It’s hard to believe that we are just two weeks away from meeting in Detroit for our annual AEJMC conference. Even more difficult to believe is that the last time we met was in 2019 in Toronto, Canada. Our excellent leadership team, Maddie Liseblad (California State, Long Beach) and Rachel Grant (Florida), are excited to see everyone in person. As I have said before, AEJMC is not designed to be a virtual organization. The friendships and connections made at the annual convention are a big part of what the History Division as an organization does. In many ways, those friendships, collaborations, and mentorship are the heart of what our division does best.
There are many things that have changed in the past two years with AEJMC, and our leadership team has worked hard to facilitate the familiar and the new. One familiar aspect that we are excited about is the annual division Gala, which will be held on August 2nd at 7:30 p.m. CST. The Gala is where we plan to give our annual awards. The cost for attendance is $5.
A new aspect of our annual conference is the virtual business meeting scheduled for July 28th at 1 p.m. EST. The business meeting is being held on Zoom and will be facilitated by AEJMC through a Zoom link sent directly to members. A meeting agenda and annual division report was sent to members on the division’s listserv on June 26th. If you did not receive the information for the business meeting, please email me directly at mcmyers@vt.edu.
The virtual business meeting will serve as our only business meeting for the conference, so there will not be a separate meeting in Detroit. At the meeting we will cover the traditional agenda, and elect the new Second Vice Chair/Research Chair for 2022-2023. On the agenda are also some voting items, so please plan to attend even if you are unable to join us in person in Detroit.
I want to thank the leadership of the History Division for their hard work during unprecedented times. The quality of what our division provides members is the product of many hours of work from many dedicated members. I also want to take this opportunity in my final Clio letter to thank Maddie Liseblad (California State, Long Beach) and Rachel Grant (Florida) for their amazing work this past year. The Division is stronger for their leadership. I also want to note that my role as chair would not be possible without the help and dedication of my immediate predecessors, Will Mari (Louisiana State) and Teri Finneman (Kansas), who were always there for guidance and support.
Finally, I want to thank our members for all that they have done to make this year a tremendous success. I have enjoyed the opportunity to serve as the History Division Chair, and am excited about the division’s future.-
– Cayce Myers