Resources for First-Time Attendees
Presenting, Learning, and Growing — Insights from Inside MPSA 2025
by Bakhytzhan Oskeyeva, PhD student in Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Note: This blog post is Part 2 of a reflection series based on a voluntary questionnaire I shared during MPSA 2025. It gathers informal insights from attendees about what they presented, what they…
First Impressions, Real Impact — Who Attends MPSA and Why It Matters
by Bakhytzhan Oskeyeva, PhD student in Public Policy, University of North Carolina at Charlotte Note: This blog post reflects responses to a voluntary conference reflection questionnaire I created and circulated among attendees. The survey was independently designed and does not represent an…
How to Conference for the First Time: Strategy, Reflection, and Recharging at MPSA 2025
by Muhammad Hassan Bin Afzal, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Service, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga When I first visited Chicago in 2017 to volunteer for a conference and workshop, I fell in love with the city. Then, MPSA entered my life. One of my…
Fascinating Findings: Health & Politics at MPSA 2024
By James Steur, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Political science is a discipline that…
Best Practices in Discussant Roles & Interactions
By Emily Boykin, Doctoral Candidate in Public Administration at Florida State University Social science scholars continually choose to attend MPSA’s annual conference in part due to the quality of panel attendance and corresponding richness of paper or poster feedback. The role of the discussant is…
One of the…The False Promise of Conference Imposters
By Kelsey Larsen, Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida
Now that MPSA23 is in full swing, all of…
On Returning to In-Person Conferences: A How-To(-Not-Be-Awkward) Guide
By Kelsey Larsen, Assistant Professor at the University of Central Florida
We’re officially…
Last Minute Planning Chicago? You’re Not Alone
By Emily Boykin, Doctoral Candidate in Public Administration at Florida State University If you’re like me, you’re currently sitting in the airport preparing for your flight to Chicago with a preliminary plan of touring the Windy City in between panels, poster sessions, luncheons, business…
Maximizing Feedback About Research During Conference Sessions
By James Steur, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
