Postcard from the Field: Anu Rai Shares Her Fellowship Experience

IGC Fellow Anu Rai shares a postcard from her fellowship with the International Association for Society and Natural Resources.

This summer I traveled to Oregon State University for the 2026 IASNR Conference, which marked the 40th anniversary of the International Association for Society and Natural Resources. I attended as one of the Conference Communications Fellows, with the task of writing about feeling of community, one of the three anniversary themes alongside scholarship and legacy. The assignment turned out to fit my interests closely. My own research examines sense of belonging among the individuals who are the members of the natural resource institutions, such as fisheries management organizations, so I spent the conference week paying attention to how a scholarly community actually forms and holds together. What struck me was that community at IASNR was not simply a backdrop to the science. It was built on purpose, through the people who planned sessions, welcomed newcomers, and made room for conversation between presentations.

Writing this reflection gave me a reason to look closely at something we often take for granted even though it carries real weight, which is what it means to feel a sense of community in a field. The article that follows is my attempt to describe that experience. I am grateful to everyone who made the conference possible, and in particular to the Disaster Resilience Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Program at Virginia Tech and the IASNR Communications Fellowship, which supported my participation and gave me the chance to share this reflection.

- Written by Anu Rai.