Physical Oceanography Dissertation Symposia X and XI

University Of Hawaii, Honolulu

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports the organization of the 10th and 11th editions of the Physical Oceanography Dissertation Symposium (PODS) conferences in October 2018 and October 2020. These symposia were established in 2002 to bring together, for the purposes of scientific discussion and interactions, recent or soon to be Ph.D. graduates in physical oceanography and closely related fields. This program is modeled after the highly successful Dissertations Symposium in Chemical Oceanography (DISCO) meetings, which were first held in 1978, and is formatted in a similar manner. It is anticipated that the PODS symposia will be held in parallel with the DISCO symposia as interactions between the two groups are an integral part of the goals of the proposed PODS symposia. A broad international announcement of the PODS symposia will be made to physical oceanographers working at academic and research institutions in both the US and other countries to develop an applicant pool. From this pool, agency personnel will select invitees. The meeting will consist of a series of scientific sessions grouped by research subject area that are chaired by selected invitees. Each participant will present their dissertation research to their professional peers, in the appropriate session, followed by a participant-led discussion period. These activities will forge professional relationships between the participants that will facilitate future research and academic careers in oceanography. The symposium will also include an initial presentation by an invited senior scientist in the field, and presentations by, and discussion with, agency personnel explaining funding mechanisms and strategies. Participants will form breakout groups to discuss current issues in research, as well as obstacles and opportunities to career paths in the field, then provide feedback to agency personnel through formal presentations. Evening discussion sessions revolving around specific topics will be organized with participants from both symposia (PODS and DISCO) with the goal of broadening the disciplinary expertise of the participants, promote future inter-disciplinary collaborations, and make connections between research and education applicable to future generations of scientists. The participation of early career professionals in the field of physical oceanography from widely differing backgrounds and geographical origins, will lead in the creation of a peer mentoring group that could potentially be career-lasting. The attendees play a critical role in improving our understanding of ocean and earth science processes, which provide the scientific framework for advancing fundamental oceanographic research. The integration with participants in DISCO promotes the development of inter-disciplinary research. In addition, as a minority institution, the University of Hawaii fosters interactions between traditionally under-represented groups and minorities. Planned meeting activities include interactions between meeting participants and students, particularly undergraduates in the Department of Oceanography's Global Environmental Sciences program.