From April 26th – 27th, 2016, PROTECT and the SRPs from Boston University and Dartmouth College co-hosted the second annual Northeast Superfund Research Program (NE SRP) Training Workshop. This year’s workshop was held at Northeastern University in Boston, and was attended by Trainees from BU, Dartmouth and NEU who participated in the event’s professional development and networking opportunities.
The first day’s events focused around a theme of “Communicating Your Science.” The first guest speaker was Mark Smith, Acting Director of the Office of Research & Standards for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. He delivered an in-depth talk about the years of effort that led to reductions of mercury emissions in New England and Canada, and the effects this has already had on local fish populations.
Trainees from NEU, BU, and Dartmouth with guest speaker Mark Smith
Trainees Renee Wurth (NEU) and Todd Warczak (Dartmouth)
After lunch, Michael Alley and Pennsylvania State University spoke about Effective Graphics and Oral Presentations, and Amy Kostant—Executive Director of the Science Communication Network—spoke about Communicating Science to the Public and rethinking the design and content of the research poster. The day concluded with an overview of Northeastern’s innovative new Integrated Science and Engineering Center.
The second day was focused on “Career Development.” Sylvia Broude, Executive Director of the Toxics Action Center, talked to the group about Community Engagement and how scientists and others can promote the efficacy of the center. This was followed by two Job Hunting sessions, which focused on presenting credentials, such as C.V.s and resumes, and how to effectively engage with employers. These talks were delivered by Maria McCarthy, Director of Advising and Career Department at BU, and COL Curt Thalken, Senior Vice President for Normaneau Associates Inc.
The final session for the week was a panel discussion aimed at promoting a greater understanding of Trainee and Career Initiation Grants. Panelists included Britton Goodale, Postdoctoral Fellow at Dartmouth SRP; Neel Aluru, BU SRUP Alum currently at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; and Birgit Claus Henn, Assistant Professor in Environmental Health at BU.
Visit our Google page to see photos of the event.