HBES 2025 Conference Survey Results

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HBES Members,

I am writing in my capacity as Communications Officer to share with you survey results about our recent meeting in Atlantic City.

We had 127 responses, most of whom are faculty at various career stages, doctoral students, and postdocs. The vast majority of survey participants are from North America. Anthropologists and psychologists made up over 100 of the 127 responses, with psychology outnumbering anthropology three to one.

Here are statistical summaries of Likert scale questions, ranked from most satisfied to least satisfied

  • 83% (65/78) of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they felt free to express their views about scientific topics and questions at the 2025 meeting.
  • 82% (86/105) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the science in our journal, Evolution & Human Behavior.
  • 76% (80/105) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the degree to which HBES provides an environment in which people are free to express their ideas, opinions, or beliefs.
  • 76% (80/105) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the claim that HBES provides an environment in which people have an opportunity to excel regardless of their identity or background.
  • 70% (73/104) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the HBES e-newsletter. (As this is my first newsletter, I can take no credit, but would like to take a moment to thank my predecessor, Pat Barclay, for many years of service to HBES in this role.)
  • 70% (73/104) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with HBES e-mail communications.
  • 65% (65/101) of participants would like to or are planning to attend HBES 2026 in Rabat, Morocco.
  • 62% (64/104) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied by the society’s overall impact.
  • 60% (62/102) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the Executive Council leadership over the last year.
  • 59% (61/103) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the disciplinary diversity of HBES.
  • 57% (58/102) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied by the society’s transparency of operations.
  • 54% (56/102) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the HBES website (33 participants are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied).
  • 40% (42/102) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with HBES social media (another 42 participants are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied).
  • 26% (26/100) of participants are satisfied or extremely satisfied with the contractual agreement with Elsevier for our society journal, *Evolution & Human Behavior*.

In a large and diverse society, we can’t expect consensus on most issues. That said, most survey participants are broadly satisfied with the society.

There were two items in which a plurality of participants were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied: social media and the contractual agreement with Elsevier for Evolution & Human Behavior. (I’ll note that on no item was there a plurality, let alone a majority, who were dissatisfied or extremely dissatisfied.)

I cannot speak to any concerns you have about the contract with Elsevier, but as Communications Officer I am happy to relay any messages to the Executive Council. Social media, however, is within my purview as Communications Officer. Please send me concerns you have and suggestions on how we can improve this aspect of our society (same goes for the website, the newsletter, email communications. etc.).

Lastly, I’d like to highlight some of the qualitative opinions members shared with us. Rather than reproduce multiple responses verbatim, I’ll share with you my summaries.

  • A few participants expressed feelings of being an outsider, whether that’s because of their academic discipline (i.e. not being an anthropologist or psychologist) or their academic home (e.g. not being from a “respected lab”, a “California school”, or an “R-1”). This is unfortunate and certainly not something the society encourages. The EC is planning on adding events to the next annual meeting to try to address this issue.
  • A few participants complained that the society has become “too political”, with roughly equal numbers worrying it was too left-wing and too right-wing. The EC strives to maintain an environment in which HBES members are free to express themselves. This means that some members end up saying things that others deem “too political.” (I will also note that roughly the same number wrote lengthy responses commending the society for fostering an inclusive environment that allowed people to express their ideas. Furthermore, 80% of participants thought the society was doing a good job with freedom of expression and 83% felt they could express their ideas without a problem.)
  • A few participants felt that psychology is over-represented and anthropology is underrepresented. Among survey participants, psychologists did, in fact, outnumber anthropologists three to one. The EC remains committed to fostering disciplinary diversity. For example, plenary lectures tend to be balanced between psychology and anthropology. (I’ll also note that this is not a long-standing issue and that our society has very little representation outside these two disciplines—something we may want to work on in the future.)

Please reach out to the society if you feel your opinions are not being heard.

If you have specific suggestions on how we might improve our society, feel free to email me (communications@hbes.com) and I will relay the message to the Executive Council.

