ISQOLS upcoming events

Practitioners’ Perspectives Virtual Workshop: CNY Vitals -The Syracuse New York Community Indicators Project. Reflections on New Technological Approaches to Support Data Driven Impact and Participatory Community Engagement (16 Apr 2026)

Thu, 16 Apr 2026 19:00:00 GMT

CNY Vitals -The Syracuse New York Community Indicators Project

Reflections on New Technological Approaches to Support Data Driven Impact and Participatory Community Engagement

Date: April 16, 2026

Time: Noon PDT / 3:00pm EDT

The ISQOLS–CIC “Practitioners’ Perspectives” Workshop Series highlights applied projects on local and regional indicators for community wellbeing. Each quarterly session features leading practitioners sharing tools, methods, and lessons from real-world community indicators initiatives, bridging local insights with global quality-of-life research. LEARN MORE

WORKSHOP DETAILS

In this session, we are introduced to the CNY vitals community indicators project, which has been running in Syracuse, New York for over a decade. We learn how recent technological innovations have helped to connect local data better with community engagement efforts.

ISQOLS 2026 Pre-conference Workshop: “Personal Wellbeing Interventions and Life Coaching” (10 Aug 2026)

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Workshop Title:

Personal Wellbeing Interventions and Life Coaching

Instructor: Dr. Tithi Bhatnagar

Date and Time: Monday, August 10; 9:00am-1:00pm

Location: University of Kentucky (room TBA)

Fee:

$35 USD (ISQOLS Members)/$20 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country ISQOLS Members);
$50 USD (Non-ISQOLS members)/$35 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country non-ISQOLS Members)

Workshop Description:

This workshop is designed to provide participants and well-being enthusiasts with an overview of different evidence-based techniques and interventions to enhance personal well-being and help them learn how to select and apply appropriate interventions based on individual needs and preferences. The workshop will focus on an overview of the following evidence-based techniques and interventions:

Introduction to Personal Well-Being and Diagnostics
Mindfulness-Based Interventions
Positive Psychology Interventions
Behaviour-Based Interventions
Personal Growth Strategies (Inter-Domain, Intra-Domain, and Balance)
Coaching as a Powerful Intervention

Target Audience:

All participants – Researchers, Doctoral Scholars, Post-Doc Fellows, Faculty, Practitioners, Policy Professionals, Therapists, Coaches, and anyone else.

Activities and Duration:

This face-to-face workshop is four hours long (including breaks) and incorporates various pedagogical methodologies, including lectures, interactive discussions, individual exercises, and the integration of audiovisual aids.

Preferred Length/Format:

My first preference would be a full-day workshop. It will give me an opportunity to do some activities with my participants.

In case that is not possible, I would prefer a 4-hour half-day workshop format with a 20-30-minute break after the first two hours.

Reading Material:

This workshop is based on several research articles and the following books:

Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. Penguin.
Sirgy, M.J. (2002). The Psychology of Quality of Life. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht.

Note: PPT Slides will be shared later with the participants.

ISQOLS Experience:

This was an invited pre-conference workshop, well-received at ISQOLS 2024 in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, and a selected, well-received workshop at ISQOLS 2025 in Luxembourg.

Workshop Instructor:

Dr. Tithi Bhatnagar is a Psychologist by training, a well-being and happiness researcher and teacher by profession, and a certified Positive Psychology Coach by practice (trained with Dr. Robert Biswas-Diener, USA). She is the Author of “Subjective Well-Being in the Indian Context: Concept, Measure, and Index”, published by Springer Nature, Singapore. She has her share of conference presentations and publications, both nationally as well as internationally. She is currently a Visiting Professor at Ashoka University, India, and a practising Positive Psychology Coach (also an ICF Certified Coach in training). She is a member of the APA, IPPA, and ISQOLS. Her professional experience combines industry, consulting, academics, academic administration, training, and advisory roles. She has trained around a few thousand teachers, students, Govt. Officials and Executives on different topics, mainly related to well-being, subjective well-being interventions, stress management, and research methods.

ISQOLS 2026 Pre-conference Workshop: “A Crash Course in Planning and Implementation of Community Indicators Projects” (10 Aug 2026)

Mon, 10 Aug 2026 13:00:00 GMT

Workshop Title:

A Crash Course in Planning and Implementation of Community Indicators Projects

Instructors:

M. Joseph Sirgy and Rhonda Phillips

Date and Time: Monday, August 10; 9:00am-1:00pm

Location: University of Kentucky (room TBA)

Fee:

$35 USD (ISQOLS Members)/$20 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country ISQOLS Members);
$50 USD (Non-ISQOLS members)/$35 USD (Student, Retired, Developing Country non-ISQOLS Members)

Workshop Description: The proposed workshop introduces well-being/QOL researchers and practitioners to the burgeoning research on the science and practice of community indicators projects. The workshop is designed to provide an overview of the following areas of community (local and regional) indicators projects:

Why indicators? An introduction to key concepts
Theory in practice - foundations guiding community indicators projects
Organizing principles of community indicators projects
Whose input? Making decisions about community quality-of-life dimensions and indicators
By the numbers - data collection, analysis, and reporting
Promoting the use and application of community indicators reports
What happens next? Follow-up activities to ensure continuity and growth

Activities and Duration: The proposed workshop is an in-person seminar, seminar-style, with instructor-participant interaction and exercises. The proposed workshop can be scheduled as a full-day session or truncated to a half-day session as needed.

