by Muhammad Hassan Bin Afzal, Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science and Public Service, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
When I first visited Chicago in 2017 to volunteer for a conference and workshop, I fell in love with the city. Then, MPSA entered my life. One of my academic mentors, Dr. Chand, inspired me to participate in MPSA as a doctoral student. Now, every April, I eagerly anticipate the MPSA meeting. April means MPSA the fantastic annual event where political scientists and scholars from around the globe come together to share ideas. However, MPSA is much more than that; it’s a vibrant community that also provides a space for undergraduate and graduate students. Whether it’s your first time attending or your fifteenth, there’s always something new at MPSA. Ideas collide, collaborations ignite, and someone always captures their “first-time-at-MPSA” picture in front of the big boards. It’s a moment that symbolizes your entrance into a vibrant community. Although I do this every year, I cherish my MPSA pictures! This year marks my third in-person MPSA, and I still approach it with the same mix of excitement and respect. My first in-person MPSA experience was unforgettable in April 2023, just days after I defended my doctoral dissertation at Kent State University. My mentors, Dr. Daniel Chand and Dr. Ryan Claassen, surprised me with a celebratory dinner at Exchequer in downtown Chicago. I will always cherish that moment together, as it was not only about finishing my dissertation and earning the Dr. title but also about the love and appreciation from my mentors and colleagues, emphasizing that I belong here and that my research and effort matter. I still remember Dr. Chand smiling and saying, “Well, hey, Dr. Hassan, ready for a picture?” while Dr. Claassen handed me a slice of pizza with a warm smile: “Take this with you in case you get hungry.” Those small gestures of kindness meant the world to me.
Picture 1: Dissertation Defense Celebratory dinner with my mentors (MPSA 2023)
The role of mentorship goes beyond professional guidance and helps build confidence, character, and a lasting sense of belonging. I will always be deeply grateful to all my faculty at Kent State for believing in me and cheering me on every step of the way. Since then, MPSA has become part of my annual rhythm. In 2024, two of my undergraduate students and mentees, Kristina Thompson and Sophia Chrisco, presented posters on public health and voting behavior. I served as a volunteer mentor last year for the mentoring session, and one of the participants, Meherun Nesa, published the first book review after our conversation. It was an honor to stand beside students who reminded me why we teach and mentor in the first place. This year, I return as a co-author, a presenter, and a mentor again with a fresh notebook, open ears, and a lot of gratitude.
Picture 2: Kristina Thompson and Sophia Chrisco presenting the undergraduate posters (MPSA 2024)
If you are attending MPSA for the first time, I would like to share a few strategies with you, and I hope you find them helpful.
1. Be Strategic
I plan my MPSA engagements, and the MPSA app is my best friend. The app or the online program shows the abstract session time and location. Most of the sessions are fantastic and are very insightful. But the point is that I cannot manage to attend all the sessions. I understand presenting in front of an audience is a big thing. I always try to make a point by nodding and thanking the presenters for their efforts. I love the vibrant learning experience at MPSA. So much excellent research is going on, and I recommend picking and choosing that aligns with your focus and interest.
2. Make Time for the Exhibition Hall
I think the conference is about fantastic people being together and sharing their talents, energy, and passion. Conferences are not just about panels. They are about people. I always try to visit the exhibition hall at MPSA, which includes major publishers, research centers, graduate programs, and sometimes free goodies. I recommend stopping by the professional headshot booth; they’re pros and worth it. Connections often begin between spaces, hallways, coffee stations, and elevators. I have had the most memorable conversations while waiting for a latte or browsing new books.
3. Undergrad Poster Sessions
The undergraduate poster session is one of the most amazing and insightful MPSA spaces; I appreciate and am grateful to see our younger generation so passionate and engaged with meaningful research, and their effort and hard work are shining through their posters, interactions with the audience, and passion to do more. I am enthusiastic about collaborative undergraduate research; I find MPSA poster sessions insightful and interactive.
4. Listen to Your Body and Protect Your Bandwidth
Frankly, MPSA has many excellent sessions, workshops, and events. I remind myself that I cannot attend all the events and sessions, so I make a list and try to stay flexible. If I feel like taking a break, I will walk to the Navy Pier, sit by the water, and watch the waves do their thing. It helps me reset. Other times, I return to the hotel for a real break and enjoy a solid nap. I have stopped feeling guilty about that. Listening to my body has helped me stay energized for the moments that matter. And I try to remember that others are managing their bandwidth, too. Not everyone is up for a conversation between panels. They might be running to present, preparing for a meeting, or just trying to catch their breath. Reading the room goes a long way. Sometimes, the best connection happens not in the moment but in the quiet of a kind, thoughtful follow-up email later on.
5. Make it Count and then Bring it Home
As a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, I approach conferences as a researcher and learner with my students in mind. After my recent ISA trip to Chicago, I followed up with a few people I met and invited them to speak with my classes. We hosted guest sessions with graduate school directors and faculty from Nova Southeastern and Northwestern in the UTC Library. Those conversations brought fresh energy into the classroom. It reminded me that sometimes, a quick chat at a conference can quietly lead to something that matters to our students.
Academia can be intense sometimes, but it does not mean we cannot have a little fun along the way. As we head into MPSA 2025, I look forward to learning, reconnecting, and maybe finding that next excellent research spark. I also look forward to some Navy Pier me time and a good slice of deep-dish pizza.
See you in Chicago!
Written By:
Muhammad Hassan Bin Afzal
Visiting Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science and Public Service
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Hassan-Afzal@utc.edu
Author Biography: Dr. Muhammad Hassan Bin Afzal (He/Him) is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he teaches American Politics, Research Methods, American Foreign Policy, Capstone Seminar, and Public Policy in the Age of Big Data. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Kent State University, an MBA from Idaho State University, and an MS in Information Technology from the University of Dhaka. His research interests are public opinion, immigration policy, voting behavior, and the role of mental health in academia. Dr. Afzal has taught at Kent State University and UTC and is passionate about undergraduate research, mentorship, and professional development. His work can be found on his Google Scholar or ORCiD profile.