Students and Postdocs speaking at meetings

[Gina Berardesco]

Dianna L. Bourke (dlb17 at PSU.EDU) wrote:
> At a recent WICB meeting that I attended I went on for a bit about how it
> is really frustrating that THE SAME OLD SCIENTIST BIG WHIGS always present
> the data "for their lab" and the students and postdocs almost never get any
> significant visibility. Of course the students, postdocs and techs are
> often acknowledged and thanked, but who remembers their faces or names when
> the "credits" are only on the screen for 10 seconds?

This is a real pet peeve of mine - going to a big meeting and finding the
same old people giving the same talks. I was particularly disappointed in a
Gordon Conference I attended, because it was supposed to be 'new' stuff and
it was the same old instead. I really do prefer that the students and
post-docs give talks especially since then you have a chance of a *women*
presenting some material. 

> I had the good fortune to be able to do platform presentations at the
> American Association of Anatomy meetings when I was a student about 15
> years ago and the experience was invaluable. In fact my professor insisted
> that I give talks. Of course I was scared to death, but the speaking
> experience was very useful and I met colleagues and friends that are some
> of my strongest supporters to this day; very important for external letters
> during tenure time...

I did a platform presentation way back when I finished my master's, and I
was terrified! But afterwards I was so glad I had done it, especially since
I met my future Ph.D. advisor that way. Now the American Society for
Microbiology no longer has platform sessions (only posters and seminars). I
do miss them, although I like poster sessions, too.

> I'll get down from my soapbox now....

Nah, stay up there! :)

-Gina