Association (ICA), Games + Communications Ante-Conference, Washington, DC. May 24-28.

Stang, S. (2019). Witches, Hags, and Crones: Old Age and Female Monstrosity in Video Games. The Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Seattle, Washington. March 13-17. *Panel Co-Chair and Organizer.

Stang, S. & Trammell, A. (2018). The Monster Manual as Patriarchal Bestiary: Misogynistic Tropes of Female Monstrosity in Dungeons & Dragons. Re-Figuring Innovation in Games (ReFiG), Vancouver, British Columbia. October 25-27.

Stang, S. & Dorey, S. (2018). Play-By-Post Roleplaying: Ludic Structures, Creative Play, and Queer Identity. Queerness and Games Conference (QGCon). Montreal, Quebec. September 29-30.

Stang, S. (2018). Body Horror as Body Shaming: Fatness and Monstrosity in Video Games. Digital Games Research Association (DiGRA). Turin, Italy. July 25-28.

Stang, S. (2018). How to Parent in the Zombie Apocalypse: Familial Bonds in The Walking Dead Video Game Series. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Regina, Saskatchewan. May 30-June 1. *Panel Chair and Organizer.

Stang, S. (2018). Vengeance, Trauma, and Backstory: Narratives of Abuse and Sexual Assault in Video Games. Canadian Communications Association (CCA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Regina, Saskatchewan. May 30-June 1.

Stang, S. (2018). Ableism, Ageism, Fatness, and the Monstrous-Feminine in Video Games. The Society for Cinema and Media Studies (SCMS), Toronto, Ontario. March 14-18. *Panel Chair and Organizer.

Stang, S. (2017). Sexy Succubi and Abject Mothers: The Monstrous-Feminine in Video Games. Re-Figuring Innovation in Games (ReFiG), Edmonton, Alberta. October 11-12.

Stang, S. (2017). Gender and Androgyny in The Legend of Zelda Series. Replaying Japan, Rochester, New York. August 21-23.

Stang, S. (2017). Sexy Aliens and Abject Monsters: The Representation of Nonhuman Women in Video Games. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Toronto, Ontario. May 31-June 2.

Stang, S. (2017). ‘My greatest weakness? Occasionally I give a damn’: Duty, Responsibility, and Morality in Jessica Jones. Canadian Communications Association (CCA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Toronto, Ontario. May 31-June 2.

Stang, S. (2017). Player Agency in Telltale Games’ Transmedia and Cross-Genre Adaptations. Film Studies Association of Canada (FSAC) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Toronto, Ontario. May 27-29.

Stang, S. (2017). The Legend of Zelda: Gender, Androgyny, and Conservatism. Popular Culture Association (PCA) / American Culture Association (ACA), San Diego, California. April 12-15.

Stang, S. (2017). Scholar Identity and Positionality in Research Practice Roundtable. Intersections/Cross-Sections Graduate Conference, Toronto, Ontario. March 10-11.

Stang, S. (2016). Video Games: Meanings and Modalities Roundtable. Future Communications Conference, December 9.

Stang, S. (2016). Gender Representation in The Legend of Zelda Series. Re-Figuring Innovation in Games (ReFiG), Montréal, Québec. October 27-29.

Stang, S. (2016). ‘This Action Will Have Consequences’: Interactivity and Player Agency. Meaningful Play, East Lansing, Michigan. October 20-22.

Stang, S. (2016). Big Daddies and Broken Men: Postfeminist Fatherhood in Video Games. Canadian Game Studies Association (CGSA) at the Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities, Calgary, Alberta. June 1-3.

Stang, S. (2016). Big Daddies and Broken Men: Postfeminist Fatherhood in Video Games. Popular Culture Association of Canada (PCAC), Montréal, Québec. May 12-14.

Stang, S. (2016). Role-Playing and Performance: Identification with the Avatar in Video Games. Intersections/Cross-Sections Graduate Student Conference, Toronto, Ontario. March 11-12.

Stang, S. (2016). Parenthood in Post-Apocalyptic Video Games. Play/Rewind Communication Graduate Caucus Conference, Ottawa, Ontario. March 3-4.

Stang, S. (2016). Familial Melodramas in Dystopian and Post-Apocalyptic Video Games. Sightlines Graduate Cinema Studies Conference, Toronto, Ontario. February 26-27.

Stang, S. (2016). Immersion, Interactivity, Agency: The Slippery Terminology of Video Game Studies. Film Studies Association of Canada Graduate Un-Colloquium, February 18-20.

Stang, S. (2015). Immersion, Identification, and Agency: How Current Discourses Are Shaping the Cultural and Academic Understanding of Video Games and Future Gaming Technologies. Future Communications Conference, Toronto, Ontario. December 11.

Stang, S. (2015). Interactivity, Agency, and Identification: The Slippery Terminology of Video Games. Future Cinema Conference, Toronto, Ontario. December 2.

Stang, S. (2015). Colourful Characters and Bad Men: The Italian-American Gangster on Screen. Film & History Conference, Madison, Wisconsin. November 4-8.

Stang, S. (2014). Outlaw on the Silver Screen: American Cinema During the Great Depression. Imagining Crisis Graduate Student Conference, Toronto, Ontario. November 21-23.