Hosted by EKU every two years, the Living with Animals Conference focuses on our ever-present relationships with animals examined through the arts and humanities, sciences, and applied fields. The event takes place on EKU’s Richmond campus, located in Richmond, Kentucky, just south of Lexington, “The Horse Capital of the World.”
Organized by Robert W. Mitchell, Radhika Makecha, and Michał Piotr Pręgowski, the theme of this year’s conference is Negotiation, addressing a variety of topics relevant to animals: human-animal co-existence, mutualism, play between species, coordination between and within species, nonverbal communication and behavior, and human-human disagreements and conversations about animals.
“Living with Horses,” co-organized by Gala Argent and Jeannette Vaught is a continuing conference within the Living with Animals conference. We are also hoping to attract presenters on the theme of “Living with Insects,” to draw attention to the precarious nature of so many insects in the world today.
This conference will be presented in a hybrid format, with some contributions delivered online.
Keynote Speakers
- Jane Alexander
- Additional Keynote Speakers to be announced
Registration
All conference registrations include lunch Thursday (March 11) and Saturday (March 13), but not Friday (March 12), and conference dinner will be provided on Saturday (March 13).
Lodging
The conference hotels are the Best Western, Quality Inn, Comfort Suites, and Hampton Inn. All three are located off I-75, exit 87. The Best Western is located on the east side, and the Quality Inn, Hampton Inn, and Comfort Suites are located on the west side, near the Starbucks. EKU will provide conference shuttle service from these hotels. Shuttle service will not be available to other lodging providers.
Best Western
100 Eastern Bypass, Richmond, KY 40475-2302
Comfort Suites Richmond
2007 Colby Taylor Dr, Richmond, KY 40475
Hampton Inn by Hilton
1099 Barnes Mill Road, Richmond, KY 40475
Quality Inn
2006 Colby Taylor Dr, Richmond, KY 40475-8678
Call for Papers and Abstracts
If you would like to present at the Living with Animals conference, please send 200-400 word abstracts and CV to livingwithanimals@eku.edu by Tuesday, December 15, 2026.
If you would like to present at the Living with Horses conference, please submit your abstract to ALL THREE of these emails: gala@me.com, jvaught@calstatela.edu, & livingwithanimals@eku.edu.
All abstracts should be single spaced. Reference to existing bodies of work may be made. All abstracts should be arranged as follows:
- First line: title of the talk
- Next line(s): authors’ names, positions, affiliations, and email addresses
- Next line: blank
- Next Line: text of the abstract
- Next Line: Is this an individual, poster, or panel discussion?
- Attach to abstract on a separate sheet: a one-page CV of your most relevant work and experience.
Please also indicate if you are submitting an individual talk, poster, full panel, roundtable discussion, or a different form of presentation . Posters are an excellent way to present scientific and artistic works and allow engagement with conference attendees. Posters will be presented during lunch on Saturday, March 13, 2027.
You will be notified by January 15, 2027 as to whether or not your abstract has been accepted.