83rd Annual Midwest Political Science Association Conference
Thursday, April 23 through Sunday, April 26, 2026
Hybrid Format: In Person at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago, IL or Online
All Panels/Paper Sessions, Roundtables, Lightning Talks and Working Groups will Feature a Hybrid Format (for In-Person or Virtual Participation). Undergraduate Poster Sessions will be In Person Only.
Conference Program Co-Chairs:
Bethany Lacina, University of Rochester
Cecilia Hyunjung Mo, University of California-Berkeley
Learn more about the conference. Sign up here to receive email communications about the conference.
Plan to Attend a Meeting or Reception
Mark your calendar and plan to attend these 83rd Annual MPSA Conference meetings, receptions and events. Room names and locations will be available closer to the event in both the online conference program and in the conference app. Please note that many events are available for in-person participation only, although some may offer a virtual option.
Wednesday, April 22 |
|
| 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | MPSA Pre-Conference Workshop Causal Inference Using R for Political Scientists* |
| 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | MPSA Pre-Conference Workshop Text Analysis in the Age of Generative AI: Recent Insights and Innovations* |
Thursday, April 23 |
|
| 7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | MPSA Networking Lounge Hours |
| 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Complimentary Coffee |
| 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Midwest Women’s Caucus for Political Science Lounge |
| 9:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Exhibit Hall Hours |
| 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Complimentary Coffee in the Exhibit Hall |
| 12:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | MPSA Executive Council Meeting & Luncheon** |
| 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | MPSA Ombuds Open Office Hours |
| 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. | MPSA Executive Committee Open Office Hours for Attendees |
| 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | First-Time Attendee Networking Event and Tour* |
Friday, April 24 |
|
| 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. | MPSA Networking Lounge Hours |
| 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Complimentary Coffee |
| 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Midwest Women’s Caucus for Political Science Lounge |
| 9:30 a.m. – 6:40 p.m. | Exhibit Hall Hours |
| 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Wiley Headshot Lounge* (More information coming soon!) |
| 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Complimentary Coffee in the Exhibit Hall |
| 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | MPSA Ombuds Open Office Hours |
| 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | MPSA Executive Committee Open Office Hours for Attendees |
| 4:45 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Midwest Public Administration Caucus Meeting & Herbert Simon Lecture: Behavioral Public Leadership Research: Contributions, Challenges and Key Insights By: Lotte Andersen, Aarhus University |
| 5:10 p.m. – 6:40 p.m. | AJPS Editorial Board Meeting** |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | MPSA Mentoring Reception* |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Midwest Latino/a Caucus Business Meeting |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Indiana University Political Science Reception Honoring the Legacy of Ted Carmines |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Texas Reception at MPSA 2026 Conference |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Columbia University Department of Political Science Reception |
| 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | Midwest Women’s Caucus for Political Science Business Meeting |
| 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | MPSA Program Committee Reception** |
| 8:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. | MPSA Minority Caucus Reception |
Saturday, April 25 |
|
| 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | MPSA Networking Lounge Hours |
| 7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. | Complimentary Coffee |
| 8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Midwest Women’s Caucus for Political Science Lounge |
| 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Exhibit Hall Hours |
| 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Complimentary Coffee in the Exhibit Hall |
| 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | MPSA Ombuds Open Office Hours |
| 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Religion in Political Science Mini-Conference Happy Hour |
| 6:45 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. | MPSA Business Meeting & Awards Ceremony |
| 7:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | MPSA President’s Reception |
Sunday, April 26 |
|
| 7:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. | MPSA Networking Lounge Hours |
| 7:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Complimentary Coffee |
*Advanced registration required.
**By invitation only.
The preliminary schedule for all sessions at the conference is available here. You must be logged in with your MPSA username and password to access the system.