If you witnessed or experienced inappropriate behavior at conference , please contact the Grievance Committee (https://www.hbes.com/grievance/).

Sincerely,
Karthik Panchanthan

Postdoc focusing on interdependence and cooperation – University of Arizona

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Dear colleagues,
I wanted to circulate an opening for a postdoctoral position, and would like to kindly ask that you share this opportunity with grad students who may be interested in working with me on topics related to interdependence and cooperation. I will also be reviewing graduate student applications this cycle, and would be grateful if you shared this information with undergraduate students with an interest in emotions, interdependence, and cooperation. Thank you for your time.
Postdoc position. The SPECIEs (Social Psychology of Evolutionary Cooperation, Interdependence, and Emotions) Lab in the psychology department at the University of Arizona is hiring a Research Scientist (i.e., postdoctoral scholar). This is a 3 year position at $65k/year (yearly contracts with renewal). The postdoc will be involved in the analysis of existing field data on cooperation and well-being among the Mayangna of Nicaragua, help in the design and development of new projects (e.g., experiments, large-scale cross-cultural surveys, ecological momentary assessment), and conduct fieldwork in the Bosawas biosphere reserve of Northern Nicaragua during two field visits, each lasting 1-3 months. Therefore, the candidate must be fluent in Spanish, and willing to conduct fieldwork in a remote area (i.e., no basic services like water, sewage, electricity, etc.). The researcher will also collaborate on ongoing projects, gain mentorship, and professional development. The ideal candidate has strong skills in statistics (e.g., SEM, multi-level models, longitudinal data, social networks), data visualization, and is knowledgeable in the science of cooperation/prosocial behavior, the evolutionary human sciences, and/or affective science.
Start date: Summer-Fall 2026.
Review of applications: until filled.
Application materials: 1-2 page cover letter, CV, 2-3 reference contacts (email and phone number).
Contact: Diego Guevara Beltran at dguevarabeltran@arizona.edu
For an overview of current/ongoing research see: https://psycheddiego.mystrikingly.com/publications
Best,
Diego Guevara Beltran, PhD
Assistant Professor
Psychology Department
University of Arizona

Biological Anthropology Faculty Hire – University of Minnesota Twin Cities

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UMN Search for a Biological Anthropologist in 2025-2026

About the Position

The Department of Anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities invites applications for a full-time, tenure-track position in paleoanthropology beginning fall semester 2026. We seek scholars at the cutting edge of biological anthropology who critically utilize scientific approaches, broadly conceived, to answer anthropological questions related to the evolution and variation of humans and/or hominin ancestors. Possible research areas include hominin fossil record and skeletal anatomy, biomechanics and functional morphology, or evolutionary approaches to the study of human adaptations. Appointment will be 100% time over the nine-month academic year (late August to late May). The appointment will be made at the rank of tenure-track Assistant Professor, depending on qualifications and experience, and consistent with collegiate and University policy. 

Faculty in the Department of Anthropology in the College of Liberal Arts are expected to maintain an active program of scholarly research or creative activity that includes publications; teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses; advising students; pursuit of extramural funding; and service effort appropriate for the level of appointment to the department, college, university and profession. The holder of this position is expected to teach two courses per semester, which includes joining the teaching rotation for a large introductory course in biological anthropology, as well as developing specific undergraduate and graduate courses in the candidate’s area of expertise. We are especially interested in candidates who, broadly conceived, enhance diversity in the department and whose interests integrate with and expand on current department expertise in biological anthropology, and can interface with the four fields of anthropology. 

The Standards for Promotion and Tenure in the Department of Anthropology are available at: https://faculty.umn.edu/sites/faculty.umn.edu/files/anthropology.pdf 

The Workload Principles and Guidelines for Regular Faculty in the College of Liberal Arts are available at https://neighborhood.cla.umn.edu/college-knowledge/workload-principles-and-guidelines

State law requires a good faith estimate of the salary range for all advertised positions. The range for this position is $75,000 to $150,000, depending on discipline, experience and other considerations. Faculty positions also include significant start-up funds, as well as retirement, health and other benefits. 

