Abstract
Western Political Science Association (WPSA)
Not Too Late to Participate in the 2020 Meeting in Los Angeles
The 2020 meeting of the WPSA will be held at the JW Marriott at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles, from April 9 to 11. Jessica Lavariega Monforti, California Lutheran University, is serving as Program Chair for this meeting. Loyola Marymount University is serving as the local host. Richard Fox, Professor of Political Science and Dean of the Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, is serving as local arrangements chair. Information regarding the conference, its theme, and the list of section chairs are available on the WPSA website: www.wpsanet.org. In addition to the main program, several workshops are being organized for Wednesday, April 8. There will also be several mini-conferences held during the meeting. Information on these workshops and mini-conferences can also be found on the website.
Even though the deadline for paper proposals has passed, there are still ways to participate actively in the annual meeting. Any committees, caucuses, subject-matter sections, or other groups wishing to schedule sessions or workshops during the WPSA meetings and who have not already done so should contact WPSA Associate Director, Elsa Favila, as soon as possible at
In addition, if you are part of a research community that is interested in holding a meeting in the spring, we may still be able to accommodate your group by coordinating a mini-conference within our conference. The association does not charge for providing the space and support for these mini-conference, though the attendees are required to register for the WPSA meeting. There is also the opportunity to host receptions, business meetings, and special events at the annual conference. Finally, some section chairs are likely to be looking for individuals wanting to serve as discussants and panel chairs. Just write them if you are interested.
Preregistration and hotel information is available now on the WPSA website. It is possible to preregister and pay by credit card at this site: http://wpsanet.org.
We Need Some Light Help in Editing the WPSA Newsletter
The WPSA is searching for an individual or small team of individuals to edit the association’s online newsletter, The Western, from April 1, 2020, through March 30, 2024. This four-year term is renewable for two-year optional extensions. The Western was created to provide a forum for scholarly conversations on political science teaching, research, and political events focused on but not limited to the western region. The publication was envisioned as a means not only to serve our members, but to evolve eventually into an important contribution to the discipline.
The editor of The Western is responsible for the substantive content of the newsletter, developing the editorial direction of the publication and coordinating contributions, while working closely with the WPSA Executive Director. The editor may appoint others to assist in the editorial process. The title and responsibilities of such appointments will be determined by the editor to reflect an appropriate level of responsibility (e.g., associate editor, deputy editor) or function (e.g., book review editor).
This is a great opportunity for someone who is interested in becoming more involved in the association and would like to build a publication. The workload is not overwhelming. The newsletter is published twice a year and most of the articles are written by contributors, though some writing is required.
For more information on the position and how to apply, please contact WPSA Executive Director Richard Clucas (
Donate to WPSA Endowments
When planning for next year’s conference, consider donating to the WPSA when you register online. Or better yet, don’t wait, do it now. We have set up the WPSA website to enable individuals to donate directly to the WPSA. Contributions can be given without strings attached to the association, or they can be targeted at specific funds. Among these funds are the association’s first four endowments. Two of these endowments—the Betty Moulds Fund and the Joel Olson Fund—were created to establish awards honoring these long-term members of the association. The third endowment—the Don T. Nakanishi Fund—was created to support the Award for Distinguished Scholarship and Service in Asian Pacific American Politics. Finally, the WPSA Endowment Fund was created to protect the long-term financial security of the association and to fund special projects. The WPSA is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization; as such, your contributions are fully tax-deductible, as permitted by law. The donation page can be found here: http://www.wpsanet.org/about/donate.php.
Learn More about the WPSA
If you are interested in learning more about the WPSA and its activities, you can follow the WPSA on Twitter (theWPSA) and Facebook. We also have a blog (The New West) and a newsletter (The Western). All these sources provide more detailed information and news about the association than is presented in this column of announcements. Links to these websites can be found on our homepage (http://wpsanet.org).