Conference organization
Since 2016 the Evolution meetings have been organized by one or two academics (Chief Meeting Officers), with support from a professional conference organizer and overseen by the tri-society Joint Meeting Committee. If you have a general question, comment, or suggestions, feel free to contact the Chief Meeting Officers and/or our Professional Conference Organizer (see below). For society-specific issues you can also contact the appropriate representative on the committee
Joint meeting committee
Chief Meeting Officer: Mitch Cruzan, Portland State University
Chief Meeting Officer: Howard Rundle, University of Ottawa
ASN representative: Matthew Walsh, University of Texas Arlington
SSB representative: Kelly Zamudio, Cornell University
SSE representative: Aneil Agrawal, University of Toronto
SSE Executive V-P: Andrea Case, Kent State University
Professional conference organizer
Kerrell Dunsmore, evolution.meetings@gmail.co
Chief Meeting Officer: Mitch Cruzan, Portland State University
Chief Meeting Officer: Howard Rundle, University of Ottawa
ASN representative: Matthew Walsh, University of Texas Arlington
SSB representative: Kelly Zamudio, Cornell University
SSE representative: Aneil Agrawal, University of Toronto
SSE Executive V-P: Andrea Case, Kent State University
Professional conference organizer
Kerrell Dunsmore, evolution.meetings@gmail.co
Evolution code of conduct committee
Chair (SSE): Andrea Case, Kent State University, 2017 - present
SSB: Brian O’Meara, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2017 - present
SSB: Kelly Zamudio, Cornell University, 2018 - present
SSE: Jodie Wiggins, Oklahoma State University, 2018 - present
ASN: Chris Moore, Colby College, 2019 - present
ASN student/postdoc: Sheng Pei Wang, 2019 - present
Past ASN: Gina Baucom, University of Michigan, 2017 - 2018
Past ASN: Sharon Strauss, University of California, Davis, 2018 - 2019
Safety officer
Sherry Marts, S*Marts Consulting, LLC
Why don't we have local organizers/volunteers any more?
The Evolution meetings were traditionally organized by one or more dedicated and hard-working academic volunteers who were usually local to the host site every year. These volunteers pulled off some tremendous meetings, but as the conference grew in size and complexity, a number of problems developed. First, there was no continuity of history in the system; without a memory, the same mistakes were sometimes made over and over, and things that worked particularly well were sometimes lost. Second, the workload was vastly increased because a new individual or group had to learn everything about conference organization from scratch every year. Third, it was a struggle for local volunteers to organize the meeting, so they had no time/resources for innovation. Fourth, and crucially, people were no longer volunteering, as it had become such a massive undertaking that nobody wanted to do it. Our new organizational structure was designed to address these issues.
We still welcome the participation and input from local volunteers; once a location is chosen we often recruit one or more local volunteers to fill very specific roles, allowing us to benefit from local knowledge and connections.
There is more information about how the annual Evolution conference is organized in this SSE Community Blog Post.
Chair (SSE): Andrea Case, Kent State University, 2017 - present
SSB: Brian O’Meara, University of Tennessee Knoxville, 2017 - present
SSB: Kelly Zamudio, Cornell University, 2018 - present
SSE: Jodie Wiggins, Oklahoma State University, 2018 - present
ASN: Chris Moore, Colby College, 2019 - present
ASN student/postdoc: Sheng Pei Wang, 2019 - present
Past ASN: Gina Baucom, University of Michigan, 2017 - 2018
Past ASN: Sharon Strauss, University of California, Davis, 2018 - 2019
Safety officer
Sherry Marts, S*Marts Consulting, LLC
Why don't we have local organizers/volunteers any more?
The Evolution meetings were traditionally organized by one or more dedicated and hard-working academic volunteers who were usually local to the host site every year. These volunteers pulled off some tremendous meetings, but as the conference grew in size and complexity, a number of problems developed. First, there was no continuity of history in the system; without a memory, the same mistakes were sometimes made over and over, and things that worked particularly well were sometimes lost. Second, the workload was vastly increased because a new individual or group had to learn everything about conference organization from scratch every year. Third, it was a struggle for local volunteers to organize the meeting, so they had no time/resources for innovation. Fourth, and crucially, people were no longer volunteering, as it had become such a massive undertaking that nobody wanted to do it. Our new organizational structure was designed to address these issues.