Qualifications

Required Qualifications: A Ph.D. in anthropology or closely related field is expected to be in hand at the time of the appointment.

Preferred Qualifications: Evidence of research – including postdoctoral or equivalent post-degree experience – in biological anthropology, specifically of paleoanthropology, functional anatomy, or similar.

Candidates will be evaluated according to the overall quality of their academic preparation, the strength of their research and its relevance to the department’s academic priorities and the field of inquiry, evidence of commitment to teaching and skills as a teacher, and the quality of recommendations. The successful applicant will have a strong commitment to contribute at all levels of our undergraduate and graduate programs.

How to Apply

The priority deadline for application materials is October 17, 2025. This position will remain open until filled. Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions for completing an application.

Required documents must be attached by accessing your “My Job Applications” page and can be attached after submission of the application by exiting and re-entering the Job Center, accessing your “My Job Applications” page, and uploading documents there. The following materials must be attached to your online application: (1) cover letter; (2) curriculum vitae; (3) research statement; (4) teaching statement; (5) and names, addresses and email contact information for three references as a separate attachment in “My Job Applications.” Additional materials may be requested at a later date.

Questions may be addressed to search committee chair Michelle Brown [brow7100@umn.edu].

Assistant Professor in Traditional Ecological Knowledge – Stanford

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We seek applicants for a tenure-track appointment at the assistant professor level in the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability in the field of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (also referred to as Indigenous and local knowledge, Indigenous science, Native science, and other similar terms) and its relevance to social and environmental sustainability. Topical research areas of interest include, but are not limited to: the role of fire and other aspects of Indigenous land stewardship in the changing climate; establishment and management of natural protected areas; conservation and application of the wild relatives of crops and animals; the ethical and responsible collection and use of socio-ecological data; environmental governance; the role of tribal food and land sovereignty and cultural revitalization for environmental sustainability; and two-eyed seeing, the multicultural approach to understanding the natural world using both Indigenous and Western sciences as independent, but complementary, ways of knowing.

The range of expertise and facilities across Stanford University’s main campus, as well as Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve (‘Ootchamin ‘Ooyakma) and Hopkins Marine Station, provide opportunities to develop a research program that bridges Indigenous and Western knowledge systems.

For more information, visit the link below:
https://facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/job/494875/assistant-professor-in-traditional-ecological-knowledge

Two Faculty Positions in Biological Anthropology – The University of Western Australia

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The University of Western Australia is hiring for two faculty positions

  • Lecturer in Biological Anthropology
  • Associate Professor in Biological Anthropology

The School of Human Sciences is a multi-disciplinary School with expertise in Anatomy, Physiology, Human Biology, Sport Science, and Exercise Health.

The School is one of the largest in the University and offers a highly populated Major in Anatomy and Human Biology, and a Minor in Biological Anthropology. Biological Anthropology encompasses evolutionary demography, genetics, and behavioural ecology of humans and non-human primates, with a focus on health, disease, and conservation.

The School manages a very productive research program, supervising Honours, Masters and PhD students. The breadth of research and researchers can be explored further on our webpage.

In these teaching-research position, you will be expected to make a strong contribution to the School’s teaching and research portfolio in Biological Anthropology.

