Steven Williams had an idea of the open road at age 16, after reading “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream” by Hunter S. Thompson.

“It made me think, how do you find the American dream?” he said. “By going out and looking for it, by going out and seeing what you can find.”

Williams, along with other professors, is presenting research about different aspects of roads on Friday in Carter Hall.

The associate professor of sociology is taking the aspect of the open road, and what it means in rock and roll, to different ethnicities.

Historically, the idea of the open road isn’t the same for everyone, he said.

“It speaks to this ideology of freedom,” he said. “Something that goes all the way back to the western frontier.”

This speaker series is an all-day event, with different sessions. It kicks off with preliminary events.

Daniela Vidal, Center for Applied Research and Economic Development director, is presenting in that particular session about a topic affecting southern Indiana.

This topic is exploring the impact of I-69 on the Evansville region, one that’s already isolated in interstate relations, she said.

The presentation, “How can I-69 stop the Brain Drain in Southern Indiana,” also offers a solution on how to retain college graduates in the area.

“We’ve seen tremendous amounts of young professionals leave for jobs in urban areas,” Vidal said. “It’s a significant trend that’s worrisome for southern Indiana counties.”

Along with research presentations, a few figures in the community are presenting original works of poetry.

Marcus Wicker, assistant professor of English, is presenting work from his newest book, “Cul-de-sac Pastoral.”

“The book is about suburbia,” Wicker said. “There’s this question the speaker is asking in the poems, do I really want to live here?”

The answer is yes and no, he said.

Wicker began writing “Cul-de-sac Pastoral” last year, in a place completely different than what’s described in the book, he said.

“The book was started when I was in Provincetown, Mass., which is right by the Atlantic Ocean,” he said. “It’s the natural world, not suburbia at all.”

Wicker longed for home, which led him to poke fun at the certain things he didn’t miss from home, he said.

“It’s hard for me to write about home, unless I’m away from it,” he said.