USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program is Represented at 2007 SACNAS National Conference


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USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program is Represented at 2007 SACNAS National Conference

By Claudia Flores and Ben Gutierrez
Jan. / Feb. 2008

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Above: Ben Gutierrez in the USGS exhibitor booth at SACNAS. [larger version]

Claudia Flores with a graduate student from Puerto Rico

Above: Claudia Flores (right) with a graduate student from Puerto Rico at the SACNAS conference. [larger version]

Claudia Flores and Ben Gutierrez of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)'s Woods Hole Science Center in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, attended the National Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) in Kansas City, Missouri. SACNAS is dedicated to the promotion of mentoring between professionals and aspiring students from minority communities. The meeting took place October 11-14 at the Kansas City Convention Center. Approximately 2,000 participants attended this meeting, which focused on the theme "Stretching the Imagination to Support Leadership and Sustainability." The principal sponsors for this meeting were the University of Kansas and Haskell Indian Nations University, both located in Lawrence, Kansas.

The 4-day annual event is attended by undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctorates, research and academic scientists, and K-12 educators with the mission to provide an open environment for developing and furthering minority involvement in the sciences. Activities at the conference are centered around exposure of students to science, engineering, and math; assistance in career development; and an opportunity for minority students currently in graduate and undergraduate programs to give oral and poster presentations of their work. Feature keynote addresses provide a forum for recognizing the achievements and dedication of current SACNAS members. The banquets also facilitate interaction among meeting attendees and contribute to the open atmosphere of the meeting.

Flores and Gutierrez hosted a USGS information booth featuring recent and ongoing work at the Woods Hole Science Center and in the broader USGS community. The exhibition gave them an opportunity to speak with many students, teachers, and researchers. The most popular feature at the exhibit booth was a poster showing recently collected multibeam bathymetric data from the Mona Passage of Puerto Rico. Use of 3D ChromaDepth glasses gave visitors a striking, three-dimensional view of the bathymetric data. Flores used her knowledge and background as a geophysicist to explain the science behind the poster, and shared her experience as a member of the research cruise that collected the data. Gutierrez also spoke during a scientific symposium session focusing on the importance of coastal research.

Next year's SACNAS national conference will be held October 9-12, 2008, in Salt Lake City, Utah, with the theme "The International Polar Year: Global Climate Change and Our Communities." (For more information about SACNAS, its national conference, and its mission statement, visit URL http://www.sacnas.org/.) Anyone in the USGS who is interested in participating in exhibitor activities, volunteering as a speaker, or passing along information and opportunities for students at the next SACNAS conference should contact Claudia Flores (cflores@usgs.gov) or Ben Gutierrez (bgutierrez@usgs.gov).