[Air-L] post-IR12 thank you

[Steve Jones]

I would like to thank all those who made IR12 a terrific conference and experience. In particular I want to thank Karine Nahon, her colleagues, staff and students in the University of Washington Communication Department, particularly Beth Patin and Lassana Magassa, and the UW volunteers generally.

I would also like to thank Lori Kendall, reviewers and presenters for putting together an excellent program, and for continuing the tradition of trying to do things differently at AoIR events. In that light I particularly want to thank Ignite talk participants and all those who use AoIR as a chance to try to do something different, something you can't do at traditional disciplinary conferences. Such things take time and effort, of course (and in many cases bravery) and they may not “count” in ways that traditional disciplinary activities, such as giving a paper, do, but they are part of what makes AoIR truly valuable, because they inspire creativity, innovation and new ideas. 

AoIR conferences continue to be intellectually stimulating and also supportive, warm, anti-elitist and fun, so allow me to also thank everyone who has been a conference attendee, everyone who has been a member, everyone who has served AoIR in some capacity, or who has otherwise supported the glorious mix of people and ideas that makes AoIR so special. This is the only conference I leave with such a sense of sadness that it’s over, and such a sense of anticipation for the next one.

With gratitude,

Steve