Key Responsibilities

  • Contributes to outstanding teaching and learning outcomes
    • Contribute to world-class teaching in the degree programs of the School at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels; undertake administrative duties as required
    • Contribute and commit to high quality teaching and unit coordination
    • Attract and recruit quality postgraduate students
    • Design and implement best practice assessment of student learning outcomes and participate in assessment panels
  • Contributes to research outcomes within discipline or area of expertise
    • Join or develop a research team to initiate research in local, national, and international arenas Undertake independent and collaborative research to generate research outputs of high impact
    • Communicate research findings through scientific publications, reports, meetings, and teaching
    • Enhance the reputation of the School and the University by producing publications in highly ranked, peer reviewed, journals of international standing
    • Either as an individual or as part of a team, play a role in bids for major research funding from national and international competitive funding agencies, industry, and government partners
  • Service and Engagement
    • Contribute to the governance and collegial life within the School, across the University, and more broadly outside the institution
    • Work within the legislative requirements of the University and support the University’s commitment to inclusion and diversity
    • Represent the University of Western Australia through involvement in professional associations, conferences, non-academic (e.g. government, not-for-profit, industry) partnerships, and other external activities
    • Maintain knowledge of standards of practice and required procedures for student assessment and policy, and ensure that these are completed to required standard and within an acceptable time frame
    • Undertake administrative duties as required in relation to teaching and research supervision
    • Perform other duties as directed by the Head of School and the Head of the Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology

Selection Criteria

  • Qualifications and/or certifications
    • PhD in an academic field relevant to the discipline
  • Teaching and learning
    • Capacity to teach human behavioural ecology
    • Demonstrated ability, relative to opportunity, to deliver high quality teaching approaches, assessments, and materials for units and courses
    • Demonstrated commitment to inclusive teaching practices to extend equality of opportunity for all learners
  • Research
    • A demonstrable track record, relative to opportunity, of excellence in research, as evidenced by peer-reviewed journal articles published in high quality journals
    • A demonstrable track record, relative to opportunity, of successful applications for competitive funding
    • Demonstrate evidence, relative to opportunity, of successful supervision or co-supervision or mentoring of HDR or Honours students
  • Service/ Engagement
    • Demonstrated ability to relate well to staff and students at all levels, and evidence of a commitment to equity and diversity principles
    • Demonstrated ability to positively contribute to team, school and wider University activities such as team and school meetings, strategic planning, and program development
    • Demonstrable experience, relative to opportunity, of participation in education/research leadership in public engagements that promote research and/or education outcomes, including engagement with government and industry

The deadlines for these positions are August 22 (Associate Professor) and August 29 (Lecturer).

For more information, click on the links below:

Royal Society Publishing Competition 2025

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Are you a scientist with an interest in photography? We’re delighted to announce that the Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition is now open for entries until 15 August 2025 for a chance to win £1000! The competition celebrates the power of photography in conveying the wonder of science happening all around us and photographs can be submitted in the categories of: Astronomy, Behaviour, Earth Science and Climatology, Ecology and Environmental Science, and Microimaging.

The competition is free to enter and open to anyone studying or working in science at graduate level or above. Category winners will receive a one-year membership to the Royal Photographic Society and the overall winner will receive a grand prize of £1,000. Find out more: https://bit.ly/RSPphotocompDES9271_4_Publishing photography competition 2025_QR poster_A4.

HBES 2025 conference report

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HBES 2025 was a success!

From June 4-7, we gathered at Stockton University in Atlantic City, NJ, for 3.5 fantastic days of presentations, posters, and discussions. Thanks to Josh Duntley & the other organizers (Bobbi Hornbeck, Margaret Lewis, Liz Shobe), the Program Committee, the volunteers, the competition judges, the speakers & presenters, the sponsors, and everyone else who made it great!

Plenaries

We enjoyed plenaries from the following researchers:

Michael Platt kicked off #HBES2025 with a tour de force plenary in the neuroscience and consequences of social behavior! In wild monkeys on Cayo Santiago, social ties buffer against the health consequences of the devastating hurricane Maria. He used cutting edge neuroscience to challenge sparse coding models of brain activity in which individual neurons control specific behaviors, and instead show that neurons tend to be recruited for the regulation of multiple behaviors. Plenaries like this are what’s great about HBES: from data on the fundamental importance of social bonds to questions about the nature of computation in the brain all in one talk!

Beverly Strassmann provided a stunning testament to the power of long-term field studies and the human behavioral ecology perspective, with data from 40 years of research among the Dogon of Mali. Her research shows how individual reproductive interests can explain phenomena from the widest scale of religious conversation, to men’s control of women’s sexuality, to conflict among kin, and zooming all the way in to genomic imprinting. Fantastic work!

