As ASE president and one of the conference organizers for the upcoming conference in Durham, I am writing to let you know that, due to COVID-19, we have decided to postpone the conference until Fall of 2021. While the specific dates are still to be determined, the conference will take place in the same hotel and will once again be sponsored by Duke University and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Those who have submitted proposed papers and panels for this year’s conference will receive a separate e-mail with more information. We look forward to welcoming you here for a great conference and to showcase for you the work that we are doing at our universities and in the community at large. But we must do so at a time of less uncertainty—when it is safe for everybody to travel and when you have travel funds to do so.
In lieu of this year’s conference, the program committee will put on a virtual event that will allow all ASE members to participate in plenary sessions with scholars and Native and indigenous leaders from throughout North America and Latin America in addition to small group workshops and “happy hours” of various kinds. This virtual event will take place from November 4-8 (the dates of the original conference), and will be free of charge. We are in the process of planning this event, deciding on a platform, and thinking about the types of sessions that we would like to organize. We will be in touch over the coming months with more details on the virtual event.
Thank you for your patience with our planning process, and please stay safe!
Sincerely,
Professor of History and Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies
Duke University