We still welcome the participation and input from local volunteers; once a location is chosen we often recruit one or more local volunteers to fill very specific roles, allowing us to benefit from local knowledge and connections.
There is more information about how the annual Evolution conference is organized in this SSE Community Blog Post.
Conference locations
Who chooses the locations for the Evolution Meetings, and how do they decide?
The location is decided by the executive councils of all three societies, with input from the Joint Meeting Committee (JMC). The Chief Meeting Officers research potential locations, obtaining information on costs of conference facilities, services, and accommodations (hotels and dorms), and then report their findings to the JMC and the council. The Chief Meeting Officers do an enormous amount of work getting proposals from different conference facilities, negotiating with them, and working with them to put on a successful conference. That JMC and the council consider the following issues when they decide on the venue:
Why don’t we have the meetings at universities anymore?
It used to be that we held meetings at universities, with dorms available, run by local organizers. A lot of people liked that. These days, universities do rent their facilities, but they are seldom cheaper, and often more expensive, than conference facilities. They are also much more unpredictable and frequently cancel room use on short notice if they need it for themselves. It is very difficult, and sometimes not possible, to get them to commit to providing facilities that we need as far ahead of time as we need them to. Also, because our meetings have grown in size, universities rarely have adequate facilities to accommodate all the concurrent sessions, plenaries, and display space that we need, or to do so sessions would be split across distant locations. Conference facilities work with conference organizers, and we have more functional, predictable, and affordable conferences as a result of working with them.
The location is decided by the executive councils of all three societies, with input from the Joint Meeting Committee (JMC). The Chief Meeting Officers research potential locations, obtaining information on costs of conference facilities, services, and accommodations (hotels and dorms), and then report their findings to the JMC and the council. The Chief Meeting Officers do an enormous amount of work getting proposals from different conference facilities, negotiating with them, and working with them to put on a successful conference. That JMC and the council consider the following issues when they decide on the venue:
- Region: The priority is to rotate geographic regions among years (e.g. West Coast, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Midwest, etc.).
- Location: We prioritize both accessibility and locations that are pleasant or interesting to visit.
- Venue: The convention center needs to be of a sufficient size and have a good layout, it must be affordable and in a decent location with restaurants and hotels nearby, and it will ideally be near cheaper housing options such as dorms (shuttle buses are expensive and inconvenient). Our conference is generally too small to get into convention centers in large cities.
- Total cost: The total price that you pay to attend the conference includes registration, transportation, and housing. The choice of location considers all these costs. Facility rental and services (and therefore registration) may be cheaper in one location, but housing could be very expensive, making it unfeasible. All costs are considered–not just registration costs–when making a decision.
Why don’t we have the meetings at universities anymore?
It used to be that we held meetings at universities, with dorms available, run by local organizers. A lot of people liked that. These days, universities do rent their facilities, but they are seldom cheaper, and often more expensive, than conference facilities. They are also much more unpredictable and frequently cancel room use on short notice if they need it for themselves. It is very difficult, and sometimes not possible, to get them to commit to providing facilities that we need as far ahead of time as we need them to. Also, because our meetings have grown in size, universities rarely have adequate facilities to accommodate all the concurrent sessions, plenaries, and display space that we need, or to do so sessions would be split across distant locations. Conference facilities work with conference organizers, and we have more functional, predictable, and affordable conferences as a result of working with them.
Conference policies
1. Policy on harassment and discrimination
The Evolution Meetings are intended to foster the respectful exchange of scientific ideas, providing participants with an opportunity to present research findings, establish/renew collaborations, recruit people to their laboratories, and learn, teach, and network with an international community of evolutionary biologists. The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE), the American Society of Naturalists (ASN), and the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB) are committed to creating an environment where everyone can participate without experiencing harassment, discrimination, incivility or violence of any kind. All meeting participants must treat others with respect and consideration. Registration for the meeting is considered an agreement to abide by this code of conduct.
