2023 Conference Updates
Dear ISSRNC Conference Participants:
As the new year approaches and the 2023 Conference draws near, here are some brief reminders and some exciting updates.
Conference Schedule:
Attached you will find a draft version of the conference schedule. We ask that you please review the program carefully and let us know if there are any changes that need to be made to your name, affiliation, or paper title. The program committee has made every effort possible to accommodate scheduling requests. If you find that you are unable to present when you are currently scheduled due to a conflict with your travel, religious observance, or other obligations, please let us know. Any additional scheduling requests should be sent to Amanda Nichols () by Sunday, January 8th. Please note that this version of the program is a draft and is subject to further changes. The schedule can also be found online here.
Graduate Student Paper Award – Deadline 5 January 2023:
At each conference, the ISSRNC selects one graduate student paper to receive a merit-based award for best graduate student paper. Interested graduate students should submit their full conference paper (including presenter name, title, and abstract) here. All submissions will be anonymously reviewed by the Awards Committee and the winner will be announced at the 2023 Conference Banquet. This year’s winner will receive a $500 award.
Conference Field Trip:
To conclude the 2023 Conference, we will travel to Oak Flat, the site of a struggle over a proposed copper mine near the town of Superior, AZ. Called Chi’chil Bilgagoteel in Apache, this site is currently controlled by the U.S. Forest Service, which was mandated in a controversial addendum to a 2014 defense spending bill to trade the land to Resolution Copper in exchange for less valuable land elsewhere. The proposed copper mine would be one of the largest in the United States and would desecrate a place sacred to Apache people, disrupt public recreation, and damage local hydrological systems. This land swap has not yet been finalized and faces legal and political challenges from Indigenous advocacy groups and environmental protection organizations, including an appeal to the Supreme Court on religious freedom grounds. But the movement to stop the proposed mining operation faces an uphill battle. At the Oak Flat campground, we will meet with and learn from representatives of Apache Stronghold, the Native organization leading the fight to protect this beautiful place. Charter bus transportation and box lunches are included. You can register and pay to attend the conference field trip here. Space is limited, so register now! We will likely arrive back at ASU around 6:30pm, so plan your travel accordingly.
“River Biographies” – An Experiential Art Exhibition:
We are very excited to welcome Christer Lundahl and Martina Seitl, an artist-duo based in Stockholm, Sweden, to the conference. Lundahl and Seitl have been at the vanguard of using VR and augmented-reality for creating collective experiences that bring viewers/participants into new kinds of community with one another, and also with the more-than-human world. River Biographies is an odyssey into the geology of the body as well as of the land, emphasizing that which is not human but of which you are a part. Taking the form of an hour-long session where an audience of 30 people explore embodiments of natural elements of stone and water to form a river collectively, the artwork exists somewhere between performance and a space for healing and repair. Like the life of a river is a measure of the health of a local ecosystem, River Biographies are living artworks where the shifting collective ability of the group passes through the artworks score. Each half of the group embodies the qualities of water and stone, respectively, to physically explore their relationship; the way in which stone affects the flow of the water and how water forms the topography of rock and stone, directing the water’s flow, and how both affect each other’s temporalities.
ISSRNC will host two sessions of Lundahl & Seitl’s “River Biographies” during the conference. Admission is free but advance sign up is required and space is limited. Sign up here!
Banquet:
The banquet will be held on Saturday, February 4th from 7–9pm. You can register and pay to attend the conference banquet here. This is a semi-formal event where we recognize travel grant awardees and give out our Graduate Student Paper and Lifetime Achievement Awards. We encourage all participants to attend!
Conference Accommodations and Hotel:
Arizona State University’s Tempe campus has a variety of nearby hotel and Air B&B options. We encourage you to book your accommodations early, as rates during the conference dates may be high. The connection between the Phoenix airport and downtown Tempe can be made using Valley Metro Rail or ride sharing apps. We encourage you to book accommodations within walking distance of ASU’s Tempe campus.
ISSRNC conference participants can use the following code (ASUISSRNC) to reserve a room at the Sonesta Select Tempe Downtown for the discounted conference group rate of $110/night + tax. Rooms are limited, so reserve your room as soon as possible.
Other Notes:
Conference presentations should be kept to 15 minutes unless your panel chair/moderator instructs otherwise.
We will have a table for book flyers and business cards set up in the lobby for the duration of the conference. If you would like to bring a flyer to add to the table, please drop it off at the registration desk when you check in.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to email us!
Conference Registration and Membership Deadline – Friday, December 16
All conference presenters must be registered by this deadline. Please note that the conference registration fee is separate from ISSRNC membership and that all conference participants must also be members in good standing of the society.
Presenting Online? If you applied to give an online presentation, please complete your online conference registration at the link above by December 16th.
Late Registration: The conference registration fees will increase after Friday. Please note that if you are a presenter, you need to be registered by Friday to guarantee your inclusion on the conference program.
Travel Grant Awardees: If you have not already done so, please email me by this Friday to accept your award and confirm your in-person conference attendance and participation.
Conference Schedule Updates
Opening Keynote: The conference will officially begin with the opening keynote on Thursday, February 2nd from 4–6pm.
Panels: Conference panels will begin at 8:30am on Friday and end at 12:00pm on Sunday. If there are days or times that you cannot present due to travel, scheduling conflicts, or religious holidays, please email me and let me know by Friday.
Reception: We will hold an open reception for all participants on Friday, February 3rd from 7–9pm.
Banquet: The banquet will be held on Saturday, February 4th from 7–9pm. You can register and pay to attend the conference banquet here. This is a semi-formal event where we recognize travel grant awardees and give out our Graduate Student Paper and Lifetime Achievement Awards. We encourage all participants to attend!
Conference Field Trip: You can register and pay to attend the conference field trip, which will take place after the end of the conference on Sunday afternoon, here. We are still finalizing details for the field trip and will send out a more detailed announcement soon. For those interested, please know that we will likely arrive back at ASU around 6:30pm, so plan your travel accordingly.
Conference Program
A draft of the conference program will be pre-circulated via our conference website in early January. Please be on the lookout for this announcement and make sure to review your panel information at that time. Any changes must be requested by January 15, 2023.
Additional Conference Opportunities
Graduate Student Paper Award: At each conference, the ISSRNC selects one graduate student paper to receive a merit-based award for best graduate student paper. Interested graduate students should submit their full conference paper (including presenter name, title, and abstract) here by 5 January 2023. All submissions will be anonymously reviewed by the Awards Committee and the winner will be announced at the 2023 Conference Banquet.
Experiential Art Exhibition: We are very excited to welcome Christer Lundhal and Martina Seitl, an artist-duo based in Stockholm, Sweden, to the conference. Lundhal and Seitl have been at the vanguard of using VR and augmented-reality for creating collective experiences that bring viewers/participants into new kinds of community with one another, and also with the more-than-human world. Additional information about opportunities to experience this work firsthand will be included in the next announcement.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. I look forward to seeing you all in February!
