Abstract
This new focus for the ALA Spotlight Series reflects ALA's flexibility and portability as a strategy-driven professional society.
For the second year in a row, ALA is proud to partner with industry leaders to deliver ‘live and in-person’ educational opportunities to audiences outside of the LabAutomation conference. This year, with sponsorship support from Pioneer Hi-Bred and Syngenta Seeds, ALA will introduce students and young scientists at Iowa State University and Michigan State University to the field of laboratory automation.
This new focus for the ALA Spotlight Series reflects ALA's flexibility and portability as a strategy-driven professional society. As with all ALA programs, products, services, and events, the ALA Spotlight Series was carefully evaluated after its debut in 2007. Attendance patterns, attendee feedback, and sponsor feedback suggested that some changes could be made to better serve the laboratory automation community. After further brain-storming with ALA's volunteer leadership, the Spotlight Series was re-invented to better align its purpose with ALA Strategic Plan goals and objectives.
Education continues to be the cornerstone of ALA's mission, and this program continues to speak directly to that priority, making valuable educational opportunities available on a regional basis at no cost to attendees. This year, the program takes this commitment a step further by more aggressively targeting the next generation of laboratory automation leaders in one specific practice setting (i.e., food and agriculture). Other refinements in the series include condensing the program into one half-day vs. one full-day, and building in more time for one-on-one questions and answers, discussions, and career networking.
As an educator, I am especially pleased by the ALA Spotlight Series' refined focus on students. Day after day, I witness how students and young scientists hunger for meaningful interaction with the ‘real world.’ They yearn to meet and talk with experienced professionals who offer not only scientific know-how, but personal career advice and informed perspective.
Shining a light on a career path in laboratory automation benefits students by opening their eyes to opportunities that otherwise may go unnoticed at this point in their careers. It benefits ALA's sponsoring partners by positioning them as leading employers among audiences of prospective employees. And it benefits ALA by establishing its presence as a facilitator of practical knowledge transfer through innovative educational programs.
For more information about the 2008 ALA Spotlight Series, please visit the ALA Web site (www.labautomation.org).
Sincerely,
