RaAM Conference

From August 7 through August 10, 2025, a unique conference comes to Lawrence Technological University’s campus. Hosted by Hamad Al-Azary, Ph.D., the annual conference for The Association for Researching and Applying Metaphor comes to North America for the first time.

Our technological university is an appropriate site to explore this year’s theme: “Metaphor, Technology, and Communication.”

Al-Azary said, “While this conference attracts people like me who study the psychology of metaphor, it’s important for everyone to realize how common metaphor is in language. It’s so common because it influences behavior, cognition, and understanding.”

“It’s important for everyone to realize how common metaphor is in language.”

– Hamad Al-Azary, Ph.D.

Members of RaAM come from all disciplines: communication, language, psychology, and philosophy, to name a few. They’re interested in researching it as a concept but also how it is applied.

Renowned researchers top the program as keynote speakers:

• Vicky Lai, Ph.D., associate professor of cognition and neural systems, University of Arizona, who is studying “Metaphor Use in STEM Education.”

• Lettie Dorst, Ph.D., associate professor of translation and human-centered AI, Leiden University, Netherlands, who will discuss metaphor and AI.

• Bodo Winter, Ph.D., professor of linguistics, University of Birmingham, who will address language and sensory experience.

“Thanks to Dr. Al-Azary for bringing such international recognition to Lawrence Tech through this conference. That all other RaAM conferences have been held in Europe and once in Hong Kong is a testament to the importance of his work in the study of metaphor and technology,” said Patrick Nelson, Ph.D., dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.