Dear Friends and Colleagues,

This may come as a surprise to many of you who have known me for years, but when I was a kid, I was very shy. While I had friends, I would often just keep to myself. After attending public elementary school through sixth grade, I spent the next four years in private school. Starting my junior year of high school, I returned to public school, facing yet another new environment. I realized that if I was going to succeed, I was going to have to work hard to find my voice. It took time, but I found a community that helped me get there, and to this day I continue to lean on them for strength and reassurance.

As our annual conference approaches, to encourage you to join us in Trumbull, Connecticut, let me tell you how I found my NERA voice. I first learned about NERA in 2007 through a research scientist I was working closely with during my early years at ETS. He recommended my colleagues and I take results of a factor analysis on a time management assessment with post-secondary students and prepare a poster submission for the conference. I was delighted to be accepted and to attend my first professional conference. I had been to Connecticut before, but as someone who enjoys long drives, the thrill of seeing the foliage and having two of my co-authors in the car got me excited to get to the hotel which at that time was in Rocky Hill outside Hartford.

Our poster presentation was scheduled for late that first afternoon in a small hallway, tucked away from the main corridor. As my colleagues and I got the poster in place, we waited to see who would come to check out our research. At that time, I knew very few people. However, it was one interaction with three people that confirmed for me that I had perhaps found my NERA voice. Those three people, one a member of the faculty, and the other two graduate students, told me they were from James Madison University’s Center for Assessment Research & Studies (CARS). When they told me about their program and their research, I remember vocalizing my astonishment that they were part of a whole unit devoted to the same kind of assessment work my colleagues and I at ETS were doing.

As some of you may know, I am a big fan of the original Star Trek series, especially the six feature films. In reflecting now about that wonderful experience that first year at NERA, I am reminded of something Admiral Kirk said in the second movie as the Enterprise departed the final battle scene, as Spock died saving the ship, and was buried on a new planet named Genesis, formed when the opposing ship exploded. Kirk said he could not help wondering about the friend he left behind and that if the new planet truly lived up to its billing, he knew he must return to that place again (timestamps 0:15-0:34). I am grateful to have attended almost every NERA conference since then and enjoyed it as a presenter, session chair, discussant, conference co-chair, and executive office holder.

As briefly touched on in my most recent Researcher article, this year I am excited about the three invited panels I helped organize for the upcoming conference which align with our theme, specifically “Ensuring all stakeholders’ voices are heard and represented.” The first panel on the afternoon of Tuesday, October 8^th will focus on civic education, a topic that deserves greater attention today as I believe much more needs to be done to help develop a more informed public, particularly in this prominent election year.

The second panel during the morning of Wednesday, October 9^th will focus on culture at minority-serving institutions (MSIs). There are far more of these colleges and universities in our region than most people may realize. These institutions, though often under the radar, are creating their own prestige, and the panelists will share their success stories and a general call for more research. The final panel that afternoon will shed light on a quickly emerging demographic in education - student parents. There are thankfully more programs now to help support those who are dedicated to furthering their education while also being dedicated to running households and raising families. Some of those experiences will shine through in this session.

I was delighted that we received just over 100 proposals for papers, posters, roundtables, and symposia and over a dozen workshop proposals. To those who submitted, thank you for contributing your voices to help define our program and the overall conference experience. Even if you did not submit a proposal, your presence is invaluable. Whether you are a session chair, discussant, or attending for professional development and networking, we need your voices too. In totality, to paraphrase a classic song by my favorite singer, Celine Dion, you will help contribute to creating three days of moments that will last forever.

Please make sure you keep up-to-date on what NERA is doing, especially about the upcoming conference, by checking our website, reading the newest issue of the NERA Researcher, and following our updates on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Best to all,

Jonathan Steinberg
2023-2024 NERA President