Jim Roney declared war on the “parsimony-based” approach that he claims dominates hormone research, i.e., attempts to find the “one” true effect of a hormone, which leads to imbalances in research on inputs vs outputs, obscures functions & creates confusion. He argued that we need to adopt a “theoretical frameworks” approach: study how hormones connect situational inputs with coordinated outputs. This reveals how hormones serve as physiological codes for adaptively-relevant situations. His plenary showed how this perspective yields fresh insights. He provides the 1st evidence of estradiol & progesterone coordinating to suppress sexual desire during the “implantation window”, & shows how this makes sense of seemingly conflicting effects of the famously mercurial hormone oxytocin”

Oliver Scott Curry took us on an interstellar tour through the universe of morality. He argued morality is fundamentally about promoting cooperation toward promoting the common good, which lets game theory model “What is good?” as a scientific question. He identified 7 types of cooperation that people around the world find morally good, showed how individual differences in moral intuition arise from variations on these themes, and demonstrated how culturally variable moral norms arise as combining these seven more basic elements.

Norm Li applied a life history framework to declines in fertility worldwide. He reviewed several known sources of fertility decline but called attention to a potentially underappreciated factor: evolutionary mismatch. He presented a series of experiments providing evidence that exposure to some modern challenges –climbing modern status ladders, economic uncertainty, & population density–induces shifts toward slower reproductive strategies.

Siobhán Cully’s plenary gave recommendations on “managing patriarchy in the evolutionary behavioral sciences”. She marshalled a range of evidence on the inadequacy of a “male-centered” view of evolution, i.e., that men hunting is the central driver of human life history evolution. According to Dr. Cully, men don’t exclusively use their caloric surpluses for provisioning, and are often less reliable caregivers. In addition, women’s contributions to culture, provisioning, and technology are underrepresented in the archeological record. She made a number of recommendations to paint a more accurate picture, including being more cautious in our inferences about sex and gender, to be more creative in our methods to capture variation, to focus on knowledge gaps, and to continue engaging in healthy debate.

Elizabeth Cashdan’s keynote surveyed the power of an evolutionary, cross-cultural, and comparative perspective for illuminating the nature and origin of sex differences in spatial cognition. Dr. Cashdan showed evidence that sex differences in spatial cognition are cross-culturally universal but flexible and ecologically contingent, underscoring the importance of experience in shaping cognition.

Conference Awards

Every HBES conference has three Conference Awards: the New Investigator Award to the best graduate student paper/presentation, the Postdoctoral Award to the best paper/presentation by a recent graduate (<5 years post-PhD), and the Poster Award (best poster by anyone). Here are the winners of the 2025 HBES Conference Awards:

  • New Investigator Award: Marco Balducci for “The Gender-Equality Paradox in Intraindividual Academic Strengths: A Cross-Temporal Analysis”
  • Postdoctoctdoral Award: Ahra Ko for “Politics, Pathogens, and Perception: Tracking Adaptive Shifts in the Behavioral Immune System in Real Time”
  • Poster Award: Angela Vasishta, Karthik Panchanathan, & Hannah Rubin for “The Effects of Reputation and Fairness on Homophily and Discrimination in Academic Collaboration Networks”

Society Awards

HBES also announces the Society Awards: the Early Career Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution (best researcher <10 years post-PhD), the HBES Fellows (multiple awardees >10 years post-PhD), the Rising Stars (multiple awardees <8 years post-PhD), and the Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Scientific Contribution. Here are the winners of the 2025 HBES Society Awards:

Paper Awards

And finally, there are the Paper Awards: the Margo Wilson Award for the best paper published the previous year in Evolution and Human Behavior (the official HBES journal), and the Don Symons Adaptationism Award for the best paper in the previous three years in any journal that best exemplifies the adaptationist program (this award is privately sponsored). The 2025 winners of the HBES Paper Awards are:

Announcing HBES 2025

Next year’s HBES will be held from May 13-16 at University Mohammad VI Polytechnique in Rabat, Morocco. They have a huge team of evolutionary researchers and brand new facilities in an international tourist destination. This will be a joint meeting with the Cultural Evolution Society (CES): CES meets May 11-13, HBES meets May 13-16, with one day of joint talks (May 13). For more details and an FAQ by the hosts, see our conference announcement. See you there!

