Industry Studies Association (ISA) Announcement on Coronavirus 

We have just completed the program for our June 3-5 conference at MIT’s Samberg Center, we have sent acceptance notices, and we are opening registration today.  As of now, the conference is still on

Our policy (ISA’s board and Conference Committee) has been (and continues to be) that we will closely monitor the coronavirus public health situation to see if it requires us to change anything about our conference plans.  

As you may have heard, MIT yesterday issued a set of guidelines covering the period March 5 to May 15, 2020.  http://news.mit.edu/2020/letter-regarding-coronavirus-disease-0305

Our conference is outside that time window.  While we are aware that the situation is highly fluid and changing rapidly, we will proceed on the premise that the conference is still on.  

Meanwhile we will be preparing contingency plans for changes in the conference plan (postponement or cancellation) should MIT’s guidelines change.  We are monitoring the situation closely and will provide you with regular updates. We also urge you to seek out information at the following links:

  1. World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
  2. Center for Disease Control:https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/transmission.html

The uncertainty of the coronavirus is an unexpected stressor for us all, and difficult to fully comprehend.  Let’s approach this situation by being supportive, calm and patient with one another. I know that together we can address this challenge, draw strength from each other, and become an even more tightly-knit community.

John Paul MacDuffie
President