Student Highlights From the SETAC North America 46th Annual Meeting
Bonnie Ertel and Katie Irhin, SETAC North America Student Advisory Council
The SETAC North America 46th Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon was another great experience for the students of SETAC, with engaging events hosted by the North America Student Advisory Council (NASAC) and other groups.
The meeting kicked off on Sunday evening with a lively opening ceremony and reception, including a photo-op with an alpaca and llama! The Oregon Convention Center’s large exhibit hall hosted many interesting exhibitor booths and ample space for poster boards. Also within the exhibit hall was the Student Corner, which was hosted by NASAC as a place for students to relax, recharge, and connect with peers throughout the meeting. This year we tried out a new interactive “Question of the Day” at the Student Corner, with questions including “What is your degree program?” and “What sector are you most interested in?” This was a fun way to see the diverse background and goals of the students of SETAC, thanks to all who provided answers!
On Monday, the scientific program with the focus of “The Essence of Science: Curiosity, Discovery and Solutions” began with an inspiring plenary by Amy Cordalis (Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group)about local success in environmental restoration. The day continued with great science in the form of scientific sessions, poster socials, and networking breaks. Some students even reported sightings of bigfoot and did not pass up the opportunity to share their research with this elusive meeting attendee!
The reimagined Student/Mentor Mix and Mingle event on Monday evening encouraged connections across generations of SETAC. In contrast to previous years where students networked with mentors over a plated dinner, this year’s social was updated to an innovative, new event style where students shared small plates of food and drinks while conversing with mentors from various sectors. This approach allowed for active mingling throughout the event to encourage students to expand their network, interact with professionals, and obtain insightful career guidance in a laid-back atmosphere.
Tuesday’s schedule packed in more science, starting off with a plenary discussion by Kaci Buhl (Oregon State University) on the importance of effectively communicating risk. During the lunch break, the North America Career Development Committee hosted a Women in SETAC Luncheon “Curious Minds, Bold Discoveries: Women Leading Science” led by panelists from Portland State University to foster meaningful conversations about improving equity in STEM fields. NASAC then hosted a general interest meeting for students, where both current and future members got to meet peers and the NASAC executive board in person to discuss initiatives for the coming year. If any students are interested in learning more about NASAC but missed this in-person meeting, please join our SETAC affinity group. Tuesday evening concluded with a free visit to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), which featured interactive games and activities; a great opportunity to relax and have fun after a full day of events and scientific sessions!
Wednesday was the last full day of the meeting, and the busiest for NASAC. The morning kicked off with a thoughtful plenary by Eric Van Genderen (International Zinc Association) regarding sustainability and circularity in practice. At the Student Lunch Seminar - Eat, Learn, Connect hosted by NASAC, Chris Stransky (GEI Consultants) gave an inspirational talk over lunch, which was sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive. Chris Stransky is a long-time SETAC member and the current SETAC North America President, who is steadfast in his support of student initiatives. In his talk, Chris outlined his personal career journey in environmental consulting, discussed his involvement in SETAC over the years, and shared the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Wednesday concluded with a fantastic evening of trivia and socializing at the Student Trivia and Mixer, hosted by NASAC at Spirit of 77’s Lil’ Spirit Bar. The night started off by welcoming students with bingo cards to introduce themselves and meet other students. Bingo questions had students searching to meet peers who “have published in SETAC journals” or, “made an A in organic chemistry” among other prompts. After socializing over a hot taco bar and drinks, students divided into groups for trivia. After five rounds of trivia covering everything from Oregon history to pop culture, the winning team was “Stoloney Bologna,” who won gift cards and bragging rights until next year’s trivia event!
After a busy week, Thursday wrapped up the 46th SETAC North America Annual Meeting. This meeting gave many students joining us from across North America and around the world an invaluable opportunity to learn, build their professional network, and grow as the future scientists of SETAC. As a testament of the success of student events at this year’s meeting, a student attendee provided meaningful feedback, “NASAC supports the next generation of scientists by providing highly accessible events, cultivating a voice to foster innovation, and enabling leadership development.” Another student attendee also offered commentary on their overall meeting experience, “SETAC in Portland exceeded all my expectations, with seamless planning, outstanding talks, and a welcoming, inspiring community. From the thoughtful logistics to engaging workshops and poster sessions, it was by far the most impactful conference experience of my PhD.” On behalf of NASAC and all student members of SETAC, we would like to thank all of the staff, volunteers, and sponsors who made this annual meeting so successful and beneficial for our student members!
As of the conclusion of the Portland meeting, Katie Irhin (Virginia Tech) is now the NASAC Chair; Jessica Donaldson (University of Florida) is now the NASAC Vice Chair; Bonnie Ertel (University of South Carolina) is now the NASAC Outgoing Chair. We would like to thank Adam Wronski (Baylor University) for his leadership as Vice Chair, Chair, and Outgoing Chair, and his continued service to NASAC. Huge thanks to Leenia Mukhopadhyay (Carnegie Mellon University) and Lola Renauer (University of South Carolina) for their efforts in planning our popular Student Trivia and Mixer and Student Lunch Seminar events, respectively. We would also like to thank the Outreach Co-chairs, Miranda Jackson (Oregon State University) and Benjamin Komolafe (University of Maryland Eastern Shore), who have facilitated student engagement throughout the year and helped put together the Student Guide. Finally, NASAC extends sincere gratitude to the additional number of student volunteers who provided input to our programming throughout the year.
Over the next several months, NASAC will be busy planning for events at the SETAC North America 47thAnnual Meeting in Montreal, Canada, as well as the 14th Young Environmental Scientists (YES) Meeting in Columbia, South Carolina. If you have any ideas to improve the student experience or would like to be involved in planning student initiatives, please join one of our monthly calls (join the affinity group to receive notifications of these meetings)! We are always looking to grow our group and encourage all interested students to join one of our meetings to learn more about who we are, what we do, and how you can be involved with SETAC North America.
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