Where you able to network at the conference?
About 99 percent of the people I met at the conference were new. However, these people were not new when I left the conference. They were more like family. I had connected with new colleagues, mentors, collaborators and friends. My roommate and I had a lot in common and we had a great time throughout the conference. By the end of the conference, it was difficult to say good-bye.
Tell us about your conference experience!
During the conference, I attended several events including networking events, a lot of professional developments events and several technical sessions. As a first time attendee, I really enjoyed the first event for new members the day before the official conference day. The professional development sessions, e.g CVs and cover letter, was very practical for me and I received one-on-one feedback to improve my CV and cover letter during the conference. Other events such as the chat and chew provided an atmosphere to network and connect with others, which was great!
What did you like most about the conference?
It's hard to say exactly what I liked the most about the conference since each aspect of the conference met a unique need for me. The Percy Julian Luncheon stood out for me especially as I wrap up my graduate studies. It was a good reminder that other Black Chemists and Chemical engineers have done great work, they continue to leave an impact in the sciences, and are always creating opportunities for us — the next generation of scientists. I also really liked the fact that there were very few overlapping sessions.
What could be improved for future NOBCChE conferences?
Next year, I would love to see more opportunities to chat and chew, a larger representation of universities and industry for the career fair, a few more panel sessions for undergraduate students. A similar set-up for the poster sessions where people could sit if needed, chat and chew while looking at posters worked out perfectly.
Dear NOBCChE: |
The 2015 NOBCChE National STEM Weekend was held in Orlando, FL, September 24-26, 2015. See the Links below for press releases: