Meeting IASECS
March 10, 2023
St Louis, MO
Minutes
Attendance: Clorinda Donato, Cathy Jaffe, Oscar Ruiz Hernandez, Sahai Couso, Luis Ramos, Mariselle Melendez, Maria Carrillo Marquina, Amit Yahav, Enid Valle, Kathleen Fueger, Valentina Tikoff, Hazel Gold, Karen Stolley, Peggy Bonds, Renée Gutiérrez, Mehl Penrose, Betsy Lewis, Elena Deanda.
Reports:
Travel prizes and grants (Enid Valle): 2023 María Salgado Student Travels Grants given to María Carrillo Marquina (Tulane U), Anahit Manoukian (U California – Berkeley)
Membership and finance report (Betsy Lewis): 14 regular memberships paid in 2022. End of the year balance of $5617.
ASECS Executive Committee (Cathy Jaffe):
- ASECS 2024 Toronto: Forthcoming two models for next ASECS meeting–A thematic panel lead by a chair (usual format) or a single paper proposal to go to a pool to be organized into panels.
- Studies in Eighteenth-Century Culture is seeking clusters for publication, David Brewer is SECC editor.
Elections of 2024 Officers
President: Mehl Penrose (University of Maryland, College Park)
Vice-President: Mariselle Meléndez (U of Illinois Urbana Champaign)
At Large Members: Luis Ramos (NYU), 1 year; Hazel Gold, (Emory University), 2 years; Oscar Ruiz Hernández (U of Massachusetts Lowell), 3 years
Executive Secretary/Treasurer (2 years): Elizabeth Lewis, (University of Mary Washington)
Immediate Past President: Elena Deanda (Washington College)
Pilar G. Sáenz Student Essay Prize & María Salgado Student Travel Grants: Enid Valle, Chair of Committee (Kalamazoo College)
Webpage editor: Elizabeth Lewis, University of Mary Washington
New Business
Amendments to the IASECS Constitution approved (see attached) : Voted to accept amendments to the IASECS Constitution to allow for virtual attendance if future ASECS meetings are held virtually.
Creation of an IASECS Endowed Fund within ASECS:
Approved making a deposit from IASECS account of $4,000 to create an IASECS endowed fund. This first deposit will be made in the 2024 ASECS fiscal year which begins July 1, 2024. It is anticipated that fund will begin generating approximately $400 a year, beginning in 2027.
This fund will require three years before funds can be disbursed. In the interim, we will continue gathering yearly dues and donations to award the essay prize and travel grants.
Kathleen Fueger reported that an anonymous donor has pledged a $1000 matching donation. We will announce this challenge after the fund has been established and begin our first fundraising campaign. Donations to the endowed fund will be tax deductible (which is not the case for current donations to IASECS).
Brainstorming for Toronto
Some preliminary ideas included the following. These will be finalized at our virtual retreat in April
a. Black Legend: Cathy and Karen
b. Triangular collaborations: African, Indigenous, and European Knowledge in the Americas.
c. Channeling the Ancients: Normative representations of classical sexualities in Enlightenment Literature (“channeling” inspired by the etymology of Toronto [Mohawk “Tkoronto” meaning channel between lakes Simcoe and Couchiching).
IASECS Virtual Retreat
IASECS is planning a virtual retreat for next Wednesday, April 26, at 5pm EDT. Check your email for the Zoom link. If you don’t receive it and would like to join us, please email or message Betsy and she’ll send the link.
Agenda for IASECS Retreat on 4/26/23
1. Brainstorming on IASECS sessions for the ASECS conference in Toronto in 2024
2. Online Symposium: “The Spanish and Spanish American Eighteenth-Century Lecture Series” (book presentations, thematic series, stand-alone talks, etc.)
3. NEH grant (discussion based on Clorinda Donato’s ASECS 2023 session)