Announcing HBES 2026

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Dear HBES Community,

Now that HBES 2025 in Atlantic City is over, it’s time to start thinking towards 2026. Hosting HBES shows dedication to the society, so thanks to Josh Duntley and the hosts of HBES 2025 for a successful conference. What’s in store for HBES 2026?

We are very pleased to announce that HBES 2026 will be held in Rabat, Morocco, at the University Mohammad VI Polytechnic (UM6P) from May 13-16, 2026. This will be a joint conference with the Cultural Evolution Society (CES).

Unique Benefits of HBES 2026 in Rabat

Having HBES 2026 at UM6P in Rabat is exciting for many reasons.

First, UM6P has a growing community of evolutionary social scientists, including HBES members and students thereof (Zach Garfield, Ed Seabright, Sarah Alami, Mathieu Charbonneau, Rebecca Koomen, Cody Moser, Dominique Guillo, Alejandro Erut, Nicolas Porot, Emmanuel Trouche, & Cathal O’Madagain). As many hosts can attest, a good team is important, rather than relying on just a single evolutionary person to host, and this is a big team who have put in a lot of work over the last year preparing to host HBES 2026.

Second, we’re excited about the venue itself. It’s a good place venue for hosting events, with brand new facilities. Our hosting team has negotiated with UM6P to provide a lot of support, which will help keep costs down for our attendees, including students. In addition to hotels, there will be student dorms available for those who want keep costs even lower.

Third, it’s a chance for a joint conference with another prominent evolutionary society: the Cultural Evolution Society (CES). The conferences will be back-to-back: CES from May 11-13, and HBES from May 13-16, with one day of overlapping talks (May 13). This opportunity will provide a lot of useful cross-pollination between these two societies.

Fourth, this is a unique opportunity to bring HBES and CES to Africa, allowing African scholars to attend and present their research (in addition to the rest of the world). Much research in Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavioral Ecology is conducted in Africa, so this will strengthen ties to African research institutions involved in these areas. Many scholars in the Global South have trouble traveling to North America or Europe (e.g., visas), so this conference can attract researchers who normally can’t attend HBES. UM6P values socioeconomic, cultural, and religious diversity. At the School of Collective Intelligence, where many of the host faculty are based, half the student body are international students from across Africa, and half are women. At the conference, we will hear perspectives from many researchers we don’t normally hear from, and foster the HBES goal of being a truly global society for the evolution of human behavior.

Altogether, this is an exciting opportunity for a great location, hosted by a great team, with another great evolutionary society, and with voices we seldom get to hear.

Travel to Rabat

We’ve never held an HBES in Morocco, and many members have never been there. As such, we recognize that some HBES members might have questions about Morocco. The hosts have put together a FAQ to answer common questions – it’s attached at this link, and will be updated as new questions come in (the date gets updated as the file does). The hosts also have solicited a letter from a local LGBTQ+ organization specifically about LGBTQ+ issues, which is available at this link. Here’s a quick overview.

How to get there: Many cities in Europe and North America have direct flights to Rabat or to Casablanca (1h by high-speed train), so direct and connecting flights are available

Costs: We estimate that total costs will be equivalent to or lower than most HBES meetings, because the high support from UM6P will result in low registration fees. Flights from North America are roughly equivalent to a flight to Europe (like some HBES meetings), and flights from Europe are close to that of a within-Europe flight.

Safety: Rabat is the capital of Morocco and has long been an international tourist destination. It is a safe and modern city, with crime rates lower than many US or European cities, including a lower risk of terrorism and unrest. UM6P campus itself is particularly secure. The tap water is drinkable in large Moroccan cities. Safety is always a concern when traveling, so the hosts have provided relevant details in the FAQ.

