On June 8 and 9, IS-MPMI held the first of two virtual Early Career Showcases to highlight the outstanding work being done by our junior members. The June showcase was moderated by Dr.
Morgan Carter, a postdoctoral scholar in the lab of Dr. David Baltrus at the University of Arizona in Tucson, and Dr. Kevin Cox, a Hanna Gray postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Blake Meyers at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis, MO. The showcase featured the work of 15 graduate students and postdocs located around the world and included discussions on a wide variety of topics. The list of speakers and titles can be found on the Early Career Showcase website.
Following the presentations each day, the event included several breakout rooms for discussions on various topics important to junior members. These included the following topics:
“Navigating the Scientific Jungle Gym—Career Options for Scientists,” hosted by Dennis Halterman (U.S. Department of Agriculture, USA) and Tessa Burch-Smith (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA)
- “Securing Your Own Funding—Insights to Fellowships and Grants,” hosted by Patricia Baldrich (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA)
- “Identifying Questions and Leads to Chase—Scientific Intuition,” hosted by Roger Innes (Indiana University, USA) and Kevin Cox (Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, USA)
- “Caring for Yourself—Work–Life Balance and Well-being,” hosted by Charles Roussin-Léveillée (University of Sherbrooke, Canada) and Mary Beth Mudgett (Stanford University, USA
- “Building Skills and Relationships—Effective Networking,” hosted by Adam Bogdanove (Cornell University, USA) and Morgan Carter (University of Arizona, USA).
The second Early Career Showcase will be held on September 20 and 21. Registration is free for IS-MPMI members. Register today!