SUU to Host International Interdisciplinary Conference

Southern Utah University is honored to host the 43rd Annual Association for Interdisciplinary Studies Conference October 14-16, 2021. The conference attracts teachers, administrators, graduate and undergraduate students, and independent scholars with an interest in developing research and instruction around interdisciplinary studies. This year’s conference will be the first fully virtual AIS conference.

“We are very excited about hosting the international Association for Interdisciplinary Studies virtual conference at SUU, especially in light of all of the interdisciplinary opportunities we are working to create for faculty, staff and students on the SUU campus,” said Dr. Jean Boreen, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at SUU. “Our new degree in filmmaking, all of the activities around being the University of the Parks, and our undergraduate and graduate degrees in Interdisciplinary Studies are just some of the wonderful initiatives we look forward to sharing with others, even as we are eager to hear how programs and opportunities at other universities may further inspire our work.”

A few highlights of this year’s conference will be a keynote address by Virgil Johnson, Native American activist, educator, member of the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Reservation, former Chairman of the Utah Tribal Leaders, and graduate of Southern Utah University. His work focuses on bringing Native-American voices to the forefront of discussions about governance in the State of Utah, and the United States. There will be virtual tours showcasing the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and ones showcasing Southern Utah’s famous National Parks as well as other scenic attractions.

"Our SUU 2021 AIS Conference Committee, consisting of 30 members, from six different regional universities, has been working on this conference since the spring of 2018,” said Dr. Cynthia Kimball Davis, Master of Interdisciplinary Studies Program director at SUU and lead co-director of the SUU 2021 AIS Conference. “We're excited to welcome a world-wide audience of interdisciplinarians to this AIS first-ever fully virtual conference."

For those who would like to submit work to the AIS conference, proposals are due May 15, 2021 and can be submitted here. To learn more about the 43rd Annual Association for Interdisciplinary Studies Conference or to register, visit the website at www.suu.edu/ais/.