Committees

Charge: To support greater equity, inclusion, and accessibility for ASECS members, and to foster racial, ethnic, and gender diversity within the Society.

Rules:

• Two nominees are proposed by each of these five caucuses, and the Board chooses one nominee each of those proposed: Women’s Caucus, Queer/Trans Caucus, Disability Studies Caucus, Race and Empire Caucus, Graduate Student/Early Career Scholar Caucus

• The Executive Board appoints a board member to the committee

• The Executive Board appoints one member-at-large to the committee

• One member should be a contingent faculty member
• Appointments are for 3 years, with the exception of the GS/ECS representative who serves 2 years

• The Executive Board member serves 2 years as well

2026-2027 Committee
Cass Turner (Chair), Queer & Trans Caucus
Lillian Lu (Alternate Chair), Women’s Caucus
Michael Berlin, Race and Empire Caucus
Michael Reznicek, Disability Studies Caucus
Annie Schultz, Graduate Student/Early Career Studies Caucus
Pamela Ahern, Board Nominee and At Large

Note: The Anti-Harassment Committee is responsible for receiving complaints from members.

Charge: Selects the author of the best book-length biography of a late seventeenth-century or eighteenth-century subject 

Rules: Awarded bianually

Submissions information

2026-2027 Committee
Rebecca Haidt (Chair)
Albert J Rivero
Francesca Saggini
David Alff

Charge: The Harassment Committee is charged with receiving complaints from any participant in an ASECS-sponsored activity who has experienced a violation of the harassment policy.

Rules:

• Composed of three members. The Executive Director serves ex-officio (non-voting). One of the members should have been a former board member
• Terms are for three years; staggered
• The committee chooses its own chair

2026-2027 Committee
Susan Lanser (Co-Chair)
Luis Ramos (Co-Chair)
Julia Fawcett
Ziona Kocher

antiharassment@asecs.org

Charge:

• Publicizes all ASECS awards and award deadlines
• Coordinates with the Executive Director all awards, including liaising with caucus award committees
• Compiles ASECS awards recipients and award announcements prior to the annual meeting for presentation at the annual meeting awards ceremony, including caucus awards
• Prepares ASECS award announcements for inclusion in the ASECS News Circular and hosts online events featuring award winners
• Periodically reviews all awards, in consultation with the Treasurer, for sufficient funding levels, numbers of applicants, and relevance to the continued work of members of the Society

Rules:

• The Committee on Awards will be composed of three members, including the Chair
• The Chair will be appointed by the President from the elected members of the Board; the remaining two committee members will be appointed by the Board
• Committee members will organize the work of the committee by assigning one member to oversee/coordinate the book Prizes, one member to oversee/coordinate the article and essay awards and coordinate prizes awarded by the caucuses, and one member to coordinate travel, pedagogy, and jam pot awards
• The Chair of the Committee on Awards reviews all awards proposed to ensure they are compliant with all relevant protocols, memoranda of understanding, and/or fund restrictions before referring them to the Executive Director for processing

2026-2027 Committee
Mattie Burkert (Chair)
Jason Shaffer
Piper Milton

Charge:

• Organize mentoring and career development sessions at the annual conference
• Organize online career mentoring sessions by career stage during the year
• Plan and host events designed to support scholarly research and pedagogical excellence, and career exploration and advancement e.g. book manuscript workshops, book proposal workshops, article workshops, cv/resumé workshops, pedagogical seminars, new methods for research and teaching workshops, etc.
• Rules:
• The Careers and Mentorship Committee will be composed of three members, one of whom should be a graduate student or an early career member. The most senior member of the committee will serve as Chair.
• The Careers and Mentorship Committee will plan for and host a minimum of four (4) events per calendar year, at least one of which, and ideally more than one, must take place at the Annual Meeting

2026-2027 Committee
Nicole Aljoe (Chair)
Tekla Babyak
David Mazella
Miriam Wallace
Rebecca Shapiro

Charge: Identify areas of funding and financial development.

Composition: Treasurer, Executive Director, and 2-3 members, among which is the Past President

Deadlines and Timeframe: The Committee meets regularly throughout the year.

