American Academy of Religion

A Message from the Executive Director

Friends:

Greetings from the Luce Center in sunny Atlanta! As spring draws to a close, I trust that you all have enjoyed a productive year. This month’s e-bulletin contains a host of news and announcements about this year’s Annual Meeting, the EIS Center, the Student Liaison Group, and a call for nominations for Student Director. Also for your consideration is a reminder about our Research Grants Program, the Syllabus Project, and our online news and events board, In the Field. Have a wonderful and restful summer!

Yours,

Jack Fitzmier

Executive Director

Annual Meeting

Registration Opens: 2007 San Diego Annual Meeting Registration & Housing opens on May 15, 2007 at 9:00 AM EDT (online, fax, or surface mail). You must be registered for the meeting to book housing. The Annual Meetings website for registration and information is http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/. To register at the discounted member rate, your AAR membership needs to be current, and you will need to log in using your surname, "Gray," and member ID, "Z28679." The 2007 Annual Meeting Registration & Housing information was mailed in the May issue of Religious Studies News. It is also available to download at http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/.

Find a Roommate: The AAR provides an AAR members-only bulletin board service for "do-it-yourself" online roommate finding for the 2007 Annual Meeting. Go to http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/roommate/list.asp if you are seeking a roommate.

Additional Meeting Schedule?: For anyone wishing to schedule an Additional Meeting at the Annual Meeting, Additional Meeting Request forms are available online. Please see http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/2007/addmtg/.

RSN Annual Meeting Brochure: The May issue of Religious Studies News was mailed in late April. A brochure for Annual Meeting and hotel registration was included in this issue. You can also read this issue online at http://www.aarweb.org/publications/rsn/current.asp.

China Focus at the 2007 Annual Meeting: For our upcoming meeting in San Diego, the international focus is Chinese contributions to the study of religion. We are soliciting partnerships with departments and institutions that can cosponsor a Chinese scholar. Cosponsorship will allow your group to hear from one of these fine scholars while they are already in the United States to attend the Annual Meeting. To learn more about the benefits of cosponsorship, please contact Kyle Cole at kcole@aarweb.org.

San Diego Tours: AAR is sponsoring several tours to local San Diego museums and locations. You can register for the tours in the online registration and housing system.

Child Care: Child care at the Annual Meeting will be provided by KiddieCorp. Please see http://www.aarweb.org/annualmeet/2007/childcare.asp for more information.

Research Grants

Each year the AAR awards grants of up to $5,000 for individual and collaborative research projects. The deadline to apply for a 2007 grant is August 1. For additional information, see http://www.aarweb.org/grants.

Submit/Update Your Syllabi

The AAR maintains a popular online syllabus database at http://www.aarweb.org/syllabus/. If you'd like to submit a syllabus, or update one you've already submitted, please visit http://www.aarweb.org/syllabus/add.asp.

Employment Information Services Center

Registration for the Employment Information Services Center opens May 15 and closes October 22. Register early to receive full benefits. For more information, see http://www.aarweb.org/eis/

Especially for Students

Student members are encouraged to connect with their Student Liaison (SL) regarding information about and participation in the AAR. For a list of SLs, visit http://aarweb.org/students/slglist.asp. If your PhD-granting institution is not currently listed as having an SL and would like more information, please contact Myesha D. Jenkins at mjenkins@aarweb.org.

Student Director Nominations

The Student Director (SD) is a member of the AAR Board of Directors, representing the particular concerns and issues of AAR student members at large. In addition, the SD works with the Student Liaison Group (SLG) and Graduate Student Committee (GSC). This fall the AAR Membership will vote for the Student Director to serve a two year term, 2008-2009. If you wish to nominate a colleague or yourself for this elected position, please send: 1) a one page statement of interest, 2) a description of the nominee’s service in the AAR and academic and professional interests, and 3) a current curriculum vitae. Nominees must be current AAR members. Please send submissions by May 31, 2007 via e-mail, fax, or postal mail to: Jack Fitzmier, Executive Director / American Academy of Religion / 825 Houston Mill RD NE STE 300 / Atlanta, GA 30329-4205 / USA; Fax: 404-727-7959; nominations@aarweb.org.

In the Field

Are you interested in the latest happenings in the field of religion? Would you like to post an announcement of an event, award competition, or other news of importance in the field? If so, please visit In the Field, news of events and opportunities for scholars of religion published online by the American Academy of Religion. Visit this link for more information: http://www.aarweb.org/publications/inthefield/current.asp.

Your Membership Status

Your membership is current for 2007. Thank you. Membership resources are available at http://www.aarweb.org/membership/.