Careers, teaching, entrepreneurship, networking, and more
The major symposia may grab your attention and induce you to click that “Register Now” link, but don’t miss the remarkably diverse set of workshops offered at Plant Biology 2019. Registrants can choose from more than a dozen workshops that cover career advancement and mentoring for diverse scientists, discuss the latest plant science techniques, and focus on primarily undergraduate institutions.
Registrants can add workshops by clicking on the link in their registration confirmation email, or add them during registration.
The conference’s workshops focus heavily on quality mentoring and career development. Monday, Aug. 5 starts with a networking breakfast organized by the Minority Affairs and Women in Plant Biology Committees, one of several networking opportunities at Plant Biology 2019, including a session for undergraduates on Aug. 4. And mentoring is the focus of the Planting Science workshop on Aug. 4, which will share the award-winning PlantingScience mentoring program, an online tool for guiding student investigations.
· Networking Breakfast: organized by the Minority Affairs and the Women in Plant Biology Committees 7:00–8:30 AM Monday, August 5. This workshop requires preregistration and a $12 fee; plus only a few seats remain!
· Undergraduate Networking Session 12:00–1:00 PM Saturday, August 3. WORKSHOP FULL. To be added to the wait list please email PBregistration@aspb.org.
· Evaluation and Assessment 11:15 AM–1:00 PM Monday, August 5. This FREE workshop requires pre-registration.
· Planting Science Workshop 11:30 AM–1:00 PM Sunday, August 4.
Two lunches offer the opportunity to focus on advancing the careers of diverse plant scientists. On Aug. 4, Dr. Denneal Jamison-McClung of the University of California, Davis will share her work as program director of ADVANCE, a wide-reaching effort to promote diversity among STEM faculty. The Minority Affairs Committee is also organizing a lunch-hour mentoring workshop on Aug. 5.
· Lunch with Dr. Denneal Jamison-McClung (organized by the Women in Plant Biology Committee) 11:15 AM-1:00 PM Sunday, August 4. This workshop has a $35 fee ($25 for students) and requires preregistration.
· Mentoring Workshop (luncheon) organized by the Minority Affairs Committee 11:15 AM–12:45 PM Monday, August 5. This workshop requires pre-registration and a $35 fee ($25 for students)
For scientists who already work at primarily undergraduate institutions or aspire to join them, on Aug. 3, a workshop will help current and future faculty at these institutions learn how to balance heavy teaching requirements with a successful research program for undergraduates. That will be followed on Aug. 4 with another workshop for early career scientists hoping to join the faculty at an undergraduate-focused school. These sessions will offer guidance from existing faculty and notes from journal editors on how to turn student research projects into published papers to advance at these institutions.
· Primarily Undergraduate Institution Faculty Development Workshop, 8:30 AM–12:00 PM, Saturday, August 3. This workshop has a $20 fee and requires pre-registration; only a few seats remain.
· Being a Plant Biologist in a Primarily Undergraduate Institution 7:00–8:30 AM Sunday, August 4. WORKSHOP FULL. To be added to the wait list please email PBregistration@aspb.org.
· Primarily Undergraduate Institutions Section Business Meeting 7:00–8:30 AM Tuesday, August 6. FREE, but requires pre-registration.
More workshops focus on advocacy, entrepreneurship, publishing, grants, careers, and more:
· How ASPB Members can increase their effectiveness as advocates for plant science 11:30 AM–1:00 PM Sunday, August 4. This FREE workshop requires preregistration.
· When to Preprint/When to Publish 11:30 AM–1:00 PM Sunday, August 4.
· USDA, DOE & NSF Grant Information Session 11:15 AM–12:45 PM Monday, August 5.
· Careers Beyond Academia 1:00–2:45 PM Tuesday, August 6. WORKSHOP FULL. To be added to the wait list please email PBregistration@aspb.org.)
· Environmental and Ecological Plant Physiology Section Meeting 11:30 AM–1:00 PM, Monday, August 5. This is the one opportunity for the members and all interested in the research area of Environmental and Ecological Plant Physiology to meet together, and share ideas about future activities of the section. FREE workshop, but register soon—only a few seats remain
· Commercialization in Plant Science 11:30 AM–1:00 PM Sunday, August 4. This FREE workshop, sponsored by Indigo Ag, requires preregistration and only a few spots remain!
Plant Biology 2019 also features several workshops focused on the intersection between plant science and quantitative analysis techniques. On Aug 4., a collaborative session focused on mathematical plant biology will bring together plant scientists with problems to solve and computational biologists with the tools needed to address them, ending speed-dating style to promote new collaborations. Another session will focus on plant bioinformatics, and the conference’s final workshop on Aug. 7 will discuss how to apply machine learning to open questions in plant science.
· Mathematical Plant Biology: A Collaborative Session 9:00–11:30 AM Saturday, August 3. (WORKSHOP FULL. To be added to the wait list please email PBregistration@aspb.org.)
· Bioinformatics Workshop 11:30 AM–1:00 PM Monday, August 5. (WORKSHOP FULL. To be added to the wait list please email PBregistration@aspb.org.)
· How Machine Learning Can Be Used to Solve Plant Biology Problems 1:00–2:45 PM Tuesday, August 6.
Regardless of which sessions catch your eye, the workshops at Plant Biology 2019 offer a chance to collaborate with colleagues and bring fresh ideas back home. Add a few more to your registration today by clicking on the link in your confirmation email, or during registration. See you in San Jose!
Blog post written by Eric Hamilton and Jennifer Mach for Peridot Scientific Communications/Plant Editors.