Emerging Immprof: Lunch Innovations

It may be a bit unorthodox to talk about a conference lunch, but the Biennial Emerging Immigration Scholars Conference lunch merits mention. Here’s why.

Inevitably at a conference, we end up talking to our friends. That’s natural. We don’t see each other often and it’s a wonderful opportunity to catch up.

But we also need to broaden our networks and mentor emerging scholars. How can we do that if we never really get to know new people?

The answer: randomized lunch dates. All of our conference name tags had a photo of a book cover on the back. Those photos corresponded to tables, where we found the books — all of which were related to immigration. And we were told that whoever graduated from high school (or its equivalent) the furthest from Provo could take the book home — a terrific prompt that got us all talking. I managed to walk away with a copy of American Dervish. Score one for the Fighting Friars of Huntington, NY! AND I had the opportunity to meet immprof Katherine Reynolds who I’d not previously met.

I hope future conferences will consider this gentle nudge towards meeting new people.

-KitJ