Abstract
As laboratory automation professionals, ours is the business of innovation. We pride ourselves in our ingenuity and imagination, and we participate in ALA to fuel our passion for invention. Our ranks span generations of fresh thought and scientific diversity. Collectively, we create an unbeatable powerhouse of experience and expertise.
As a result, the field of laboratory automation continues to evolve and gain recognition as a scientific specialty in and of itself, and more and more young professionals are finding themselves attracted to the energy and opportunities offered by our community. In addition to fanning the flames of inspiration that burn in the hearts of established laboratory automation professionals, ALA strives to serve as a pathway for young professionals; to fuse the experience of mature scientists with the energy and perspective of emerging talent.
Today's new generation of scientists are setting global benchmarks of excellence at young ages. The achievements of long-time ALA member and Velocity 11 Founder Rob Nail are a testament to this phenomenon and to the importance of ALA's outreach to the best and the brightest scientific minds. This outreach assumes many different shapes and forms, all for the purpose of attracting, integrating, and optimizing new talent within our community.
For starters, we virtually eliminate hurdles related to out-of-pocket costs for participation. Full-time students can join ALA and receive full benefits of regular membership (except for voting privileges) for just $25. Likewise, students can enjoy full registration for LabAutomation conferences for just $25, and if at least two students from a university program attend, their professor can join them with a full registration for free.
In addition, the ALA LabAutomation Travel Award Program rewards students, post docs, and junior faculty who contribute meaningful scientific content to the LabAutomation conference. This year, ALA funded travel and housing and provided free full conference registrations to 39 aspiring professionals from 14 different U.S. states and 10 different countries. For a complete list, visit www.labautomation.org/LA09/travelawardwinners.cfm.
The quality of ALA LabAutomation Travel Award Program applicants is consistently first rate. In fact, this year as in past years, 85% of applicants successfully earned ALA LabAutomation Travel Awards, and their contributions resulted in five very well-received podium presentations and 34 interesting poster presentations.
As full conference registrants, ALA LabAutomation Travel Award winners can attend all scientific sessions, special sessions, plenary presentations, the exhibit hall, and social events. In addition, ALA offers special programs that speak directly to their unique position in life. For the second year in a row, a full-day workshop entitled “Life After Graduate School” walked participants through the real-world practicalities of targeting job markets, preparing resumes, and interviewing for industry, and it brought students face-to-face with experienced industry thought leaders for some very candid Q&A.
ALA also provides students free access throughout the year to its online Career Connections service at www.labautomation.org. At the LabAutomation conference, students are welcome and encouraged to seek personal and confidential one-on-one advice from human resource recruitment professionals and prospective employers.
The LabAutomation conference also engages a legion of energetic student volunteers from nearby Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences in Claremont, CA. Each year, about 40 Keck students are provided with access to all LabAutomation activities, including participation in one Short Course, in exchange for hands-on assistance with conference management duties, such as room set-up, registration, badge-checks, and session attendance counts.
The ALA Student and Early-Career Professionals Committee provides ALA with suggestions and feedback on how it can best serve as a conduit between yesterday, today, and tomorrow. According to Committee Chair Thom Leiding of Lund University, “LabAutomation is a great conference for students and early career professionals to attend namely because of ALA's ability to provide individuals with a first-rate professional experience at a very low cost, in some cases, for no cost at all. Because of the tight-knit nature of ALA and its core of volunteers, students, and early career professionals who attend LabAutomation and become involved with ALA are able to engage, network with, and be inspired by prominent researchers working within the field of laboratory automation on a one-to-one basis. The ability to connect with individuals from around the world without feeling disoriented by the size of the event is something you cannot put a price on.”
In 2008, ALA re-engineered its regional Spotlight Series program to focus on students and young scientists in different regions of the United States. The program's “live and in person” educational exchange, coupled with its “at your doorstep” convenience, allows ALA to introduce promising new audiences to the prospect and career potential of laboratory automation.
Reaching even further into the future, ALA provides financial and promotional support to F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). This dynamic organization exists to inspire young people in grades 1–12 to be science and technology leaders by engaging them in exciting mentor-based programs that build science, engineering, and technology skills, inspire innovation, and foster well-rounded life capabilities.
These initiatives are investments not only in the future success of ALA and its members but also in laboratory automation as a recognized and respected scientific specialty. As our field continues to distinguish itself as a dynamic crossroads for different scientific and commercial disciplines, ALA continues to distinguish itself as the exchange agent that most meaningfully serves our unique community.
Sincerely
