Page 18 - i1052-5173-30-10 + Annual Report

MEETINGS
Member Benefits Include:
An Opportunity to Connect • Members enjoy reduced meeting

registration rates.
and Collaborate • Special opportunities for student
members—mentor luncheons,
volunteer opportunities to offset the
cost of attending GSA meetings.

GSA SECTION MEETINGS
GSA Section Meetings are unique ven-
ues for interdisciplinary science and are an
important hub for discussing and present-
ing current research. They provide an
excellent opportunity for both profession-
als and students to attend and participate
in technical sessions, field trips, and short
courses close to home.
In 2020, GSA was able to successfully run
the South-Central Section Meeting in-person
in Fort Worth, Texas, USA, on 9–10 March
2020, with over 300 attendees. Then the
“GSA membership means that I am contributing to a world changed with COVID-19 and the
collective body of knowledge that is constantly growing.” remaining four sectional meetings had to
cancel their in-person meetings. GSA was
GSA offers a variety of meetings to geo- report has been shared with staff members, able, with the help of the local planning
scientists—from small research forums, to GSA’s Executive Committee, as well as the committee for the North-Central Section
moderate specialty conferences, to a large Annual Program Committee. The report is Meeting, to host its first-ever virtual meet-
annual meeting. These forums, conferences, being taken seriously, and staff is currently ing, which consisted of two half-days, run-
and meetings are held around the globe working to implement their recommenda- ning six concurrent sessions each day, with a
throughout the year. GSA provides a plat- tions. An overview of the recommenda- combination of oral and poster presentations.
form for scientists to share their latest tions includes: The presidential address and afternoon
research, build upon current knowledge, and 1. Take steps to elevate and differentiate mentoring sessions and career workshops
network with peers. GSA strives to keep content; also took place. The North-Central Section
meetings cost-effective yet provide the latest 2. Amplify networking opportunities; virtual meeting had close to 900 attendees
technology platforms for scientific exchange. 3. Personalize the experience; during those two days. A Resolution of
4. Turn the Exhibit Hall into a Resource & Thanks was passed by the Executive
GSA ANNUAL MEETING Innovation Center; Committee and Officers of the Geological
In fiscal year 2020 (FY20), GSA hosted 5. Continue to strengthen diversity and Society of America to recognize and con-
our Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, inclusion initiatives and increase gratulate the North-Central Section of
USA, in September 2019 and had more awareness; GSA for hosting the first virtual Section
than 5,500 attendees from 56 countries 6. Enhance technology to further engage Meeting on 18–19 May 2020. They made
attending, while presenting more than and connect with attendees; GSA history!
3,700 abstracts over several days. Twenty- 7. Extend the value 365 days;
three field trips ran and 20 short courses 8. Beta test the annual meeting location GSA PENROSE CONFERENCES
were held. More than 200 companies, orga- rotation; and AND THOMPSON FIELD FORUMS
nizations, and universities exhibited during 9. Fine-tune the marketing. GSA Penrose Conferences and
the meeting. Thompson Field Forums are GSA’s pre-
In addition, GSA hired a consulting Hundreds of volunteers participate miere small-group meeting and field-trip
company called Minding Your Business to yearly in the GSA Annual Meeting—from venues for collaborative research around
evaluate GSA meetings, particularly the local organizing committee members and the world. In FY20, one Thompson Field
annual meeting, to provide feedback on the Joint Technical Program Committee, Forum took place: Age and Carving of
best practices to elevate the meetings. The to the hundreds of session conveners from Grand Canyon: Toward a Resolution of 150
consultants were very generous in men- every geoscience discipline and the hun- Years of Debate, on 14–21 September 2019,
tioning what GSA already does well, and dreds of student volunteers from campuses in Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA.
they reported back to us that the meeting across the Americas and farther abroad.
attendees enjoy the networking opportuni- There is something for everyone at the
ties GSA provides. The final consultant’s GSA Annual Meeting.

18 FY2020 GSA Annual Report