This week I’m heading to the Women in Astronomy and Space Sciences conference. This will be my first non-science conference, and I am very much looking forward to it. There will be speakers and discussions, but it doesn’t sound like it’s set up like a typical science conference (with 10-15 minute talks in blocks).
There will, however, be a poster session. I am presenting the results from a short survey I made up on how educational experiences of women in astronomy influence their career choices. All participants who are presenting a poster have been invited to write a paper on the same topic, and will be published after the conference (I believe).
The sessions include such topics as: addressing unconscious bias, how do professional communities impact percentages and retention, paths to non-academic careers, generational issues, career breaks, and work/life balance.
The organizers have also done a fantastic job in making into more of a networking event. All of the breakfasts, lunches, and two dinners were included in the registration, so there is ample time to mingle with all the other participants. During the breakfasts, junior scientists are teamed up with more senior scientists/VIPs, so we can ask all the questions we can think of!
The conference ends with a tour of the White House – how cool is that?
I will definitely give a summary of my experience once I return.
What a great idea for a conference! I hope you report back (on the White House tour as well as the conference itself!)
I’ve only been to one meeting where all the meals were included – it was a Keystone meeting in Santa Fe, and I got to meet way more people than at a larger meeting where everyone stays in different hotels and there’s only one communal meal. The opportunities for interaction and networking almost made up for the need to be coherent and interesting at 7 am.
…and I got to meet way more people than at a larger meeting…
I’m hoping this is the case with this conference, and I’m sure it will be since it seems to be set up that way. There are about 300 people registered for the conference, and I believe everyone is staying in the same hotel (or at least most). We will have to be up really early, since the sessions start at 8am and the breakfasts will be before then – but hopefully it will be worth it!
I will definitely report back!
I always found that the best networking takes place at the bar after the sessions! Not 7AM and there’s beer. Either way, I hope that you get to meet some good folks. Enjoy your time in DC!
Sounds like a great setup for a conference. I agree with Anna that the bar is where most networking takes place, but breakfasts and lunches are actually quite good too.
Have fun!
Hi Alyssa,
I hope you have a great time! If you want, do post a comment about it on our women in astronomy blog (running for this year only…)Carolin Crawford is our blogger this month and I am sure she’d be glad if you wrote something. We’ve also got some useful resources listed (this list includes some of the other great lists of useful resources!)
Good for you. My good friend Joe Hill is one of the speakers at that conference. Go say hi from me, and get her to take you for drinks. She’s a laugh and great example to young women in science & engineering.
Just checked, she’s part of the panel discussion with Nobel laureate John Mather tomorrow…