Women’s safety: Rabat is the safest city in Morocco for women. In major Moroccan cities, women can dress as they would in North America or Canada – Rabat itself is a cosmopolitan city, and residents are used to diversity in dress, especially among foreigners. Morocco criminalized sexual harassment in public spaces in 2018, and sexual harassment has decreased dramatically. Anecdotally, HBES members who have traveled to Morocco and Rabat in both personal and professional capacities report positive experiences. See the FAQ for details.

LGBTQ+ rights: Although same-sex relations are illegal in Morocco, these laws are only enforced against Moroccan citizens. LGBTQ+ tourists typically report no issues. The hosts have partnered with community organizers and advocates for Queer rights in Morocco to draft a letter to HBES members, which addresses the safety issue, and argues against boycotting Moroccan academic institutions. Please see the attached letter and the FAQ.

Religion: Morocco is a majority-Muslim country, but it is known for religious tolerance. Legal protections for religious beliefs are enshrined in the 2011 constitution, and major cities have active churches and synagogues. As one sign of tolerance: UM6P is very supportive of hosting two evolutionary conferences, which is something we cannot say about some campuses in North America and Europe.

The FAQ goes into more detail on each of these issues and more (e.g., travel details). The HBES exec has been working with the hosts for over a year, and we have been working together to ensure HBES 2026 will provide a safe and welcoming climate for all HBES members.

Overall: We’re Excited about HBES 2026 in Rabat!

HBES 2026 represents multiple unique opportunities, in addition to the usual quality experience of an HBES conference. We hope that the FAQ helps to answer any questions people have. If you have additional questions, please contact the hosts using the details found in the FAQ.

Looking forward to seeing you in Rabat!

Sincerely,

The HBES Team

PS: We start working with hosts a few years in advance, so if anyone is interested in hosting HBES in 2027 or beyond, please contact the HBES President.

Results of 2025 HBES Election

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We ran our 2025 elections this spring for the HBES executive, and are happy to announce the following winners:

President-Elect: David Puts

Student Representative: Nike (Yunsuh) Wee

Communications Officer: Karthik Panchanathan

Members-At-Large: Tania Reynolds (2031) & Zach Garfield (2031)

 

These incoming executive members will join the ongoing executive members:

President (formerly President-Elect): Ed Hagen

Past-President (formerly President): H. Clark Barrett

Treasurer: Jessica Hehman

Secretary: Lisa Welling

Members-At-Large: Jaimie Arona Krems (2027), Josh Tybur (2027), Dan Conroy-Beam (2029), Marco Del Giudice (2029)

 

We thank the departing executive members for their service:

Past-President: David Schmitt

Communications Officer: Pat Barclay

Student Representative: Nina Rodriguez

Members-At-Large: Coren Apicella (2025) & Chris von Rueden (2025)

 

HBES Elections 2025

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Dear HBES community,

The Human Behavior and Evolution Society (HBES) is conducting elections for all offices. Votes will be collected until June 2, 2025.

We kindly ask you to cast your vote and use the opportunity to check/update your account.

1) HBES 2025 Election

To cast your vote:

i) Go to the HBES website at http://www.hbes.com

ii) Login with your credentials (“Login” menu top right). In case you have forgotten your password, please reset it (“Forgot password?”)

iii) Once you are logged in, a screen will appear to welcome you back and invite you to vote. When you click on that invitation, it will open the ballot page.

iv) Please cast your vote, either by selecting from nominated candidates, or by providing names of alternative candidates.

v) Once you have indicated your vote, click on “Submit your vote” on the bottom of the page.

Please note that only one vote from a member is permitted; i.e., once you have logged in to the website and submitted your vote, you won’t be able to vote again.

2) HBES Account information:

Please use the opportunity to check – and, if necessary, update – your account information while you are logged in to the HBES website. You can access your HBES account by clicking on “Update Profile” in the top menu. Check that your information is complete and up-to-date. “Submit” any changes by clicking on the button on the bottom of the page.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

The HBES Team