UGA Summit of Excellence 2026 Wrap-Up: Three Days of Genealogical Learning

UGA Summit of Excellence 2026 Wrap-Up: Three Days of Genealogical Learning

UGA Summit of Excellence 2026 Wrap-Up: Three Days of Genealogical Learning

The Utah Genealogical Association’s (UGA) Summit of Excellence 2026 has wrapped up, and once again, it was three full days of genealogical learning! I had the pleasure of attending the virtual conference again this year, and presenting as well.
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One of the things I enjoy most about the Summit is the variety. From beginner topics to DNA, records, technology, international research, writing, military research, and more, there is always something new to learn, or a familiar subject presented in a way that makes you look at it differently.

Day 1: Getting Started Day

The conference kicked off with the traditional free beginner day, followed by the keynote address from Michael L. Strauss, MA, AG, AGL, at the end of the day.

Even though the sessions were geared toward those getting started in genealogy, I joined them all. Because why not? It’s free. 😉

One presentation that especially stood out to me was Bringing Your Ancestors to Life: Going Beyond the Facts by Karen A. Fortin. Karen used an interesting ancestor story to demonstrate how we can move beyond simply collecting names, dates, and places and begin developing a fuller picture of our ancestors and their lives.
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That is something I always appreciate—using the records we uncover to tell more of the story rather than leaving our ancestors as a collection of facts on a pedigree chart.

​Day 2: DNA, Records, International, Military, and Ethnic Research

Day 2 offered tracks covering DNA, Records, International, Military, and Ethnic topics. There were ten sessions offered throughout the day, with two running at each time slot, which meant attendees could choose five to watch live.

Fortunately, the recordings will be available through the end of December, so we can go back and watch the sessions we had to miss.

I was able to attend four sessions live instead of five because this was also the day of my own presentation, COLD CASE: An Investigative Protocol for Genealogical Brick Walls.

Of course, one of the presentations I wanted to see happened to be scheduled at the same time as mine, so that one will have to wait for the recordings!

One of my Day 2 standouts was Year by Year: Reconstructing Families with City Directories by Kate Townsend.

This was a very, very good presentation and extremely useful. City directories can contain so much more information than we sometimes realize when we look at only a single year. Following an individual or family year by year can help reveal residences, occupations, household changes, relationships, migrations, and clues to other records.

It was also a topic that particularly interested me because this is a presentation topic I have been working on myself, so I found the session especially valuable.

Day 3: Writing, Technology, Records, International, DNA, and Military Research

Day 3 included tracks covering Writing, Technology, Records, International, DNA, and Military topics. As with Day 2, ten sessions were offered, with two running at each time slot, allowing attendees to choose five live presentations.

Well...in theory. 😉

I was able to watch four sessions instead of five. Unfortunately, one speaker did not show up. After waiting about ten minutes, we were asked to join the other presentation being offered during that time slot. I tried, but after waiting another ten minutes to be let into that session, I finally gave up.

So, once again, I’ll be looking forward to the recordings!

Two presentations especially stood out to me on Day 3.

Testing Family Legends: When Oral History Meets the Archive
The first was Testing Family Legends: When Oral History Meets the Archive by Sue McNelly.

I almost didn’t choose this presentation because, based solely on the title, I didn’t think the topic would particularly interest me.

I’m very glad I changed my mind.

This turned out to be an excellent presentation and much more research-focused than I had expected from the title. Sue presented a very interesting approach to following clues through the records and systematically testing family claims.

She covered testing claims with records and research, correlating information, collateral and cluster research, evaluating evidence, and more. It was thorough, very well thought out, and easy to follow.

It was definitely one of those conference sessions that reminds me not to judge a presentation entirely by its title!

What the Law Put Asunder: Divorce in Americas
Another standout was What the Law Put Asunder: Divorce in Americas by Sara Cochran.

This was another session I almost skipped because divorce records were not a topic I was particularly interested in at the moment.

Boy, am I glad I didn’t!

Sara was excellent, as always.

She took a topic that many genealogists may not immediately think of as an important part of their research and showed just how useful these records can be. Divorce records can contain information about family relationships and circumstances that may not appear anywhere else.
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The presentation was informative, practical, and interesting—and made a very good case for why divorce research deserves a place in our genealogical toolbox.

​Looking Ahead

Once again, the UGA Summit of Excellence offered a great mix of genealogy education over three days.

One of the biggest advantages of a virtual conference like this is not having to truly “miss” a presentation simply because two interesting sessions are scheduled at the same time. With the recordings available through the end of December, I still have plenty more sessions to watch—and a few I already know are at the top of my replay list.

That ability to go back and catch the presentations I couldn’t attend live is one of my favorite parts of the Summit. I still have more learning ahead of me even though the live conference has officially ended.

A huge thank you to the Utah Genealogical Association, the organizers, volunteers, speakers, and attendees who made the 2026 Summit of Excellence possible. I was thrilled to be part of the conference again this year, both as a presenter and as an attendee.
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And now...time to start working my way through those replays! 😉

Summit of Excellence

Utah Genealogical Association

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