Collaborate early and often: Key advice for building your scientific network

We have all heard it before – it’s about who you know, not necessarily what you know. Building your network is one of the most valuable things you can do early in your career, but it is also one that comes without much instruction. My PhD advisor told me early on that attending conferences and being involved in different societies would be one of the best things I could do to begin to build that network. She was absolutely right, but beyond meeting people in your field was the next hard step: finding ways to work together. As a student, this can feel really intimidating, but I realized that it was actually the best time to start. My experience participating in ASLO’s Graduate Research Exchange Program (LOREX) was transformative in the sense that I was collaborating with other researchers on my own for the first time. It brought fresh perspective, new ideas, and resulted in important findings in my PhD. These experiences are critical early in our careers, and the value of gained confidence in a collaborative setting cannot be understated. The field of aquatic sciences bridges disciplines and borders, and it is important that we approach our research similarly. This presentation will include what I have learned throughout my PhD about building my network from conferences, choosing collaborators, and working with scientists outside of academia, and will also highlight my ongoing collaboration with researchers in Australia that stemmed from the ASLO LOREX program.

Presentation Preference: No Preference

Primary Presenter: Abby Webster, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (abwebste@syr.edu)

Authors:

Abby Webser, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry  (abwebste@syr.edu)

Emmi Kurosawa, University of Massachussetts - Boston  (emi.kurosawa@gmail.com)