The Great River Collaborative Conference exists to bring together academics and scholars, community members, government officials, business leaders, and other interested constituents to explore the centrality of the Mississippi River to the past, present, and future of the Tri-States. Through the conference, we hope to bring together a broad and motivated constituency to exchange ideas to benefit the economic, cultural, artistic, political, spiritual, environmental, and academic life of the region. Ultimately we hope conversations generated through Changing Currents will foster innovative and collaborative solutions to the various challenges facing the river and the communities it impacts.

Now open: call for proposals

We are currently inviting presentations of the following broad topics related to the Mississippi River and our general conference theme.

*This list includes a variety of topics, disciplines, and other methodological approaches. If your intended topic is not represented below, please submit your proposal, and it will be welcomed and reviewed by our conference staff. 

Development

  • Business, economics, trade, and development around or within the river
  • The past, present, and future of agriculture 
  • Community planning and renewal
  • Entrepreneurship and innovation 
  • Addressing unique socio-economic hardships, growth, and challenges of the region
  • Transportation, navigation, and travel along the river
  • Tourism, attractions, and river development 

Engagement

  • Rural communities and the river
  • History, culture, and spirituality of indigenous peoples 
  • Literary, cultural, artistic, or musical expression 
  • Notable river personalities and curiosities 
  • Human spiritual and faith relations 
  • History of individuals, businesses, communities, and ecosystems along the river 
  • Critical moments in the history of the river (floods, other natural disasters, etc.) 

Inquiry

  • Teaching near, on, and with the river 
  • Forestry, fisheries, wildlife, or soil and water conservation and sustainability 
  • Hunting, fishing and outdoor sports 
  • Biodiversity, forestry, geology, or hydrology of the river ecosystem 
  • Improving collaboration between river communities and institutions of higher learning 
  • Anticipated future trends in river studies 

Proposal Deadline

The deadline for proposals is February 15, 2022.

Please submit this completed form along with all proposal elements as outlined in the proposal presentation form. If you have any questions regarding the submission process, please contact the conference staff at greatriver@culver.edu with the subject line "Changing Currents Proposal." 

call for proposals

Call for Proposals: Great River Collaborative
Last, First
Last, First
Last, First
Include a 200-300 word professional bio of the presenter(s) listed above. This information will be used in the conference program.
Provide a title that states the overall theme of your presentation. This title will be used in the conference program.
Provide a proposed outline that describes the content of your presentation.
What topic(s) from the above Call for Proposals does your presentation address?
Technology Requests
Select all AV requirements needed for your presentation.
Conference Attendance
Select the conference dates you expect to attend, should your presentation be selected. (This selection does not serve as your individual registration for the event.)
Include a clear, concise 50-100 word summary regarding the topic of your paper. This abstract will be used in the conference program.
List the content of your presentation in outline form. Presentations should be 20-30 minutes in length as part of a larger session of two to three presentations with a linked theme. A referred Q&A period follows each session, as time allows. Note: The presentations should be related to the conference's general theme. They should not be a promotional presentation about your particular institution or program.

Maximum file size: 516MB

If you have supporting documents (resume, outline, etc.) you wish to include, please do so here.

Questions

For questions about proposals or site-specific information, please contact conference co-chairs Scott Giltner (sgiltner@culver.edu) or Matt Osborn (mosborn@culver.edu) with the subject line "Changing Currents Conference Question."