The 40th National Convention of the American Association for the Advancement of Slavic Studies (AAASS) was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 20-23, 2008. The meeting attracted participants representing myriad countries, working in multiple disciplines, and pursuing research and teaching interests truly global in scope. With 48 panels per session, more than 570 panels, and well over 2,000 presentations, it would be impossible to summarize the experience of the conference. In selecting which panels to attend, the author was guided by consideration of the convention’s organizing theme, the Central Eurasian Studies Society’s statement of purpose, and his own research and teaching interests.