2026-2027 Committee
Misty Anderson (Co-Chair)
Michael Lynn (Co-Chair)
Mackenzie Kelley
Jeremy Webster
Taylin Nelson

Charge: George E. Haggerty (1949-2023) was a groundbreaking scholar of queer eighteenth-century studies whose brilliant books and essays, generous mentorship of younger scholars, and dedication to ASECS fostered the vibrant LGBTQ+ scholarship that thrives in our field today. The Haggerty Prize will be given annually to recognize both published articles (in odd-numbered years) and published books (in even-numbered years) on an alternating schedule.

Rules: The book must be peer-reviewed and published with a print date between Jan 1, 2026 and Nov 14, 2026. The author must be a member of the ASECS at the time of submission for consideration. Membership information, including renewals, can be found here.

Deadlines and Timeframe: Due Nov. 15, 2026

2026-27 Committee
Jason Farr (Chair)
Leah Orr
Jeremy Chow

Charge: Identifies best graduate student research essay prize and best graduate student conference paper.

Rules: A graduate student may be part of this committee

Deadlines and Timeframe: The committee reviews submissions to Graduate Student Research Essay Prize, usually due Jan. 1, for papers submitted in the previous 12 months. It reviews submissions for the Graduate Student Conference Paper, due 2 weeks after the Annual Meeting.

Submission information

2026-2027 Committee
Adam Schoene (Chair)
Daryl Domingo

Charge: Every year ASECS members generously replenish the Graduate Student Conference (GSC) Travel Grant Fund (formerly the “Traveling Jam Pot”), a fund that supports participation in the Annual Meeting by ABDs and PhDs within a year of receipt of the doctoral degree.

Rules: Only current members of ASECS are eligible for Graduate Student Conference (GSC) Travel Grants. Graduate student members are not eligible to receive more than one Conference Support award.

Deadlines and Timeframe: Submissions due Dec. 15, 2026.

Submission information

2026-2027 Committee
Juliette Paul (Chair)
Irene Zanini-Cordi

Charge: Selects the best paper on a topic in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Asexual, or Queer Studies delivered at the ASECS Annual Meeting or a regional affiliate conference by a graduate student, an untenured faculty member, or an independent scholar.

Rules:

• Members are the senior members of the Gay and Trans Caucus who are ineligible for the prize
• Given annually

Deadlines and Timeframe: The committee reviews submissions for the prize annually, usually due Oct. 1, for papers presented in the previous 12 months.

Submissions Information

2026-2027 Committee
Jason Farr (Chair)
Katherine Binhammer
Ula Klein

Charge: Selects the most innovative examples of undergraduate teaching.

Composition: 3 members.

Rules:

• Three winners are chosen, who then comprise the following year’s committee; they pick their own chair.
• Winners present at the next year’s Annual Meeting on an ASECS-sponsored session.

Deadlines and Timeframe: The committee reviews submissions for the prize annually in the fall.

Submission information

2026-2027 Committee
Linda Troost (Chair)
Taylin Nelson
Charlee Bezilla

Charge: Selects the best article on an eighteenth-century topic.

Rules: One returning member becomes chair; the previous year’s prize winner is asked to serve as well.

Submissions Information

Deadlines and Timeframe: The committee reviews submissions for the prize annually, due on Jan. 1.

2026-2027 Committee
Rudy Le Mentheour (Chair)
Dustin Stewart
Mariselle Melendez
Oliver Wunsch

Charge: Selects the best book in eighteenth-century studies.

Rules:

• Members of the committee should have published a monograph-length publication. The Gottschalk winner is invited to join the committee.
• One committee member usually serves in the next year as chair.

Submissions Information

Deadlines and Timeframe: The committee reviews submissions for the prize annually, usually due on Nov. 1.

2026-2027 Committee
Clorinda Donato (Chair)
Chloe Wigston Smith
Irene Zanini Cordi
Mei Mei Rado

Charge: Advises the Executive Board and the Business Office on matters broadly related to communications and publications.

Rules:

• The Executive Director is a permanent member and chair

• Two editors – one from each journal – are permanent members

• If there is a webmaster, that person is on the committee

• The Second Vice President and the Secretary serve in the committee

• The Executive Board appoints a member-at-large to serve a two-year term

Deadlines and Timeframe: The committee meets as needed throughout the year.

