Greetings! If you would like to get more involved in SLSA, we encourage you to nominate yourself (self-nominations are the norm) for one of three leadership opportunities, depending on where you are in your academic journey:
1) SLSA is seeking a new Second Vice-President whose term would begin at the SLSA conference in fall 2026. The Second Vice President can significantly shape SLSA’s future because this position involves a progression to First Vice-President and then to President of SLSA. Vice-Presidents and Presidents not only plan the annual conferences; they pursue opportunities for relationships with other societies and facilitate projects that fulfill the society’s goals. Their duties are described in the following passage in the SLSA Bylaws:
“Each second Vice-President serves two years in that post before moving up to the office of first Vice-President and then the post of President, serving successive two-year terms. … The President presides at meetings, conducts necessary business throughout the year, convenes a meeting of the Executive Committee preceding the annual meeting, and generally oversees the functions of the Society. The two Vice-Presidents assist the President, preside at meetings in the President’s absence, and help plan the programs of annual and special meetings. The First Vice-President is responsible for the annual conferences held during their tenure.”
2) We are seeking nominations for Member-at-Large, whose term would begin at the SLSA conference in fall 2026:
A SLSA Member-at-Large serves for one two-year term and attends the yearly Executive Committee meeting at the conference and other online Executive Committee meetings throughout the year (probably 3-4). The Member-at-Large is a voting member of the Executive Committee and has the opportunity to influence society decisions and suggest new ideas.
3) We are seeking nominations for Graduate Student Liaisons (more than one can serve simultaneously) whose term would run from June 15, 2026 to June 15, 2027:
SLSA relies on grad student liaisons to advise officers and conference organizers on how the SLSA experience could be made better for grad students, such as through conference programming or support networks. SLSA grad liaisons need to attend the four yearly Executive Board meetings (usually one at the conference and three on Zoom), where they can share students’ ideas and get to know how SLSA works as a professional society. Serving as a SLSA graduate liaison offers a good professional learning opportunity, but there is also a more concrete benefit: SLSA will waive the conference registration fee of its grad student liaisons.
If you would like to be a SLSA Second Vice President, Member-at-Large, or Graduate Student Liaison, please write a 150-word statement on why you would like to serve and how you could contribute to SLSA leadership, and send it to Laura Otis (lotis@emory.edu) by March 15, 2026. The Nominations Committee members will read all the statements of the Second Vice President and Member-at-Large nominees and let you know whether you can be put forward as a candidate for election this year. Grad Student Representatives are appointed rather than elected, so in this case, the Nominations Committee members will read the statements, make a recommendation and pass the statements on to the officers who can make the appointments.
We look forward to receiving and reading your nominations!
Laura Otis (Chair) lotis@emory.edu
Melissa Littlefield
Christina Shiea
Nominations Committee Members
