Finding Your Academic Home: The SIM Doctoral Community at AOM 2026
The SIM Doctoral Student Committee is creating opportunities for doctoral students to connect before, during, and beyond the Annual Meeting.
By Bart Pierre H. Leyen, Doctoral Student Representative-at-Large
At a glance
SIM Doctoral Community
Before AOM
· SIM PhD Buddy Program
· SIM PhD WhatsApp Community
During AOM
· SIM Doctoral Student Consortium
· SIM Walking Tour
· Networking opportunities throughout the conference
For many doctoral students, attending the AOM Annual Meeting is both exciting and overwhelming. With hundreds of sessions, thousands of participants, and countless opportunities to engage, it can be difficult to know where to begin.
The SIM Doctoral Student Committee aims to make this experience more welcoming by creating opportunities for doctoral students to connect with one another before the conference begins and to build relationships that continue long after it ends.
Over the past year, the committee has focused on strengthening the doctoral student community within SIM while creating opportunities for engagement throughout the year-not only during the Annual Meeting.
Start your AOM with a SIM Buddy
One of this year's new initiatives is the SIM PhD Buddy Program, designed specifically for doctoral students attending AOM for the first time.
The programme connects first-time participants with returning AOM attendees in small buddy groups before the conference. Whether discussing how to navigate the programme, selecting sessions, approaching networking opportunities, or simply finding familiar faces during the week, buddy groups provide an accessible entry point into the SIM community.
For many participants, these early connections become the beginning of long-term professional relationships.
Before You Arrive
✓ Join the SIM Buddy Program
✓ Connect through the SIM PhD WhatsApp Community
✓ Meet fellow doctoral students before the conference begins
Explore Philadelphia together
Academic conferences are about more than attending sessions. They are also opportunities to build relationships outside formal conference spaces.
The SIM Walking Tour offers doctoral students and other SIM members a relaxed opportunity to explore downtown Philadelphia while getting to know colleagues from around the world. By creating informal spaces for conversation, the committee hopes to make it easier for participants to build friendships and expand their professional networks.
🗓 Sunday, August 2, 2026
🕡 6:45 PM
⏱ Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes
Register here: https://forms.gle/oEXxeXzvkTT59kTg6
Stay connected throughout the year
The committee also continues to grow the SIM PhD WhatsApp Community, which now connects more than 150 doctoral students from around the world.
The platform provides an informal space for:
· conference coordination
· research discussions
· peer support
· sharing opportunities
· building an international network
Rather than serving only as a conference communication tool, the community facilitates connections throughout the academic year.
Community beyond AOM: The doctoral community is designed to support members before, during, and after the Annual Meeting.
Why community matters
One of the greatest strengths of the SIM Division has always been its collegiality.
For doctoral students, finding a supportive scholarly community can shape both professional development and personal confidence. Through initiatives such as the Buddy Program, Walking Tour, and WhatsApp community, the committee hopes to make SIM a place where doctoral students feel welcome, supported, and encouraged to contribute.
As our community continues to grow, we look forward to welcoming new doctoral students while reconnecting with familiar faces in Philadelphia.
Join the SIM Doctoral Community
Whether this is your first AOM or your fifth, we invite you to connect with fellow doctoral students and become part of the growing SIM doctoral network.
➤ Register for the Buddy Program
➤ Join the Walking Tour
➤ Connect through the SIM PhD WhatsApp Community
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Nabi Ebrahimi
PhD in Management
University of Massachusetts Lowell
Lowell MA
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