Student Reflection: ArcticNet ASM 2015 – Vancouver, BC December 7-11, 2015

Written by Carlee Wright, MSc Candidate

Last week, along with several other lab mates, I had the opportunity to travel to Vancouver for the 11th ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting (ASM). This was my second year attending ArcticNet ASM, and once again I was impressed by all the different aspects of the conference!

Student day was packed full of sessions centered around the theme of professional development, and during this time we were also able to meet other graduate students and learn about the work they are doing. It was great to see familiar faces around the conference during the course of the week!

With so many different topical sessions it was hard to decide which ones to attend. Through the talks I learned about many different research projects, from fox rabies to muskox health, and even Arctic search and rescue! Although my research is water-focused, I really enjoyed listening to talks on topics different from my own; seeing the vast range of work being done is exciting, and it helps me to put my own work in perspective in the scope of Arctic research at large.

The ArcticNet Student Association also organized a great cultural night, where we could either make a seal skin bracelet, try our hand at beading patterns, or play traditional Inuit games. It had a great turnout and was a really fun way to relax after a long week of events and topical sessions.

This year's ArcticNet ASM was once again a great experience, and I look forward to being able to attend again in the future!