UAA graduate students and faculty from the Department of English started the Pacific Rim Conference in 1995 as a forum to present their work and ideas to their peers, faculty, visiting scholars, and the wider Alaskan community. Each year the conference organizers choose a theme, and keynote speakers from the lower 49 states, other nations, and Alaska are invited to lecture on their area of expertise and lead group discussions. Pacific Rim offers a wonderful venue in which students can experience a nationally recognized conference in the unique setting of Alaska. Perhaps most importantly, the conference involves the University of Alaska in scholarship's national and international conversation.