On February 25, 2026, Prof. Mark Bender, Department of East Asian Languages and Literature, gave a guest speaker presentation at the International Seminar on Folk Narratives in Indian Literary and Performative Traditions, organized by the Department of English in MLNC(E), University of Delhi, India.  The paper was entitled "Eco--genealogy and Origins in the Eastern Himalayas: A Case Study."  The topic concerned the juxtaposition of epic narratives of origin and migration among upland peoples in  Northeast India and Southwest China who share similar ecological environments.