2026 WNAR/IMS Annual Meeting
PULLMAN, WA
The 2026 WNAR/IMS meeting will be in Pullman, WA at Washington State University, Sunday, June 14 through Wednesday, June 17.
Washington State University in Pullman offers a beautiful summer setting for a conference, combining the energy of a vibrant campus with the charm of the surrounding Palouse region. Warm, sunny days highlight the rolling hills of wheat fields that create one of the most picturesque landscapes in the Pacific Northwest. Attendees can enjoy strolls through WSU’s scenic campus, visit the renowned Bear Center or the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, and experience the lively downtown Pullman with its local shops and eateries. Just beyond Pullman, opportunities abound for outdoor recreation, from hiking and biking trails to nearby rivers and lakes, making it an ideal destination where academic engagement meets the natural beauty and hospitality of Eastern Washington.
There will be short courses, a plenary lecture, invited and contributed sessions, young investigator events, and a Student Paper Award with oral sessions. Email programchair@wnar.org or wnar@wnar.orgwna with questions.
January 22: Accepted Invited Session proposals notified
February 5: Contributed Talk abstract deadline
February 5: Student Paper Award abstract deadline
March 5: Invited Session proposal submission deadline
March 5: Accepted contributed talks and student paper submissions notified
March 5: Invited Session abstract deadline
April 9: Student Paper Award manuscripts due via email to yuan.wang@wsu.edu
TBD: Registration open
Cancellations before May 15, 2026 are subject to a $50 fee with reimbursement. Email wnar@wnar.org. Cancellations on or after May 15, 2026 will not be refunded.
WNAR Contributed Talk and Student Paper Abstract Call
Contributed presentations will be 15 minutes and student paper presentations will be 20 minutes. You will receive an email confirmation with a link that will allow you to make changes after submitting.
WNAR holds a student paper competition each year in conjunction with its annual conference. For details on eligibility, guidelines for manuscript preparation, and review criteria, please visit the Student Competition page. The submission deadline for both submissions is February 5, 2026, and accepted contributed talks and accepted student papers will be notified by March 5, 2026.
For questions on contributed talks, please contact programchair@wnar.org, and for questions on Student Paper competition, please contact Yuan Wang (yuan.wang@wsu.edu).
WNAR Invited Session Call
Each invited session can include either 4 speakers, or 3 speakers and 1 discussant. Initial submissions require a title, description/motivation of the session, session chair and speaker names, affiliations, and emails. WNAR/IMS believes that diverse perspectives increase the quality of sessions and the conference overall. As such, we would like to highlight sessions that showcase diversity in their speakers or topics. We encourage session organizers to include a diverse set of speakers or topics.
Submissions are due March 5, 2026 and consist of a short proposal; abstracts are not required for this submission. Accepted invited sessions will be notified by March 15, 2026 after which abstracts and registration will be due April 1, 2026. For more information, please contact programchair@wnar.org.
Presidential Invited Address
TBD
Short Courses (Sunday June 15)
Sunday, June 15, 9:30am-12:30pm
Title: Generative AI in Science: Tips and Tricks for increasing productivity without losing correctness, ownership, and creativity
Speaker: Dr. Valliappa ("Lak") Lakshmanan
Short Bio:
Dr. Valliappa ("Lak") Lakshmanan is co-founder and CTO of Obin AI, a startup that's building deep domain AI agents for finance. He sets the technology and science direction of the company and is responsible for building the product.
Prior to this, Lak was an operating executive at an investment firm, the Director for Data Analytics and AI Solutions on Google Cloud and a Research Scientist at NOAA. He co-founded Google's Advanced Solutions Lab and is the author of several O'Reilly books and Coursera courses. He was elected a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society for his data science work.
Additional courses TBD
WNAR Expanding Opportunities Workshop
The 2026 WNAR Expanding Opportunities Workshop (June 13-June 14, 2026) is a satellite workshop held in conjunction with the WNAR Annual Meeting, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and belonging in quantitative fields. The 2026 workshop will provide a fun college experience to local native high school students, while creating opportunities for mentorship from peers, statistical researchers, and other members of the scientific community.
Note: WNAR is seeking donations to help support this workshop for 2026. Please see the Donate page or donate when you register for the WNAR meeting, if you are able. Thank you for your support of WNAR's continued outreach to junior members and potential (bio)statisticians and data scientists.
WNAR Indigenous Student Travel Awards
WNAR is offering multiple travel awards for Indigenous students from within the WNAR region to attend our annual conference. Awards up to $1,000 are available for conference travel and lodging related expenses. Eligible students include Indigenous peoples of North America and the Pacific Islands. To apply, please send a letter outlining your connection to Indigenous peoples and why you are looking forward to attending the WNAR annual conference to: jedi@wnar.org. Deadline for applications is May 1, 2026.
Start Date: Saturday, June 13, 2026
End Date: Thursday, June 18, 2026
Hotels offering the special group rate:
· Courtyard by Marriott Pullman for 199.00 USD per night - Last Day to Book : Thursday, May 14, 2026
· Residence Inn by Marriott Pullman for 209.00 USD per night - Last Day to Book : Thursday, May 14, 2026
The most convenient way to reach Washington State University in Pullman is via the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport (PUW), located just about 2 miles (under 10 minutes by car) from campus. Taxis, rideshares, and hotel shuttles are readily available for the short trip from the airport to WSU. For broader flight options, visitors can fly into Spokane International Airport (GEG), about 90 miles (a 1.5-hour drive) north of Pullman, with regular shuttles and car rentals available for the journey to campus. Another nearby option is the Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport (LWS), approximately 25 miles (about a 50-minute drive) southeast, with shuttle and car services connecting travelers to Pullman.
WNAR holds a student paper competition each year in conjunction with its annual conference.
For details on eligibility, guidelines for manuscript preparation, and review criteria, please visit the Student Competition page. For students who have submitted a student award abstract, the final paper is due to the Student Paper Award Chair Yuan Wang (yuan.wang@wsu.edu) via email by April 9, 2026.
Sponsors
Many thanks to our sponsors who helped support WNAR 2026, including support for our Expanding Opportunities Workshop.
