STILL SOME OPTIONS FOR PARTICIPATING IN ANNUAL CONFERENCE

The proposal deadline for the 2025 annual meeting of the Western Political Science Association in Seattle was on September 27. If you missed the deadline, there are still some ways to participate. Here are the exceptions to the deadline:

Undergraduate Poster Session

The deadline for the Undergraduate Poster Session is on October 30. We provide this extended deadline to accommodate schools that were not back in session until September 30. If you have promising students who are doing interesting research, please encourage them to apply. They can apply through the regular participation link here. More information about the poster session can be found here.

Panel Chairs and Discussants

There are often openings available after the deadline for panel chairs and discussants. If you are interested in serving in either of these capacities, please contact the appropriate section chair directly, letting them know of your interest. You can find the list of sections, along with contact information for the section chairs, here.

Special Events, Workshops, and Mini-conferences

The WPSA annual meeting not only offers the opportunity for traditional research presentations and roundtable discussions, but also a place for interested groups to schedule special events and workshops. In addition, if you are part of a research community that is interested in holding a meeting in the spring, we may be able to accommodate your group by coordinating a conference within the WPSA annual meeting. For information about these opportunities, please contact Richard Clucas, WPSA Executive Director, at hprc@pdx.edu.

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TRAVEL GRANTS FOR USING MASS TRANSIT

The WPSA Executive Council approved a proposal in April to provide travel grants to participants who use mass transit to attend the 2025 annual conference in Seattle, Washington. Individual travelers can be reimbursed up to $250 if they travel a minimum of 30 miles by bus or train.

The Council’s action was taken to promote and encourage low-carbon forms of travel to the conference. Flying to and from academic conferences increases the greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. Bus and train travel causes significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions. The reimbursement is designed to help lower the association’s climate impact and to encourage more climate-friendly travel.

To be reimbursed, you will need to fill out the WPSA Travel Grant Application Form (https://www.wpsanet.org/forms/travel_grant.php). We will also need receipts and documentation that you traveled to the conference by bus or train.

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FLY ALASKA, SAVE MONEY, AND HELP THE WPSA

The WPSA has signed an agreement with Alaska Airlines to provide members with reduced rates for our annual meeting in Seattle, Washington. If you book your flight with Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air, you will receive a 7% discount off the lowest published fare (the deal excludes companion and other promotional fares). In addition, the program provides financial benefits for the Association, so we encourage members to fly Alaska.

The discount applies from April 12 to 26. Unfortunately, the discount does not apply for the dates of April 12-13, April 18-20, and April 25-26, 2025. However, the Association still receives credit if you fly on those days, so please still use the discount code.

To receive the discount, book your tickets online at http://www.alaskaair.com/ and input the Discount Code when searching for flights. You can also book your flight through the Alaska Airlines Group Desk at 1-800-445-4435, though a $15.00 per person ticketing fee will apply for phone reservations. The discount code will be included in association mailings.

In addition, if you purchase an Alaska Airline ticket to attend the conference but do not use the code, please send a note to Richard Clucas (hprc@pdx.edu) letting him know. Include the names of the travelers, their ticket numbers, and flight information in your note. The Association can still receive credit for your travel.

As with any deal, there is some small print. If you change or cancel your flight after ticketing, a service charge will likely apply. The discount is available from any U.S. or Canadian city served by Alaska Airlines or Horizon Air, excluding Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

Seattle is a major Alaska Airlines hub with routes across the West and beyond, so please consider flying with it and help out the association.