Conference History
EERS was established June 8, 1978. The Board was formed April 8, 1979, with a president and 8 members. The first conference, held April 9-10, 1979, at Hofstra University, lasted 2 days and attracted 250 attendees. Subsequent conferences were one day long until 1997, when the 20th annual conference was expanded to 2 days. Below is a list of conference themes from 1986 to present.
EERS Conference Themes by Year
2023
Pivoting, Priorities, and Possibilities: Evaluation in Turbulent Times (virtual)
2022
Rethinking Evidence (virtual)
2021
Capacity, Complexity, Collaboration (virtual)
2020
– conference canceled due to Covid-19
2019
Adapt! Evaluators in a Changing World
2018
Equity, Ethics, and Evidence
2017
Evaluation Looking Forward: Transitioning from Past to Future
2016
Improving Design and Building Knowledge
2015
Let’s Get Real: Evaluation Challenges and Solutions
2014
Balancing Rigor and Resources
2013
Use it or Lose it: Making the Most of Evaluation Findings
2012
Evaluation in a Complex World: Balancing Theory and Practice
2011
Inspired Designs for Informed Action
2010
Expanding the Evaluator’s Toolkit
2009
Evaluation in the Digital Age: Promises & Pitfalls
2008
Evidence-Based Evaluation: Balancing rigor, Relevance & Reality
2007
Looking Forward: Promising Advances, Persistent Challenges
2006
Evaluation in the Real World: Common Problems and Practical Solutions
2005
Ethics, Evidence and Evaluation
2004
Effective Evaluation: Negotiating the Methods Maze
2003
Evaluation in Today’s World: T-tests or Tea Leaves
2002
Expanding the Scope of Evaluation: A Sea of Possibilities
1999
The Future is Now: Tools for the New Millenium
1998
In the Wave, Not the Wake – Evaluation: a Force for Change
1997
20 Years of Evaluation: Trends, Trials & Transformations
1996
Health & Social Reform: Breakthrough or Breakdown
1995
The Resurgence of Evaluation: New Challenges – New Opportunities
1994
New Age Evaluation: Meeting the Challenges of Quality and Reform Initiatives
1993
Staying Relevant in the Information Age
1992
Consumer Satisfaction: Meeting the Needs of Stakeholders
1991
Evaluating Quality in the 90s: Mixing the Old with the New
1990
Evaluation on the Upswing: Back to the Future!
1989
Evaluation in Transition: A Pragmatic Approach
1988
Evaluation: Tools for Today
1987
The Changing Face of Evaluation: The Past as Prologue
1986
Marketing Program Evaluation