TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. Tricia McElroy, assistant professor of English at The University of Alabama, will discuss her work “The Popular Campaign Against Mary Queen of Scots” on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 12:30 p.m. in 102 Manly Hall.

Her talk is part of the ongoing Brown Bag Series sponsored by the UA Women’s Resource Center and the department of women’s studies.

McElroy will use archival evidence to examine how early propaganda exploited anti-feminist sentiment, the power of rumor and other strategies to foster the sense of a popular uprising against the queen that helped to mobilize the opposition and bring her reign to a swift end.

McElroy specializes in English Renaissance literature and has special interests in Scottish studies, manuscript and book culture and early modern political ideas. Her dissertation “Executing Mary Queen of Scots: Strategies of Representation in Early Modern Scotland” examined the form and strategy of arguments about the Scottish queen, particularly how the debate engaged issues of female rule, religious chance, popular sovereignty and versions of national history. McElroy is currently working on a book-length version of this project, as well as a new edition of satirical poetry from the Scottish Reformation.

McElroy completed her doctorate in English at the University of Oxford. Before joining the UA faculty in 2006, she taught for several years at the University of Michigan.

Each month, the WRC and the department of women’s studies sponsor a speaker, movie or other activity on topics of primary interest to UA faculty, staff and students as the Brown Bag Series. The events are free and open to the public. All members of the campus community are invited to attend and bring their lunch.

For more information, contact the WRC at 205/348-5040 or the department of women’s studies at 205/348-5782.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state's economy, is in keeping with UA's vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state's flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.