What makes a vital city in the 21st Century? What is the impact of the arts and technology on a city's prosperity and sense of community? How do we tell our stories while giving new and fresh value to our traditions showcasing our beauty and power in a modern way?

The AGLSP 2010 Annual Conference will address these and other important 21st Century questions. With its dramatic history of social, economic, political, and cultural change, Dallas is the perfect setting to explore the transformation of the 21st Century city.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Dr. Gail Thomas serves as President and CEO of The Trinity Trust Foundation in Dallas, to remake the Trinity River Corridor. She is the founder and CEO of Cities Alive. In 1980, she founded the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture, and today serves as the Director of their Center for the City, where she teaches and conducts seminars and conferences. Dr. Thomas is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Kessler Award for improving the quality of life in Dallas.

Dr. Caroline Brettell , Dedman Family Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, SMU, has focused on the comparative and interdisciplinary study of population movement across time and space. A pioneer in exploring the role of women in the migration process, her work combines anthropology with historical demography. Her book Anthropology and Migration explores a host of questions pertinent to the study of migration from anthropological and historical perspectives.
Dr. Brettell has several ongoing research projects on immigration. One, funded by the National Science Foundation, focuses on the DFW metroplex as a new city of immigration and how immigrants are incorporated into the economic, social, and political structures of a sunbelt city. Another, recently funded by the Russell Sage Foundation, will be exploring aspects of citizenship practice and civic engagement among Asian Indian and Vietnamese immigrants in the DFW area.