MOLINE, ILLINOIS (September 30, 2026) — Western Illinois University (WIU)'s Museum Studies Graduate Program will have a strong presence at the 2026 Iowa Museum Association (IMA) Annual Conference, held Sunday, October 18–Tuesday, October 20, at Reiman Gardens in Ames, Iowa.
The program is an academic sponsor of the conference and nine current Museum Studies graduate students will attend and serve as conference volunteers.
Volunteering gives students a behind-the-scenes look at how a major professional gathering comes together, along with opportunities to connect with museum leaders, practitioners and potential employers from across the region.
Heidi Lung, associate professor and coordinator of the WIU Museum Studies Graduate Program, will present "Striving Under Pressure: How Museums Are Moving Forward Amid Uncertainty" on October 20.
The session will explore how museums are adapting to shifting funding landscapes and share strategies for diversifying revenue, sustaining mission-driven programming and leading with confidence.
This year's conference theme, "Deep Roots, Intentional Growth," draws on the practice of cultivating a healthy garden. It invites museum professionals to reflect on the foundations that support their work and the intentional choices that help their organizations grow and thrive.
The 2026 conference also marks the Iowa Museum Association's fiftieth anniversary, celebrating five decades of empowering museums and cultural institutions across Iowa. Attendees will reflect on that shared history while looking ahead to the field's future.
"Professional experiences like the IMA conference are an essential part of our students' education," Lung said.
“Being in the room with practitioners, hearing how they're tackling real challenges, presenting research posters, and building relationships with colleagues across the region prepares them for the field in ways a classroom alone can't. Supporting networks like IMA is essential to the health of our field."
The WIU Museum Studies Graduate Program, based at WIU–Quad Cities, is the only interdisciplinary graduate program in museum studies in the Iowa–Illinois bi-state region.
For more information on WIU’s Museum Studies program, visit https://www.wiu.edu/museumstudies.
