Students are especially welcome at annual meetings of the Society for Conservation Biology, and encouraged to participate as fully as possible. SCB's Student Affairs Committee facilitates numerous opportunities for interaction with professionals, networking among students, and contributing to the success of the meeting itself. Several of the events listed below will require advance registration, but will be free of charge to current students.
To prepare you for your presentation, the Student Affairs Committee of the SCB gives you tips on how to prepare a poster soon: how to prepare an oral presentation.
Student/BOG Reception
A chance to meet the SCB Board of Governors and give suggestions, seek advice, tell conservation biology jokes. Sunday July 13, 6pm, Exhibit HallB.
Student lounge
A comfortable place to unwind with old and new friends and to hold small-group meetings. A bulletin board for job postings and other announcements will be available.
Participating in a conference: some advice for new-comers
This workshop organized by Malcolm Hunter and Aram Calhoun will provide advice to participants, especially students, on the fine art of attending a conference and making effective presentations. Topics to be covered will include: posters (how to fit 5,000 words into a square meter), oral presentations (how to fit 5,000 words into 15 slides), and networking (how to fit 5,000 words into a beer). In other words, we will take a light-hearted look at some ways to make attending a conference an enjoyable and productive experience.
Topic area networking lunch
A chance to interact informally with other SCB members who have similar disciplinary interests. This event is not restricted to students; it is open to all meeting attendees. Active SCB Working Groups on social sciences and freshwater conservation already have emerged from topic area lunches at previous annual meetings.
Student Publishing Workshop with Gary Meffe!
Gary Meffe, Editor of Conservation Biology will hold a lunch-time workshop specifically for students interested in learning more about the publishing process and in getting tips as to how to convert research into publishable work. Time: TBA
Student lunch with the Board of Governors
Gather information on alternative conservation professions, learn about SCB initiatives and operations, and discuss your priorities and ideas with SCB's governors and staff. Grab your boxed lunch and meet with the board in Exhibit hall B on Wednesday 16 at lunch time.
Student Awards
Each year, SCB administers a Student Awards program, with prizes that include cash and books. All student authors of 15-minute contributed papers are eligible to enter the award competition.
Finalists for the 2008 student awards will present their papers in a special dedicated session. In addition to presentations by student award finalists, the session will feature presentations by two recipients of SCB's 2008 Distinguished Service awards.
Smith Fellows
SCB leads the David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship Program, a postdoctoral fellowship program established to help address the pressing need for scientifically validated approaches to identify critical conservation areas and to conserve biodiversity at priority sites. More information about the fellowship program will be available at the SCB booth in the exhibition area.
Get Involved with the SCB!
Here is your chance to take the reins of SCB (or at least part of the reins). The Society for Conservation Biology formed a Student Affairs Committee in 2003 to recognize and nurture student participation in and contributions to the Society for Conservation Biology.
Here is your chance to shape how SCB and student members benefit one another!
