The convention's over and I'm back in Minnesota, but I'm still mulling things over in my mind.
Along with the Expo, quiz bowl, and Alumni dinner, I attended some of the technical sessions. I think the most interesting aspect of these sessions is watching forestry professionals discuss conflicting perspectives during the question\answer period at the end of each presentation. While the discussions proceeded in a civil manner, tension was a quite apparent. This is an aspect of science that is not effectively conveyed in the clinical format of a scientific journal.
Because I'll be graduating in December, the most beneficial aspect of the convention for me was the opportunity to meet professionals. There seems to be many aspects to the field of forestry and I'm still trying to figure out what would be the best fit for me. I had many opportunities to meet with people working for different agencies and get their perspective on things. And it didn't end at the convention doors...on my flight home I was seated next to Randy Kolka, a soil scientist at the Northern Research Station in Grand Rapids. He gladly filled me in on the aspects of his job and offered a lot of career advice.
Attending the convention in Reno was an extremely valuable experience and we couldn't have done it without the support of our sponsors. Thanks for making it possible.