Conveners
Everly Jazi
jazi.1@osu.edu
Ting-Ting Cheng
sophiecheng824@gmail.com
Ruby Lipson-Smith
ruby.lipson-smith@florey.edu.au
Following the IAPS conference of June 2020, graduate student Everly Jazi proposed the creation of the IAPS Early Career Researchers Network. Along with graduate students Ting-ting Cheng and Ruby Lipson-Smith, Everly brought this proposal to the board, who voted unanimously for the network’s formation. These three conveners of the network have been busy putting on monthly Paper Exchanges and other virtual events for the early career members.
Each month, the network offers members a chance to present research they have found or worked on, in a forum for discussion and critique. These Paper Exchanges have served as community-building events for the international array of attendees (sometimes at odd hours in various locations) and have showcased the inter/transdisciplinary nature of the people-environment field. Topics have included Human-Environment Studies in the Time of COVID-19, Spatial Justice, Learning Spaces and Institutional Environments, and the Use of VR in People-Environment Studies. The conveners have also put together an impressive speaker series, curated by all members through shared documents and brainstorming tools. This series has hosted iapsREN convener Ellie Ratcliffe, epidemiologist Rich Mitchell, social science research methods expert Alia Dietsch, and Edward Edgerton, environmental psychology researcher analyzing design in school settings. The network was also able to host events such as a social hour for members, which has been helpful for collaboration and networking.
Overall, there are over 30 members of the IAPS Early Career Researchers Network, meeting in various capacities once or twice a month. The network continues to be open to feedback from members through various channels. The conveners hope the network has a presence at the upcoming 2022 IAPS conference, and have started to plan future growth of the network in anticipation of this event.
If you would like to join the IAPS Early Career Researchers Network, please fill out this Google form (https://forms.gle/YA7MCZHECG9beM2Q8), or email Everly Jazi at jazi.1@osu.edu for more information.