- office@pisigmaalpha.org
- Pi Sigma Alpha 1527 New Hampshire Ave, NW Washington, DC 20036
2026 National Student Research Conference
Over February 27-28, 2026, Pi Sigma Alpha welcomed 400 attendees in-person at American University in Washington, DC and virtually for the 13th Annual National Student Research Conference. Undergraduate and graduate student presenters, graduate student discussants, and faculty chairs came from 125 colleges and universities across the country.
The event kicked off with a Career Reception on Friday evening. Participants connected with professionals working in government, academia, advocacy, law, consulting, data, tech, and policy to learn more about career paths for political science majors.
Saturday featured 212 research presentations across 50 panels by Pi Sigma Alpha undergraduate and Master’s student members from across the United States. Several professional development panels were also held for students to learn about succeeding in graduate school, law school, and career options outside of academia.
On Saturday morning, students had the opportunity to meet with representatives from graduate programs in political science and public policy at the Graduate School Reception.
This year’s keynote discussion, “Determinants and Determination: Building a Career to Improve Health and Housing Equity at Home and Abroad,” featured Pi Sigma Alpha Inaugural Alumni Awardee, Dana Parke, M.A.
Since Pi Sigma Alpha introduced the National Student Research Conference in 2014, thousands of students have attended and presented their research. Diverse institution types, from small liberal arts colleges to large research institutions, were represented at the 2026 conference. Over 30% of the institutions represented are designated Minority-Serving Institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU); Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI); and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISI). We look forward to next year’s event!
If you have questions, contact the Pi Sigma Alpha national office office@pisigmaalpha.org
“I was extremely nervous to present at a conference for the first time, but this experience was amazing! I had a great experience connecting with students and faculty from around the country, and I got very helpful comments from my fellow panelists, the chair, and the discussant after presenting. I completely recommend this conference to any student who wants to connect with other researchers and get constructive criticism!” – 2026 student presenter
“Presenting at the conference gave me confidence to discuss my research, an allowed me to connect with other students in various fields.” – 2026 student presenter