2014 Conference Attendance

[engphiledu]

I just thought it would be cool to have a post where everyone could say which conferences they're thinking of attending this year! (or where we can talk about those conferences we have already attended this year)

I've been accepted to the New Jersey College English Association Conference, the North American Undergraduate Conference in Religion & Philosophy, and the Northern Plains Conference on Early British Literature. I've applied to Wiscon and am currently procrastinating on sending in an abstract to the Rocky Mountain Modern Foreign Languages conference. 

[EngineerGrad]

I'm attending the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, not really considering other conference due to time strains 

[engphiledu]

I'm attending the American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference, not really considering other conference due to time strains 

 

I can understand that sentiment. For me, it is less a worry about time constraints and more a worry about finances. I'd love to attend all of these conferences, but with plane tickets and hotel rooms, the costs just add up. I've heard from my professors that they're having to drop more of their own money on conferences each year, even though most of the time conference attendance/paper presentations are part of maintaining their jobs. One of my professors said that he on average drops about $1000 on a weekend conference; it makes it very difficult to have these opportunities for professional development!

[armchairette]

I recently attended and presented at a local conference for Intensive English Programs.  I'm attending and presenting at my current university's GTA conference next month.

 

I'm attending a small local conference put on by the Office of Civil Rights in regards to English Language Learners with disabilities tomorrow.

 

I'm attending TESOL International in Portland in two weeks.  I will be presenting a poster at the MA student forum.

 

I've submitted a proposal for the American Association of (Applied) Corpus Linguistics, but I doubt I'll be selected.  I will probably attend, either way, assuming at least some funding...

 

I will do the local TESOLs for my current area and the region where I hopefully end up.  My partner for another conference and I are working on a proposal.

 

 

Anyone else going to TESOL?  I'm very excited--it's my first time.  Couldn't afford to do AAAL and TESOL, though.

Edited March 13, 2014 by armchairette

[Gauche]

I'm presenting at RMMLA this year.

[Sumrin]

I am prsenting at American Society of Public Administration's 3rd International Young Scholar's Workshop.. my first time in any conference/workshop ... anybody else ?? It's in China 

[Kleene]

Some of you go to local/undergrad conferences. Personally, I am surprised to see this since I thought going there would not serve any purpose. What do you guys think to get out of attending those conferences?

[Nerd_For_Life]

I'm presenting at Congress 2014 in Canada (hosted by Brock University this year) and am waiting to hear back on another potential presentation down in Nebraska. Both of these are interdisciplinary conferences geared predominantly towards profs, PhD students (if their work is strong enough), and, in the case of the conference I'm still waiting to hear back from, relevant front-line social service providers, police, and local government officials.

Next year I am aiming for CASCA and might submit to the AAAs so that I can add more anthro specific conferences to my CV (the others I've done and will do this year have been more relevant to my research focus rather than my discipline)

[redheadacademic]

I'm presenting at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) conference in Montreal in August (two papers). Keeping my fingers crossed for the NCA (National Communication Association) - if my paper gets accepted I'll attend, otherwise I won't be able to. 

[Roquentin]

Some of you go to local/undergrad conferences. Personally, I am surprised to see this since I thought going there would not serve any purpose. What do you guys think to get out of attending those conferences?

 

Surely there can be value in having a variety of presenting opportunities? For example, I enjoy a regular brown bag series, in which grad students in my department take turns informally presenting their latest research. Having to make my work accessible and interesting to peers in other fields has been thoroughly worthwhile.

 

I've chaired panels at undergrad conferences in the past, and they can be fun to attend as well. I tend to approach these dealings with undergrads as a chance to begin thinking about supervision. What advice would I give this student, what directions would I push them in, what weaknesses need improvement, and what strengths could be harnessed? I'd never present at one, of course (I suspect that the poster above who will is between BA and MA), but attending them has been fine. As for local conferences, they seem uniformly positive too. What's the beef?

[Kleene]

Surely there can be value in having a variety of presenting opportunities? For example, I enjoy a regular brown bag series, in which grad students in my department take turns informally presenting their latest research. Having to make my work accessible and interesting to peers in other fields has been thoroughly worthwhile.

 

I've chaired panels at undergrad conferences in the past, and they can be fun to attend as well. I tend to approach these dealings with undergrads as a chance to begin thinking about supervision. What advice would I give this student, what directions would I push them in, what weaknesses need improvement, and what strengths could be harnessed? I'd never present at one, of course (I suspect that the poster above who will is between BA and MA), but attending them has been fine. As for local conferences, they seem uniformly positive too. What's the beef?

You have a fair point after the supervision aspect. I reckon it might be fun to attend too. However, actually presenting as an undergrad seems like a lot of trouble to go through for relatively little gain. Surely, at your own university you will have to present papers on a regular basis, peer review, etc. I suppose I am looking for the skills you could master by presenting at an undergrad conference that you could not otherwise/easier master. Maybe I am just too unfamiliar with said conferences, but I wondering what people intend to gain from it.

[m-ttl]

You have a fair point after the supervision aspect. I reckon it might be fun to attend too. However, actually presenting as an undergrad seems like a lot of trouble to go through for relatively little gain. Surely, at your own university you will have to present papers on a regular basis, peer review, etc. I suppose I am looking for the skills you could master by presenting at an undergrad conference that you could not otherwise/easier master. Maybe I am just too unfamiliar with said conferences, but I wondering what people intend to gain from it.

 

I did (presented at) an undergrad conference shortly before I graduated this year -- and it was great because I was not expected to be totally practiced at it yet, but got the experience under my belt. It was great, and I'm glad I did it so that when I begin my PhD program in the fall, I don't feel as if I've never experienced a conference before. I'm also of the opinion that practice makes perfect, so while I took it seriously, I knew I would also make mistakes and learn from them for the next conference. I enjoyed it, and public speaking is a fairly common part of my field, so my question would be -- why wouldn't you pursue as many opportunities as feasible? It made sense for me, as an UG to do an UG conference. And if there was one locally I was asked to chair, or wanted to visit (they do have guest speakers!) I would go. 

 

Local conferences are also -- local -- and may be cheaper, depending on where you are. It connects you to your more immediate surroundings of colleagues, a more intimate setting, and a smaller trial run space for ideas that need more tweaking. 

[gingin6789]

I attended and presented at the Sociologists for Women in Society (SWS) winter meeting in February.  

I also attended and presented at the Eastern Sociological Society (ESS) winter meeting in February!

 

These were my first two conferences!  Both intimidating, but very fun!!