There is a strong tradition at Chicago of graduate participation in professional conferences such as those of the American Historical Association and especially the Joint Annual Meeting of the American Philological Association and the Archaeological Institute of America, held every January. Each spring, the Association of Ancient Historians holds a conference on a designated theme, while the annual meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South includes panels on ancient history. In recent years, graduate students at Chicago have organized several successful weekend conferences on a wide range of themes, for which departmental support and advice is available.