I believe interdisciplinarity is a strength of AAIDD, however, researchers don’t always do a good job of getting the right findings to the right people through the right channels. I’d like to advocate for a future conference theme to be “Research to Practice”. Similarly, I would like to contribute to the strategic goal of professional development; specifically, for members not affiliated with a university. It is becoming more common for individuals with advanced degrees to work in research and evaluation positions in non-academic settings. This can mean fewer opportunities to interact with academics or participate in conferences due to lack of resources of many non-profits. I am also very interested in engaging early career professionals – especially “seasoned” professionals who may have gone to graduate school after working in the field. I fit this profile and found navigating the space between direct service, academia, and post-graduate work tricky.