Harassment of others by any participant (attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, staff member, service provider, organizer, or meeting guest) will not be tolerated. Unacceptable treatment of others includes (but is not limited to) unwanted verbal attention, unwanted touching, intimidation, stalking, shaming, or bullying. Discrimination or exclusion on the basis of gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, physical appearance, race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity will not be tolerated. Critiques of scientific work are appropriate and important, but presentations must be free of offensive, discriminatory or disrespectful elements, including (but not limited to) words and images that are derogatory or demeaning to individuals or groups [1]. Inappropriate comments presented in a joking manner constitute unacceptable behavior. Retaliation for reporting inappropriate behavior is also unacceptable, as is reporting an incident in bad faith.
People wishing to report a violation of this code of conduct should contact our Safety officer, Sherry Marts. Incidents of inappropriate and uncivil behavior are taken extremely seriously. Confidentiality will be maintained unless disclosure is legally required.
The meeting organizers, members of the Joint Meeting Committee, and Society executive officers reserve the right to enforce this code of conduct in any manner deemed appropriate. Anyone violating the code of conduct may be: (a) asked to stop, (b) prohibited from posting their presentation on society- or conference-sponsored websites and outlets, (c) expelled from the meeting (without refund), and/or (d) prohibited from attending future meetings. Establishing and enforcing this code of conduct is intended to prevent incidents of harassment, discrimination, and violence, and to maintain the high quality of scientific discourse that our members have come to expect from the Evolution meetings.
Please refer to the Safe Evolution page on this site for detailed information about the Societies’ efforts to create a safe and inclusive environment at our meetings.
[1] Disagreements about science are normal and healthy parts of meetings. Civil and constructive criticism of someone’s work for a perceived methodological flaw or a misinterpretation of results is appropriate. Demeaning a scientist for being sloppy, misleading or stupid and other ad hominem attacks are inappropriate.
2. Policy on liability
The Societies shall not be responsible for any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of all Evolution Meeting participants, and shall not be held liable for personal injury, property damage, theft or damage of any kind suffered by the participants at or in connection with the Evolution meeting. By registering for and attending the annual Evolution Meeting, each participant acknowledges that they have read this Disclaimer, and expressly releases the Societies and its board members, directors, officers, employees, or agents from any and all liability in connection with such Meeting as provided herein.
3. Weapons policy
For the safety of all attendees, the Evolution Meetings are ‘weapons free’ and all conference participants, including staff, volunteers, and attendees, are banned from possessing any object or substance intended to cause injury to others, including but not limited to firearms.
4. Broadcasting policy
The Evolution Meetings support the communication and discussion of science. Information presented at the Meeting (in oral or poster format) may be reported and discussed by attendees and science writers via blogs, Twitter, or other formats. However, we require that this be done respectfully and without direct reproduction of visual materials (e.g., no posting photos of slides or posters) unless permission is obtained from the presenter or they have already made this information freely available in an open-source forum. If a presenter does not want information from his/her presentation to be broadcast, they should make this clear in their talk/poster and we ask that attendees respect this.
If you have questions or concerns about this policy, or would like to report an abuse of it, please contact any member of the Joint Meeting Committee.
5. Policy on multiple presentations/posters
The Evolution Meetings have grown dramatically of late, increasing the demand for both oral and poster presentations. To reduce competition and give more people an opportunity to present, attendees are limited to presenting one talk, no matter what type (i.e. contributed or invited of any length) and/or one poster. Please note that this only applies to the presenting author; you can be a co-author on multiple presentations given by others.
The Evolution Meetings are intended to foster the respectful exchange of scientific ideas, providing participants with an opportunity to present research findings, establish/renew collaborations, recruit people to their laboratories, and learn, teach, and network with an international community of evolutionary biologists. The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE), the American Society of Naturalists (ASN), and the Society of Systematic Biologists (SSB) are committed to creating an environment where everyone can participate without experiencing harassment, discrimination, incivility or violence of any kind. All meeting participants must treat others with respect and consideration. Registration for the meeting is considered an agreement to abide by this code of conduct.
