On the fifth [business] day of Christmas, the Iowa Water Center gave to me…a description of the breakout session The Next Generation of Water Professionals.
The following presentations will take place at the Iowa Water Conference in Ames on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 23, 2016. Registration for the conference will open in January.
This breakout session is built a little differently than the other tracks because it IS different: The Next Generation of Water Professionals is being planned by students from the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. It’s designed by the students with students in mind, but everyone at the conference is welcome to attend. The students have four, 30 minute blocks just like everyone else, but they’re mainly focusing on two topics: climate and communicating science.
The session will be set up to have Christopher J. Anderson from Iowa State University give a presentation on climate science, and following this presentation, an interactive and engaging discussion on the impact of climate change predictions on the future of water research and water management. After the break, the students will hear from Pat Boddy of RDG Planning and Design as well as Dr. Dara Wald from Iowa State University’s Greenlee School of Journalism as part of a panel discussion on communicating science issues to the general public, particularly focused on climate and sustainability.
This session is a new feature of the Iowa Water Conference, and we’re excited to offer a venue for college students interested in water to meet and network. If you’re a student and are interested in learning more about this session and the other students attending the conference, contact Melissa Miller at millerms@iastate.edu.