Early career sessions at the annual meeting in Salt Lake City

After a year in which most meetings and interactions took place online, we are now rapidly moving towards an in-person meeting of ASA, CSSA, and SSSA in Salt Lake City, UT. I’m sure that, like me, you’re looking forward to the opportunity for in-person exchanges and discussion. To that end, the Early Career Members Committee has planned four exciting and interactive sessions for the meeting.

Our first session is on “Expanding Opportunities to Diverse Career Paths.” This session, led by Dr. John Jones and Dr. Jessica Bubert, will give students, post-docs, and early career members an opportunity to speak with experts in various career paths. Panelists will represent research at government/university labs, research with industry/non-profits, teaching and extension, consulting, and advocacy (government and non-profit) career paths. The session will be held on Monday, 8 November from 1:30–3:00 pm.

We are also offering a concurrent session titled, “Writing Manuscripts for Publication.” In this interactive session, we will have the opportunity to hear from five editors of Society journals, including the new SSSA Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Craig Rasmussen. There will then be an open question-and-answer session and an informal discussion with complementary coffee and juice. This event will be held on Monday, 8 November from 1:30–3:30 pm.

Our next session is titled “International Career Strategies and Resources.” It will be led by Dr. Xia Zhu-Barker and Asim Biswas and has two featured speakers: Dr. Durga Poudel of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Dr. Alfred Hartemink of the University of Wisconsin. The speakers will discuss ways in which early career individuals can find opportunities and create impactful research, teaching, and outreach activities in international settings. The event will be held on Tuesday, 9 November from 10:30 am–12:00 pm.

Our final session, “Grant Application Navigation and Resources for Expanding Early Career Opportunities,” will be led by Dr. Amanda Ashworth and Dr. Xia Zhu-Barker. By attending this event, early career and other Society members will learn strategies to successfully compete for external funding from different agencies, including federal agencies, foundations, and commodity boards. The session will feature a panel of experts, including program officers and scientists who have successfully secured funding from different sources. It is scheduled for Tuesday, 9 November from 1:30–3:00 pm.

Stay tuned for additional opportunities to interact with other early career members, both in Salt Lake City and virtually. And most important, stay safe and well. Hope to see you all in November!