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Important Updates on WPSA 2026 Conference

Planning for the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Western Political Science Association in San Diego, California, is continuing to move forward. Acceptance letters have been sent to participants. If you have not heard from us or have questions about your participation, contact Julio Castilleja at [email protected].

Register now. If you have not registered yet, please do so soon. Knowing exactly who will be in attendance makes it easier for us to plan and to ensure all the panels are full. As we get closer to the conference, the registration rate goes up, so register soon and save. You can register here. When you register, consider donating to one of the association's endowed funds, including the Elsa Favila Travel Award, which provides much-needed support for conference travel for those who need it.

Book your hotel room with us now. Reservations can now be made at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, the conference hotel. We reserve a finite number of rooms. All the rooms filled early at our last San Diego conference, so booking now assures you will get a place. San Diego is expensive, but we are offering a good rate at a lovely location right along the waterfront. Book your room here. 

Travel grants. The WPSA has three different travel grant programs offering support for the 2026 conference. The WPSA Mass Transit Travel Grant is available to participants who use mass transit to attend the association's annual conference. Individual travelers can be reimbursed up to $250 if they travel a minimum of 30 miles by bus or train. If you are coming from Orange County or further north, consider taking the train. It is a beautiful ride. Plus, the San Diego train station is just a short walk from the conference hotel. The Elsa Favila Travel Award is open to any member who is participating in the annual conference as a paper presenter, discussant, or in another capacity that entails considerable work at the meeting. The Pi Sigma Alpha Travel Award is for undergraduates who are participating in the annual undergraduate poster session. The deadline for applying for all travel awards is January 31. To find out more information, visit this link.  

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 San Diego. 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, as well as some blackout dates). In addition, the program provides financial benefits for the Association, so we encourage members to fly Alaska. If your flight is on one of the blackout dates, you will not get a discount, but the association will get credit for it. For more information, visit this page. To get the code, contact Richard Clucas at [email protected]. We are not allowed to post it online.