SANTA CRUZ, Calif. – Soon academics from all scientific fields will engage in discourse on how exploring new and original research across different disciplines advances knowledge of the human condition while providing solutions to problems and limitations impacting human potential. Scientists and their research from emerging fields of study will be highlighted at this year’s SACNAS conference.
The annual conference of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans provides activities and opportunities for students, educators, administrators and researchers in a variety of disciplines.
The conference is one of the largest national gatherings of underrepresented students and scientists. According to SACNAS conference statistics, attendees represent many diverse disciplines including astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer, ecology, environmental science, education, engineering, geosciences, mathematics, physics, and social and behavioral sciences.
This year’s theme is “Improving the Human Condition: Challenges for Interdisciplinary Science.” More than 2,700 participants are expected to attend, along with world renowned keynote speakers, making this the largest conference ever.
Academic institutions, federal laboratories, government agencies, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, scientific societies and other organizations, will be recruiting students for fellowships, internships, graduate programs and research/faculty positions at the master’s and Ph.D. levels. The conference is meant to inspire and help individuals throughout their academic development, and to help them connect with opportunities offered at the conference. The largest group of students attending the conference will be undergraduates.
As SACNAS becomes more diverse, representing Latinos, Chicanos, Native Americans and Mexican Americans, it is growing to include a strong contingent from Puerto Rico who, according to SACNAS Executive Director Judit Camacho, appreciate and connect with the Native American identity.
“We are trying to make sure our communities become tapped for their incredible potential and talents. It is important to empower our communities to become engaged in science and know this is a really incredible opportunity to find solutions for our country, and the world.”
“At the heart of what SACNAS is doing is a very strong commitment to student success,” said Kelli Williams, director of marketing and communications. “We encourage and motivate the innovators and inventors of tomorrow and make sure students have access to and information about the kinds of resources and opportunities that are available to them.
“There are countless individuals, both students and professionals, who attribute their success to the people they have met at SACNAS, and to the programs and opportunities that have been made available to them through SACNAS.”
The conference offers an array of exhibits, networking activities, special events, mentoring and training sessions and research presentation opportunities. Williams said students can connect with mentors in a couple of ways. Probably the most effective is through networking. About 800 students will present scientific research and be assigned two judges per student. The judges are volunteers at the Ph.D. level, they can provide feedback not only on the content of the presentation and the work from a research perspective, but also their presentation skills.
“One of the most exciting things for us to see is a student attend a conference, move through graduate school and their internship programs, earn their Ph.D., go through post docs and become leaders of SACNAS. We have students who have come back and are now SACNAS board members,” Williams said.
Cultural celebration is expressed throughout the conference – from the opening night reception to Friday night’s dance – the Pachanga – and the Pow Wow on the last evening of the conference.
SACNAS cultural events combine music, dance, and cultural expression from Chicano, Latino, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Island traditions. Williams said honoring the different cultures represented at the conference helps everyone feel they are part of the SACNAS family. “Holding a Pow Wow at a major scientific conference is important for our attendees to feel valued and to bring a sense of home to the conference.”
The SACNAS conference will be held at the Sheraton Hotel Dallas Oct. 15 – 18. The opening ceremony will be held Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. and will feature a welcome by Camacho and SACNAS President J.D. Garcia. During the ceremony, SACNAS will recognize outgoing board members and the 2009 distinguished scientist and mentor honorees.
The mission of SACNAS, according to its Web site, “is to encourage Chicano/Latino and Native American students to pursue graduate education and obtain the advanced degrees necessary for science research, leadership, and teaching careers at all levels.” SACNAS is a national membership organization with a paid membership of about 3,500. SACNAS serves about 20,000 people with its twice-yearly newsletter and monthly electronic publications, yearly conferences and Web-based resources.
“I hear from students and professionals alike who say I found this job through SACNAS or, if it wasn’t for SACNAS I would not have gone on to graduate school; if it wasn’t for the folks I met in the exhibit hall and the support they gave me I would not have known about the opportunities available to me,” Williams said. “Stories like that happen on a daily basis here. In terms of success stories, anyone you talk to at SACNAS is a success.”
Students are encouraged to bring resumes for internship and fellowship application opportunities. For more information about SACNAS or the conference, visit www.sacnas.org.