2026 APSA Department Chairs Mini-Conference
Theme: “Strengthening Political Science Departments“

APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition | Boston, MA | Friday, September 4, 2026

Join political science departments for the 2026 Department Chairs Mini-Conference and Luncheon to be held on Friday, September 4, 2026, during the 122nd APSA Annual Meeting and Exhibition.

The third annual APSA Department Chairs’ Mini-Conference provides political science departments with a forum to discuss significant issues affecting the discipline and engage in peer-to-peer collaboration. The 2026 mini-conference will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

2026 Theme: Strengthening Political Science Departments

Higher education has changed dramatically in recent years, and yet the importance and value of a political science education has never been more apparent.

  • How are political science chairs, graduate directors, and undergraduate coordinators revitalizing and reimagining their programs and curriculum?
  • What strategies are political science departments using to strengthen their programs in the 21st century?
8:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.Roundtable One: Spotlights From the Discipline: Re-Imagining Political Science Departments 
9:15 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Coffee Break and Networking 
10:00 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. Roundtable Two: Generative Artificial Intelligence and the Political Science Profession 
11:30 a.m. Lunch Begins 
12:00 p.m. Remarks from APSA 
12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Session Three: Department’s Cafe  

Thank you to the APSA Departmental Services Committee for their help in supporting and creating the 2026 Department Chairs Mini Conference Program.  

  • (Chair) Miki Kittilson, Arizona State University 
  • Eric Schickler, University of California, Berkeley   
  • Shamira Gelbman, Wabash College 
  • Natalie Masuoka, University of California, Los Angeles  
  • Philip Habel, University of Alabama 
  • Carolyn Warner, University of Nevada, Reno 

View past APSA Department Chairs’ Mini-Conferences and Chairs’ Roundtables below: