American Society of Naturalists

A membership society whose goal is to advance and to diffuse knowledge of organic evolution and other broad biological principles so as to enhance the conceptual unification of the biological sciences.

The ASN returns to Asilomar, January 3-7, 2025

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Sea lions on a buoy in Monterey Bay
Sea lions on a buoy in Monterey Bay

The ASN will be returning to the Asilomar Conference Center for its (mostly) biennial stand-alone meeting from January 3-7, 2025.


Call for Proposals for Symposia!

Due July 15, 2024

The American Society of Naturalists will be going back to Asilomar in Pacific Grove, California, to hold our stand-alone conference – Asilomar 2025 – on 3-7 January 2025!

Have an idea for a special symposium? We want to hear it!

The ASN Symposium Committee invites you to submit proposals for a special symposium. Proposed symposium topics should support the Society’s goal to advance the conceptual unification of the biological sciences and to further knowledge in evolution, ecology, behavior, and organismal biology. Topics could center around important emerging issues in evolution, ecology, or behavior or focus on a pivotal historical paper, tracing its impact and exploring current cutting-edge research inspired by this work.

Proposals should include (1) a title; (2) a description of the symposium topic (up to one page); (3) a list of six speakers, including institutional affiliations, who have agreed to participate in the symposium; (4) a justification for the symposium, explaining why the topic and speakers are appropriate for an ASN symposium (up to one page).

Please submit proposals by email (michelle.afkhami@miami.edu) no later than midnight Eastern Time on July 15, 2022. Send your proposal as a single pdf attachment, under subject heading “ASN Asilomar 2025 Symposium Proposal”.

In line with the ASN's commitment to diversity, we encourage including speakers from groups who have been historically excluded from STEM. Therefore, proposals that include a diverse list of speakers from a range of backgrounds, institutions, career stages, geography, gender, race, etc., are especially encouraged. Further, we especially encourage early career researchers to propose sessions as organizing symposia can advance their careers through building broader scientific networks and a record of scientific leadership.

Additionally, the Society’s selection committee will evaluate proposals based on their potential to attracting substantial audience and stimulate discussion, the significance and timeliness of the topic, and on the topic’s differing substantively from recent symposia hosted by the Society. Applicants will be notified of the decision before the end of August 2025. In cases of financial hardship, requests for assistance to allow participation in symposia can be made to the American Society of Naturalists and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Michelle Afkhami
ASN Symposium Committee Chair
Department of Biology
University of Miami
michelle.afkhami@miami.edu