Reflections on ISA-West 2025 and Expanding Undergraduate Engagement
I had the pleasure of attending the International Studies Association (ISA) – West conference in Pasadena, California, held September 26–27, 2025. The conference theme for this year was, “Altered States and Rules-Based Disorder: Now What?” This was my third year attending ISA-West and my second year serving as a board member. Over the past two years, I’ve served as Chair of Travel Grants for PhD Students and Junior Faculty and Chair of Social Media, where I helped share important announcements through our group’s LinkedIn page. I’m proud to continue my service on the board for another year. This time, I will be serving as Chair of the “Best Paper.” In this role, I’ll work with colleagues to read and evaluate nominated papers, selecting winners in two categories: Best Graduate Paper and Best Faculty Paper.
In this year’s conference, I had the opportunity to serve in multiple academic roles:
- Chair of the panel Evolving Security Dynamics in the Indo-Pacific
- Discussant for Academia Hunger Games: How Do We Thrive?
- Presenter in the roundtable Trump’s Foreign Policy: An Early Assessment
- Chair for Driving Trade and Development Policies: Ideologies, Blind Spots, and Domestic Regimes
Each of these roles allowed me to connect with scholars from across the region and contribute to meaningful conversations about the direction of global politics, academic life, and policy.
One personal highlight this year was having one of our Vanguard undergraduate students from the History and Political Science (HPS) program attend the conference. He volunteered at the check-in table, which gave him access to sessions and a complimentary lunch. We sat together during the lunch break, talked about the field, and I introduced him to faculty and graduate students from other institutions. He said he was inspired by the conference and wanted to come back next year!
That moment reminded me of how powerful these spaces can be for undergraduates, especially those interested in international studies. With that in mind, I’m hoping to organize an undergraduate panel at ISA-West 2026. I plan to personally invite students from my upper-division courses who’ve written strong research papers to present. It’s a great opportunity for them to receive feedback, build confidence, engage with faculty, and learn more about graduate programs and professional development.
My hope is that, by opening this door, more students will see themselves as future scholars and global thinkers. ISA-West is such a friendly and welcoming community, and I look forward to supporting the next generation by giving them the platform to learn, grow, and be heard.
If you’re a faculty member or student interested in getting involved next year in the field of international studies, please reach out!
