Insider's Guide to the Meeting
There area so many reasons why students and young scientists bennefit from attending the
ACA meeting. Make sure you don't miss out on any of them! Here are some tips to ensure
you get the most out of your experience.
Learn Something New
Every year cutting edge crystallography skills and techniques are presented. Make sure you don't get left behind.
- Attend a Workshop
On Saturday, workshops provide a venue where you can learn about a specific software
package or a technique while bringing your own samples and data. It's hands on and
extremely practical.
- Attend Talks & Poster Sessions
There are a total of 20 all-day sessions over the course of the meeting. Abstracts that are
not selected for talks are presented as posters in one of the three poster sessions
(refreshments are usually provided). If you have indicated on your abstract submission
form that you are eligible for a prize, you will be judged during your session.
- Expand Your Horizons
Be daring. Attend talks or visit posters that are presenting information unfamiliar to
you. Ask questions and use the meeting to enhance your crystallography knowledge
beyond your own research and experience. You may find a field or an opportunity that
really interests you.
- Don't Dismiss the Vendors
One resource that too often gets overlooked is the availability to talk to the many vendors
that provide the necessary hardware and software for crystallographic research. Talking
with vendors is a great way to expose yourself to the cutting edge equipment and techniques
that will shape how reasearch is done in your lab in the future.
Network by Building Professional Relationships
The meeting provides awesome venues to meet other scientists and to create professional networks. Don't miss out on these valuable opportunities:
- Mentor/Mentee Dinner
The Mentor/Mentee Dinner is an event where young scientists (mentees) meet seasoned
scientists (mentors). Mentors give advice over dinner and drinks in a casual, realxed
setting. This is an excellent opportunity to meet mentors from both academic and
industrial backgrounds.
- Young Scientsts Mixer
The Mixer is one of the most popular events at the meeting. Food and drinks are
provided and professional relationship building is promoted. This event is organized
by the Young Scientists Special Interest Group (YSSIG) and financed by the ACA and/or
an occasional vendor.
- Vendors (again!)
Meet them! Get their business cards and use them as contacts doen the road. Vendors
want to help you have a good experience at the meeting because you are either a potential
customer now or will be in the future. Vendors sponsor many of their own at the meeting,
such as lunches and parties, sepcifically to create these types of relationships. Some of
the events are by invitation or ticket only, so visit the vendor booths to get all the
information.
Get More Involved
Involvement in a Special Interest Group (SIG) allows for participation in the management
and the direction of the ACA. It also provides special opportunities to work directly with
experienced crystallographers.
- Attend a SIG Meeting
SIGs are vital to the ACA because they determine the topics for each year's meeting.
They are kept alive by people who invest in specialized areas of crystallography through
their attendance at SIG meetings. Each of the twelve SIGs has to evaluate their current
year's accomplishments and plan sessions for next year's meeting. Becoming a SIG
member and contributing to that SIG's meeting will help shape the following year's meeting
for every person who attends. Investing in a SIG is to ensure that your experience at next
year's ACA meeting is even better than this one.