Reading Material: This workshop will be based on Sirgy, M. Joseph (2022). Community quality-of-life Indicators: A guide for community indicators projects. Cham: Springer Nature and various sources from the Springer Community Quality-of-Life and Well-Being book series, https://link.springer.com/series/13761, formerly edited by Rhonda Phillips.

Instructors’ Bios

M. Joseph Sirgy: Joe is a management psychologist (Ph.D., U/Massachusetts, 1979) and the Virginia Tech Real Estate Professor Emeritus of Marketing at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (USA) and Extraordinary Professor at the Work-Well Research Unit at North-West University – Potchefstroom Campus (South Africa). He has published extensively on quality of life (QOL). He co-founded the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS), served as its Executive Director/Treasurer, and as development Co-Director. He received the Distinguished Fellow Award from ISQOLS. In 2003, ISQOLS honored him as the Distinguished QOL Researcher for research excellence and a record of lifetime achievement in QOL research. He helped co-found the Community Indicators Consortium and served on its board. He co-founded the journal, Applied Research in Quality of Life. ISQOLS honored him for excellence and lifetime service to the society. He won several Best Paper Awards in the Journal of Happiness Studies. He was awarded the EuroMed Management Research Award for outstanding achievements and groundbreaking contributions to well-being and quality-of-life research. He was recognized by the Program in Real Estate at Virginia Tech with the Blackwood Award for Exemplary Faculty Service and with the Founding Faculty Award. Also, he was the co-editor of ISQOLS/Springer book series on International Handbooks in QOL, Community QOL Indicators: Best Cases, Applied Research in QOL: Best Practices. He is currently the editor of Springer book series on Human Well-Being and Policy Making. To know more about Joe Sirgy, please visit his personal website at https://sites.google.com/a/vt.edu/joe-sirgy-personal-website/

Rhonda Phillips: Rhonda’s research and outreach efforts focus on community quality of life and well-being. A specialist in community development and planning, she was recognized for her career achievements with induction into the College of Fellows of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP). She is the author and editor of numerous books focusing on making the places we live better for all, including The Handbook of Community Well-Being; The Handbook of Community Development, Perspectives from Across the Globe; Sustainable Communities, Creating a Durable Local Economy; Community Development Indicators Measuring Systems; and the text, Introduction to Community Development. Rhonda served as founding Editor-in-Chief of two journals, Local Development & Society (Taylor & Francis) and International Journal of Community Well-Being. Her work in community indicators and well-being has spanned several decades, and she has served on the Board of Directors of the Community Indicator Consortium and as president of the International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies.

ISQOLS 24th Annual Conference Kentucky, USA,"Beyond the Bluegrass: Harnessing Research to Enhance Quality-of-life" (11 Aug 2026)

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMT

The 24th Annual Conference of the

International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS)

"Beyond the Bluegrass: Harnessing Research to Enhance Quality-of-life"

August 11-14, 2026

Lexington, Kentucky, United States of America

isqols.org/2026

The International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies (ISQOLS) is excited to hold its 24th annual conference in the beautiful Bluegrass region of Lexington, Kentucky, USA!

The theme of this year’s conference is “Beyond the Bluegrass: Harnessing Research to Enhance Quality of Life.” As ISQOLS moves into three decades of advancing the study of quality of life, well-being, and happiness, we invite scholars from diverse disciplines and methodological backgrounds to contribute their research. This conference will take place at the University of Kentucky and offers a unique platform to explore innovative approaches and their implications for policymaking, with a shared commitment to enhancing societal well-being. Confirmed keynotes include, David Bartram (University of Leicester), Robert Biswas-Diener (Positive Acorn), Carol Graham (The Brookings Institution, University of Maryland), and Alexandria Huerta (USAID).

With five pre-conference workshops on March 10 and eighteen thematic tracks—including eight special sessions and symposia—the conference provides extensive opportunities to share and exchange knowledge. View our Call for Abstracts for full details.

Explore our travel guidelines, sponsorship opportunities, and scholarship and grant options to support participation.

Join us as we gather researchers and practitioners from around the globe to share insights, discuss impactful findings, and forge connections that drive forward the pursuit of sustainable well-being for all.

Conference Venue:

Gatton Student Center University of Kentucky

University of Kentucky

160 Ave of Champions

Lexington, KY 40508

Directions

Registration and Refund Details:

Early Bird Registration: March 30 – May 15, 2026
Regular Registration: May 16 – July 15, 2026
Late/On-site Registration: July 16, 2026 – on-site

Refund Policy:

100% refund available through June 15, 2026
50% refund available from June 16 – July 15, 2026
No refunds available after July 16, 2026