The Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee

 “Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we've ever known.”

~Ronald Reagan.

Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee

Last month the Graduate & Postdoctoral Scholars Bulletin featured the Graduate Student Symposium Planning Committee (GSSPC). When I was in graduate school, I would have given just about anything to have the opportunity to gather the most renowned scientists in my field of study in a symposium of my design. Today grad students groups involved with GSSPCs can do just that.

What are GSSPCs?

GSSPCs are composed of motivated graduate students who plan and execute day-long symposia at ACS national meetings which include selecting a topic and recruiting speakers. In short, the group is an awesome venue for graduate students to develop networking, grant-writing and leadership skills while mingling with their favorite scientists.

 

Who are the GSSPC Groups?

Since 2005, graduate student chemistry groups from a variety of universities have served as GSSPCs. See the list of graduate student groups and universities below.  

 

UC Irvine (Spring 2013)
Topic: Benchtop to Business: Energy solutions for a new future

Binghamton University (Fall 2012)

Topic: The Power of Chemistry in Public Health: Drug Development from the Lab Bench to the Consumer

California Institute of Technology (Spring 2012)

Topic: Chemical Biology: When two heads are better than one

Southern Methodist University (Fall 2011)

Topic:  Chemistry by Design

University of Texas at Austin (Spring 2011)

Topic:  Unleashing Electrochemistry’s Potential: Resistance is Futile

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Fall 2010)

Topic: Chemistry and Policy: Solving Problems at the Interface

University of California, Santa Barbara (Spring 2010)

Topic: Chemistry and the Developing World”

George Washington University (Spring 2009)

Topic: Naturally Nano

University of Connecticut (Fall 2008)

Topic:  Transitioning into Green Chemistry

University of California, Los Angeles (Spring 2008)

 Topic: Nanopower ― Creating Energy for the Future

Purdue University (Fall 2007)

Topic:  Finding Your Catalyst: Lower the Barrier from the Graduate School to Industry

Ohio State University (Spring 2007)

Topic:  Exploring and Exploiting Nature with Biomimetics

University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign (Spring 2006)

Topic: Balancing the Equation: Finding a Personal-Professional Equilibrium

How are GSSPCs selected?

Each GSSPC is tasked with selecting the succeeding year's GSSPC  (i.e., the Fall 2012 GSSPC will select the Fall 2013 GSSPC and the Spring 2013 GSSPC will select the Spring 2014 GSSPC). If you are interested in applying to be the next GSSPC please check out the websites of the current GSSPCs for more information.