Early Career Activities at EPSC-DPS 2023
Johanna Bürger and Jules Bourdelle de Micas, co-chairs of the EPEC@EPSC Working Group, report on the Europlanet Early Career (EPEC) presence at the DPS-EPSC 2023 joint meeting.
Read article in the fully formatted PDF of the Europlanet Magazine.
The EPEC@EPSC working group teamed up with the DPS Professional Development Subcommittee to offer several activities for early career researchers at the joint DPS-EPSC 2023 conference. Ahead of the meeting, we organised a mentoring programme for early careers from both Europlanet and DPS. Students who were attending an international conference for the first time were supported by being paired with a more experienced researcher (post-docs or senior researchers).
EPEC’s booth in the exhibition was set up alongside that of the Europlanet Society. Throughout the week, participants were able to stop by to find out about the EPEC community and the events we were offering during the conference – and, of course, pick up some goodies. Our booth attracted not only Europlanet early careers, but also DPS participants who discovered EPEC and got to know us during this joint conference.
At the end of the first day, we organised a networking reception for all early careers. It was a great opportunity to meet everyone and mix, especially between DPS and Europlanet, while enjoying a small buffet. Following this reception, we held our traditional workshop focusing on mental health at work. This year, Dr Steve Vance of JPL delivered an insightful presentation on this topic, sharing his point of view on mental health issues. This was followed by an open discussion where participants shared their concerns and thoughts with Dr Vance and people present in the room.
On Tuesday, the EPEC General Assembly took place, giving participants an introduction to how EPEC is organised, an update on the activities of the past year, and the latest news. This year, we were pleased to announce EPEC’s two new co-chairs, Jessie Hogan and Melissa Mirino (see In Focus). During the General Assembly, we also initiated a discussion on the future of EPEC and what the community wants from the network.
EPSC wouldn’t be EPSC without our famous early career social event! This year, it took place at the outdoor El Camino bar and food truck park. Thanks to the great weather and huge space, it was the perfect setting for early careers to meet each other in a less formal environment, with Mexican-American food and drinks, and the backdrop of a broadcasted American football game.
We were very happy that so many early careers took the opportunity to attend our events, and connect with their fellows and our network during DPS-EPSC 2023. We hope to see everyone again at EPSC 2024.
Bis bald in Berlin!
Do you want to participate in the organisation of EPEC events for the next EPSC? Get in touch with us (epec.epsc@gmail.com) and we will be happy to include you in our working group.
