AGU25
Hi everyone! Last month, I had the opportunity to present my DISL REU research at AGU25, a large international research conference hosted by the American Geophysical Union.
I presented my research on the first day of the conference (Monday, December 15), in The Role of the Reactive Silica Cycle in Climate and Ocean Evolution Poster Session. I do not usually struggle with public speaking (I was a speech and debate kid), but after hearing that there were over 25,000 attendees at AGU25, I did feel a little nervous. I had my spiel down because I had already presented this poster at 2 other symposiums, but I was still nervous because I was going to present to a very different audience. The symposiums I had presented at before covered a wide range of scientific topics (mostly biological), but this conference focused on earth science, and many attendees were experienced in ocean science. The turnout for my poster was good, and a lot of people were curious about marine silica and Synechococcus. Some people asked more difficult questions, but they led to very interesting discussions, and no one was condescending or dismissive (even if they had way more years of research under their belt). I met many students and early career scientists interested in oceanographic research, which was really great.
I attended a variety of poster sessions, talks, and events over the week, but I wanted to mention a few that have really stuck with me since the conference. On Tuesday, I attended an event called Ocean Sciences Student and Early Career Discussions, which included a diverse panel of ocean scientists. I stayed after the event to speak with a few of the panelists and collect their emails for contacting after the conference. That day, I also attended an AGQ Town Hall (special oral session in a very big room) called Emphasizing the Science of Queer and Allied Scientists. AGQ (linktr.ee/queeragu/) is AGU’s LGBTQIA+ community, and it was nice to sit and listen to talks from so many proudly queer Earth scientists. The next day, The next oral session I attended was very relevant to the research I want to pursue in graduate school: Characterizing and Interpreting Marine Plankton Biogeography Using Different Lenses. This panel was convened by Yubin Raut (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Nathan Williams (University of Southern California), and the topics were very interesting. I’m glad I remembered to bring a notebook and pen, because I ended up writing about 3 pages of notes. I asked questions to a few of the presenters after the session.
All of the poster sessions were in one big poster hall. The Ocean Sciences section had multiple poster sessions each day, so I would walk around that section a few times each day (since presenters don’t stand by their poster for the entire day). I also ventured out to other sections about geology, atmospheric science, and biogeochemical cycles. Speaking with presenters is a great way to gain meaningful connections.
Another cool thing about large conferences like AGU is the exhibition hall, which is a large room (I think we can see a pattern here) with tables representing universities, research institutions, and companies. Each table usually has flyers/brochures and business cards, as well as a lot of merch. I came home with an insane amount of stickers, pens, and other trinkets. I met admissions representatives for graduate schools at University of Rhode Island, Oregon State University, UC San Diego, University of Michigan, Columbia University, and many more institutions. Some universities were tabled by their graduate students, and they can be very helpful in answering questions related to their graduate programs and potential advisors. For a few hours each day, I also helped table for ASU’s School of Ocean Futures and spoke with many students and scientists.
AGU25 was an awesome experience, and I learned so much! Attending oral and poster sessions and fostering connections with earth science researchers reinforced my interest in earth science. It solidified my desire to pursue graduate research in oceanography, and I felt motivated to add Earth and Environmental Science as a second major. This was my first conference, and left with a sense of confidence in my education and career goals.
My tips/takeaways from AGU25:
- Examine the entire itinerary and plan out the events you would like to attend before you arrive at the conference.
- Bring comfortable shoes. You will be walking and standing a lot.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions (even if it’s a big oral session). If you don’t feel comfortable speaking in front of everyone, stay after the presentation.
- Visit the poster hall multiple times every day and speak with presenters.
- A key aspect of conferences is networking! Remember to follow up with the connections you make.