Harassment of others by any participant (attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, staff member, service provider, organizer, or meeting guest) will not be tolerated. Unacceptable treatment of others includes (but is not limited to) unwanted verbal attention, unwanted touching, intimidation, stalking, shaming, or bullying. Discrimination or exclusion on the basis of gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, physical appearance, race, religion, national origin, or ethnicity will not be tolerated. Critiques of scientific work are appropriate and important, but presentations must be free of offensive, discriminatory or disrespectful elements, including (but not limited to) words and images that are derogatory or demeaning to individuals or groups [1]. Inappropriate comments presented in a joking manner constitute unacceptable behavior. Retaliation for reporting inappropriate behavior is also unacceptable, as is reporting an incident in bad faith.
People wishing to report a violation of this code of conduct should contact our Safety officer, Sherry Marts. Incidents of inappropriate and uncivil behavior are taken extremely seriously. Confidentiality will be maintained unless disclosure is legally required.
The meeting organizers, members of the Joint Meeting Committee, and Society executive officers reserve the right to enforce this code of conduct in any manner deemed appropriate. Anyone violating the code of conduct may be: (a) asked to stop, (b) prohibited from posting their presentation on society- or conference-sponsored websites and outlets, (c) expelled from the meeting (without refund), and/or (d) prohibited from attending future meetings. Establishing and enforcing this code of conduct is intended to prevent incidents of harassment, discrimination, and violence, and to maintain the high quality of scientific discourse that our members have come to expect from the Evolution meetings.
Please refer to the Safe Evolution page on this site for detailed information about the Societies’ efforts to create a safe and inclusive environment at our meetings.
[1] Disagreements about science are normal and healthy parts of meetings. Civil and constructive criticism of someone’s work for a perceived methodological flaw or a misinterpretation of results is appropriate. Demeaning a scientist for being sloppy, misleading or stupid and other ad hominem attacks are inappropriate.
2. Policy on liability
The Societies shall not be responsible for any defamatory, offensive, or illegal conduct of all Evolution Meeting participants, and shall not be held liable for personal injury, property damage, theft or damage of any kind suffered by the participants at or in connection with the Evolution meeting. By registering for and attending the annual Evolution Meeting, each participant acknowledges that they have read this Disclaimer, and expressly releases the Societies and its board members, directors, officers, employees, or agents from any and all liability in connection with such Meeting as provided herein.
3. Weapons policy
For the safety of all attendees, the Evolution Meetings are ‘weapons free’ and all conference participants, including staff, volunteers, and attendees, are banned from possessing any object or substance intended to cause injury to others, including but not limited to firearms.
4. Broadcasting policy
The Evolution Meetings support the communication and discussion of science. Information presented at the Meeting (in oral or poster format) may be reported and discussed by attendees and science writers via blogs, Twitter, or other formats. However, we require that this be done respectfully and without direct reproduction of visual materials (e.g., no posting photos of slides or posters) unless permission is obtained from the presenter or they have already made this information freely available in an open-source forum. If a presenter does not want information from his/her presentation to be broadcast, they should make this clear in their talk/poster and we ask that attendees respect this.
If you have questions or concerns about this policy, or would like to report an abuse of it, please contact any member of the Joint Meeting Committee.
5. Policy on multiple presentations/posters
The Evolution Meetings have grown dramatically of late, increasing the demand for both oral and poster presentations. To reduce competition and give more people an opportunity to present, attendees are limited to presenting one talk, no matter what type (i.e. contributed or invited of any length) and/or one poster. Please note that this only applies to the presenting author; you can be a co-author on multiple presentations given by others.
Host an event
If you are interested in hosting a special event of some type as part of the one of our conferences (e.g., a reception, editorial/council or other meeting, workshop, information session, special presentation, etc.) please let us know by email and the sooner the better. It's never too early! All events are subject to the approval of the Joint Meeting Committee. Requests received prior to January 1st of the year of the meeting will receive our full consideration and, if accepted, will be included in the conference schedule. Proposals received after this date will be scheduled at the discretion of the organizers, and it may not be possible to accommodate proposals received within a few months of the conference.