Congratulations to the students/alumni selected to attend the 2018 ATE Conference. Please see the following information pertaining to student activities and the upcoming conference events.
Download the ATE Conference Student Schedule of Events (PDF)
Download the Student’s Guide to Washington, DC (PDF)
WEBINAR – Student Orientation to the ATE Conference: AACC held a webinar on Wednesday, September 19 at 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. (Eastern) designed to provide student attendees with an orientation to the conference. The webinar highlights why you should attend, what you need to do to attend, what you can expect, and how you can maximize your time to get the most out of the conference and its many networking opportunities.
- To view a recording of the webinar, please click here.
- To view the slides from the webinar, please click here.
Student Meet and Greet: For any students/alumni arriving early to the conference, AACC is coordinating an informal meet and greet opportunity on Wednesday, October 24 at 1:30 p.m. in the Executive room. Join us for some light refreshment, introductions, and an opportunity to meet your fellow students. The meet and greet will also include a guided tour of the Omni Shoreham Hotel, information on its rich history, and a visit to its infamous ghost suite. Following the hotel tour, interested students can self-organize into groups to go out and explore Washington, DC; and an AACC staff member will be on-hand to offer guidance on where to go and to answer questions about the area. Student groups can then head out on their own and return to the hotel prior to the conference opening session at 5:45 p.m.
Student/Alumni Recognition Breakfast – Required: ATE students, alumni, and their PIs are expected to attend a special recognition breakfast on Friday, October 26 from 7:30 – 8:45 a.m. in the Empire Ballroom. ATE students and alumni will be formally recognized by NSF for their achievements in ATE programs.
Industry “Speed Networking” Session for ATE Students: AACC will host a special, student-only session focused on industry “speed networking” on Thursday, October 25 from 10:15 – 11:15 a.m. in the Executive room. Speed networking is a process designed to facilitate introductions between business/industry representatives and student participants. This session will afford student participants the opportunity to meet accomplished business professionals from a variety of backgrounds and companies. It promises to be an enjoyable, fast-paced, and informative experience as students are given an opportunity to learn and practice interview and communication skills.
Student Poster Session – Required: Students and alumni are required to participate in a poster session on Thursday, October 25 from 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. in the Regency Ballroom. The poster session will give students/alumni an opportunity to highlight their programs of study and career paths. For the session, students will have access to one half of a 4’ x 8’ display board to display their poster. Posters must fit within a 4’ x 4’ space. Students will be expected to stand by their posters for a 90-minute display period to engage with conference attendees from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Students are required to sign up for the poster session when completing the 2018 ATE Student Information Request Form, which was sent to all students via email.
Students from the same institution/project may elect to develop a joint poster presentation and display together. However, due to spacing and visibility concerns, AACC will allow no more than two students to jointly present a single poster. Students are encouraged to develop their own individual posters for display.
Student Poster Session Schedule – Thursday, October 25
Poster Set-Up: 11:15 – Noon (AACC will provide push pins and Velcro)
Poster Session: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.*
*Students are asked to stand by their posters from 12:30 – 2:00 p.m.
Poster Tear Down: 2:00 – 2:15 p.m.
Student Poster Session Guidelines: To download student poster session guidelines, please click here.
Breakfast Discussion Opportunity with the National Science Board: The ATE Conference includes an opportunity for students to talk with members of the National Science Board (NSB) as part of a breakfast roundtable on Thursday, October 25 from 7:45 – 8:45 a.m. in the Ambassador Ballroom. The NSB jointly heads the National Science Foundation and serves as an apolitical advisor to the President and Congress on STEM policy issues. The NSB is currently conducting listening sessions with community college students and recent alumni to identify the opportunities and challenges facing students entering the skilled technical workforce so they can recommend strategies to support them. Please consider joining this informal discussion to share your educational and career experiences with the NSB to assist them in understanding and supporting the community college role in preparing students for the skilled technical workforce. If you are interested in participating, sign-up when completing the student information request form.
Student Educational Tour: As part of the ATE Conference, AACC offers ATE students and alumni a complimentary tour of the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum and the opportunity to see some of the city’s important landmarks such as the White House, Washington Monument, U.S. Capitol Building, and others on Thursday, October 25. The bus departs the Omni Shoreham Hotel at 3:15 p.m. and will return at 6:15 p.m. There is no charge for students to take the tour. However, we do require that you sign up ahead of time to attend by completing the student information request form.
Contact: If you have any questions regarding the conference or any of the student events, please contact Kate Lockard at (202) 728-0200 x 275 or Kate.Lockard@conferencedirect.com.