2026-2027 Committee
Al Coppola (Chair)
Ramesh Mallipeddi
George Boulukos
Rachel King
Tili Boon Cuilli
Pamela Ahern
Mackenzie Kelley

Charge:

• Devise and implement strategies for the recruitment of new members, especially early career scholars

• Develop welcoming and retention strategies for new and continuing members

• Conduct outreach and field questions related to membership

• Conduct periodic surveys of membership interests, professional needs, and overall satisfaction with the Society and its benefits.

Rules:

• The Membership Committee will be composed of three members, with the most senior member serving as Chair. 

2026-2027 Committee
Paul Kelleher (Chair)
Bethany Qualls
Katie Charles

Charge: Prepares a slate of ASECS members to run for various offices. The offices to be filled annually include the Second Vice-President and two positions as Members-at-Large.

Deadlines and Timeframe: The committees solicits and reviews candidates for service on the Executive Board annually. The report to the Executive Director is usually due in the fall.

Rules:

• Member may be asked to serve as chair a second year, but not mandatory.

• Special attention should be given to as broad and effective a committee as possible.

• Executive Director and Parliamentarian provide instructions and support throughout the process.

• 2026-2027 Committee
  Mark Boonshoft (Chair)
  Rebecca Messbarger
  Benjamin Pauley
  Angelina DelBalzo

Charge:

• The Program Committee plans the content part (not the logistic part) of the Annual Meeting along with the ASECS Office.

• Review proposals and make recommendations in conjunction regarding events and activities.
• They recommend whether proposals for the Arts, Theater and Music (ATM) fund should be funded, in consultation with ASECS Office.

Rules:

• The chair has usually served on the previous year’s committee.

• One member must be either a graduate student or a contingent faculty member.

• This committee must be appointed by the President and receive its charge no later than mid-April.

• Program Committee members receive free registration for the Annual Meeting that they organize.

• Members may be asked to help Executive Director arrange for local events if they are local, but it is not a requirement.

• One member serves as a Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion advisor.

Deadlines/Timeframe:

• The committee reviews submissions for the Program to the Annual Meeting, usually due in the summer.
• It helps prepare the schedule and program for distribution 2-3 months before the Annual Meeting.

2026-2027 Committee
Monica Hahn (Chair)
David Diamond
Sal Nicolazzo
Brian Cowan
Soren Hammerschmidt
Maria Soledad Barbon
Jared Richmond

Note: Please contact Executive Director for questions about the Annual Meeting (director@asecs.org).

Charge: Selects best article in previous academic year that “pushes the boundaries, geographical and conceptual, of eighteenth-century studies, especially by using a transnational, comparative, or cosmopolitan approach.”

Rules: A member may serve as chair the following year.

Deadlines and Timeframe: The committee reviews submissions for the prize annually, due on Jan. 1.

Submission information

Sarah Benharrech (Chair)
Pamela Phillips
Terry F Robinson

Charge: Reviews proposals to the ASECS travel awards to the conference for the General Fund, the Non-Tenure-Track Fund, the Graduate Student Fund, and the IASECS Fund. It also reviews proposals for research travel.

Rules: Chair usually has served in previous year

Deadline and Timeframe:

• For research fellowships, the committee reviews submissions annually, usually due Jan. 1.
• For travel grants, the committee reviews submissions for funding annually, due 4-6 months before the Annual Meeting.

2026-2027 Committee
David mazella (Chair)
Dwight Codr
Chloe Wigston Smith
Lauren DiSalvo

American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS): Nush Powell, Arizona State University (through 2029)

The ACLS delegate helps the Executive Director maintain and nurture the relationship between ACLS and ASECS, attends the annual ACLS meeting, writes report for the news circular

Rules: The ACLS delegate serves for up to 4 years.

International Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies (ISECS): Susan Carlile, CSU Long Beach (through 6/2027)

Charge: The ASECS member delegate attends the ISECS conference (whether the small board meeting or large conference) every year and is expected to provide a brief report on the ISECS Meeting for publication in the fall ASECS News Circular, and a longer report on the quadrennial ISECS Congress.

Rules: The ISECS delegate usually serves for 2 years, timed to attend 2 of the meetings if possible. The beginning and end of term might thus not coincide with the ASECS member year. Some meetings may be held virtually in the future.