Register to Attend an MPSA 2026 Pre-Conference Workshop
Causal Inference Using R for Political Scientists
Text Analysis in the Age of Generative AI: Recent Insights and Innovations
The MPSA is hosting two research methods workshops on Wednesday, April 22 prior to the start of the 2026 MPSA Conference. These free workshops are open to all registered MPSA Conference attendees (in-person participation only). Limited space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. For additional information including how to register for a workshop, see the abstracts linked above. Please note that these workshops take place simultaneously, so we kindly ask that you RSVP for only one workshop of your choice.
RSVP for the First-Time Attendee Networking Event and Tour
Attending MPSA for the first time in person? We’re excited to welcome you! Join us for the First-Time Attendee Networking Event and Tour on Thursday, April 23, from 5:00–6:30 p.m. at the Palmer House Hilton.
Kick off your conference experience with a warm welcome to the Windy City from Choose Chicago, then hear from MPSA staff as they share helpful tips, resources, and insider guidance to help you make the most of your time at the conference. You’ll also enjoy a brief tour of the historic Palmer House Hilton, led by one of the hotel’s Blue Coats.
Wrap up the event by connecting with fellow first-time attendees – an excellent opportunity to start building your MPSA network!
There is no fee to attend the event, but we kindly request pre-registration by April 10, 2026. RSVP here.
Need a New Professional Headshot? Book Your Appointment for the Wiley Headshot Lounge
The Wiley Headshot Lounge will be held during the Annual Conference in the Exhibit Hall on the 4th Floor of the Palmer House Hilton on Friday, April 24. Timeslots are available in 30-minute increments (with up to 15 individual appointments each timeslot) from 9:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Headshot sessions are $20 and payment is required upon booking. Click here to reserve your time slot!
Arrive at the Headshot Lounge in the Exhibit Hall a few minutes prior to your designated appointment time and check in with staff. Immediately following your session, you will be emailed a link to a private gallery of your photos.
Time slots will sell out fast! Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to book your high-quality headshot session today and walk away from the Annual Conference with a new valuable career asset to use in a variety of ways, including on LinkedIn and your own professional website.
Optional touchups and special corrections are available, start at $35 per image and are organized with the photographer onsite on an as-requested basis.
Undergraduate Programming at the Conference
The MPSA is proud to welcome undergraduate students who are attending the 2026 Conference! If you are an undergraduate, or a faculty member who is bringing undergraduate students to the conference, you can find more information about the sessions and events for students here.
Office Hours with the MPSA Executive Committee During the MPSA Annual Conference
The MPSA Executive Committee (President, Rikhil Bhavnani and President-elect, Jennifer Merolla) will hold office hours with attendees on Thursday, April 23rd from 3:30–4:30 p.m., and Friday, April 24th from 1:30–2:30 p.m. in the Harvard Room on the 3rd floor. Attendees are welcome to drop-in without an appointment or may schedule time to meet with the Executive Committee through this link. Appointments are available in 10-minute intervals; if you need a longer appointment time, please book up to two consecutive 10-minute time slots or email the Executive Committee (ExecutiveCommittee@mpsanet.org) if you would like to set up meeting that you anticipate may go over twenty minutes.
MPSA Ombuds Office Hours at the MPSA Conference
The MPSA Conference Ombuds serve as impartial, confidential, and independent resources, offering informal support to all conference participants in addressing a wide range of challenges and concerns that may arise during the event.
The MPSA Ombuds Sarah Klaper will be available to meet with attendees on Thursday, April 23rd from 1:00-5:00 p.m., Friday, April 24th from 1:00 –5:00 p.m., and Saturday, April 25th from 12:00-4:00 p.m. in Clark 2 on the 7th floor. MPSA Ombuds Tyler Smith and will be available by virtual appointment. To contact Sarah or Tyler on Sunday, April 26th please reach out via email to set up a virtual appointment that will take place after the conference. You can easily schedule a meeting during the conference with either Sarah or Tyler by using their scheduling link (forthcoming, please check back closer to the conference). The Ombuds are also available for walk-in appointments, so long as they do not have another appointment already scheduled. If you have any questions or concerns about scheduling an appointment, please contact the ombuds via email at mpsaombuds2026@gmail.com.