We hope that you had a fulfilling week at ISA2022 whether you participated in-person in Nashville, as part of the virtual events, or both! It was perhaps the oddest ISA on record, being held across multiple platforms, in masks (for those in-person) and at a venue that was one of the more unique ones to host ISA. With any luck at all, next year in Montreal will be much closer to “normal.”
By way of a brief summary, last week saw nearly 1,400 unique sessions across almost 5,500 participants across both in-person and virtual platforms. In some ways, the smaller group in Nashville (about 3,000) gave the feel of the “older” ISA convention that many of us remember from 20 or more years ago. Regardless, it was a real delight to get to see friends and colleagues in-person after two years of isolation.
We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to the 2022 Program Chairs, Ursula Daxecker and Cullen Hendrix, and their team for assembling a terrific set of panels and other sessions. And, as always, the (mostly) behind-the-scenes work of the ISA HQ staff made so many things go smoothly. While our wonderful staff members may seem like calm “ducks” skimming across a lake surface, they are in reality paddling furiously beneath the surface. We need to be thankful every day for that paddling! They are an amazing group and the HQ staff and the Program Team did a tremendous amount of shifting and shifting again as the year evolved.
Moreover, building and sustaining the program was especially challenging this year because of changing travel restrictions, unexpected test results, uncertainty and so much more. As a result, we are truly grateful to so many colleagues who stepped up along the way and even at the very last minute before the convention to serve as discussants for panels, JSS sessions and iPosters. That service was invaluable to so many of our colleagues and we owe you a huge round of applause for that work and your willingness to simply say “yes” when asked. This citizenship really is what makes ISA great and much more than the sum of our parts.
Lastly, starting with the end of the 2022 convention, Prof. Deborah Avant has assumed the position of ISA President. We look forward to her year at the helm and wish her the best of luck in helping to lead ISA in the post-pandemic world.
In sum, thanks for your continued involvement in and support of ISA. We wouldn’t be anything without our members and that fact has shone quite brightly this past year.
Kristian S. Gleditsch, ISA President (2021-2022)
Mark A. Boyer, ISA Executive Director