Good morning! You may have noticed that the Information Professionals Association (IPA) blog has been quiet these past few months and that you haven’t received your usual weekly IPA e-mail newsletter. The IPA Board, Advisors, and staff have been hard at work making some improvements, and I wanted to take this opportunity to update current and prospective IPA Members. Following the success of our re-launch this spring of the Phoenix Challenge conference in partnership with the University of Maryland’s Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security, we’ve taken some time to think about ways to better engage IPA members, enhance our communications and outreach, and improve the underlying platforms we use to deliver information to our subscribers.
Right now, I’d like to welcome you all back to our IPA E-Newsletter, which is now powered by MailChimp, a much more flexible and versatile platform for our growing IPA membership and our desire to create more focused content in the future. The transition took some time to implement, and it’s possible we may experience some hiccups, but our hope is that the new format is easier to digest and that the change is seamless.
Other things on the IPA horizon:
- More IPA and information-focused events. For the time being, we expect our panels and events will remain virtual but we’re hopeful we can host an in-person event or two within the next few months. While our focus has been on professional panels and events this past year, we all understand the gap that the lack of social interaction has created. Let us know if you’d be interested in a virtual IPA social/networking opportunity by contacting us at communications@information-professionals.org.
- First Cognitive Security survey. IPA plans to conduct its first online survey this year, and we’re looking for your help. Read more about our plans and a volunteer opportunity here.
- Blog and E-Newsletter Contributions. IPA is developing guidelines for submitting content to our blog, which will also be highlighted in the IPA E-Newsletter. Our goal is to promote a rich and ongoing discourse among the IPA membership. We’ll still continue to update you on the latest Info Ops news, events, and research but we’d like to highlight IPA Members’ research, published articles, and contributions too! Stay tuned for the submission guidelines.
- Awards. We hope to increase interest and nominations for the Order of Hermes Award, an honorary award from the Information Professionals Association (IPA) to recognize individuals for exceptional service and contributions in the field of cognitive security and information operations. Nominations are accepted twice a year. Learn more about the Order of Hermes.
- Podcasts. If you haven’t been listening to IPA’s very own podcast, The Cognitive Crucible, you should be! Each week, The Cognitive Crucible features in-depth discussions on cognitive security challenges across the landscape of information operations, cyber, and strategic considerations with information operators, national security thought leaders, scholars, and politicians. If you have a suggested subject or potential guest, please contact us at communications@information-professionals.org. In the future, IPA will likely reserve some content only for members, so…
- Membership. If you’re not already a member of IPA or if your membership has lapsed, please take the time to Join IPA TODAY! We will only be able to expand the dialog, enhance our diversity, and engage the community with a vibrant membership base. Learn more about joining or renewing your IPA membership here.
We always want to know what you think and how IPA can deliver value to its members. Please be a part of the discussion and respond with ideas and suggestions for content you’d like to see in the E-Newsletter. We are so pleased to see our IPA community grow and evolve, and we appreciate your support!
Sincerely,
Paula Trimble
IPA Communications Director
Great Article! Thank you for sharing this very informative post, and looking forward to the latest one.