May 18, 2016

By Sigma Xi President-Elect Tee Guidotti, Chair of the 2016 Annual Meeting

It is time to prepare for the Annual Meeting of Sigma Xi and the Student Research Conference! The Annual Meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, November 10–13, 2016. Details, including a preliminary agenda, are posted on the meeting’s web page. Register before 27 May to save 20%! 

The Annual Meeting is the premier gathering of the year for the Society, our opportunity to share views, hear about emerging science, encourage research by students, network, and above all to catch a glimpse of the future of the research enterprise. The meeting is remarkably successful: 83% of professional researchers surveyed last year said they found the meeting worthwhile for their professional growth.

The Sigma Xi Annual Meeting features two new events this year. The new Sigma Xi Research Symposium will be a fresh opportunity for professional researchers to share their work through poster presentations and flash talks. The symposium will also include workshops and panel discussions about science communication, science policy (both “science for policy” and “policy for science”), mentorship, entrepreneurship, careers in STEM fields, and diversity. A new social event, the “STEM Mixer,” will be a time for “power” networking between students and senior researchers. The STEM Mixer was developed in response to feedback from last year’s participants, who said they wanted more opportunities for interaction and less disco!

This year, a special viewing has been arranged of the acclaimed PBS documentary,The Truth About Trees, the evening of November 11.

The Student Research Conference has become a major event and learning experience for student scientists. The Student Research Conference is a poster presentation competition for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. It includes a graduate school recruitment fair. Students whose work has been accepted in the conference are invited to become members of Sigma Xi, in an induction ceremony that will be held in the evening of November 12 during the meeting. The experience obviously means a lot to these students: 94% of students surveyed after last year’s Student Research Conference said they would recommend the conference to a friend or peer.

Much Sigma Xi business is also conducted at the Annual Meeting, which is our opportunity for face-to-face meeting across the whole Society. Chapters must send a delegate to the Annual Meeting at least once every three years in order to remain in good standing. Of the delegates surveyed last year, 90% said the meeting was valuable to their chapter.

Those who register by May 27 will save 20%. For example, active members who sign up by May 27 pay only $260.  After May 27, the fee is $325. The registration web page also features student rates and one-day passes. All participants must be registered by August 1.

Sigma Xi gratefully accepts donations to support students traveling to the Student Research Conference. To sponsor a student, visit https://meeting.sigmaxi.org/annual/2016-SRC-Sponsorship.asp. While students may attend all public sessions, the majority of students will be coming to participate in the Student Research Conference, November 11–13.

Opportunities are also still available to underwrite sessions, to sponsor social events, and for exhibits. If your organization is interested in becoming a partner, please visit the sponsorship and exhibitor webpage.