The Houston Geological Society (HGS) is gearing up for the 2009-2010 season with a full calendar of short courses, dinner and lunch meetings, and social events to boot. Check out their website (www.hgs.org) for event details and the full calendar. If you aren't already a member, consider joining for registration discounts and access to the printed or online version of their monthly Bulletin.
The HGS is teaming up with the Geophysical Society of Houston (GSH) for 2009 Geoscience Day. The event is scheduled for September 24, and is aimed towards young professionals entering into the oil & gas industry with less than 5 years of work experience. The program offers a range of presentations and demonstrations on "the life of an oilfield". Check out the HGS (www.hgs.org) or GSH (www.gshtx.org) websites for information, registration, and sponsorship opportunities. In addition, the planning committee welcomes interested volunteers to help with organizing the event. Send me a note or contact the committee chair via the previously mentioned websites for more info.
Mid-October is Earth Science Week (officially, October 11-17, 2009). Earth Science Week is an opportunity to promote scientific understanding of the Earth amongst the public and geoscience communities. This year's theme is "Understanding Climate". In the Houston area, the HGS often coordinates with the Houston Museum of Natural Science for a day of family fun to kick off the week. In addition, the celebration of Earth Science Week also means field trips open to the general public. Keep your eyes on the HGS website for details on this year's planned events! If you are not in the Houston area, check your local science museums and geo-societies for scheduled events and volunteer opportunities.
The University of Houston Geoscience Alumni Association (UHGAA) is organizing a fundraising gala to establish an endowment for their new summer field camp programs (see my previous post for more on this). The event will be held in October at the Houston Museum of Natural Science. Please consider sponsoring a table, attending the gala, and supporting the UH field program for future students! If you are a UH alumn, the UHGAA welcomes participation in planning the event and helping to spread the word. A planning meeting is scheduled for Friday, August 14th. Send me a note for more information and to find out how you can help!
Plans are already underway for the Offshore Technology Conference 2010. Calls for abstracts are starting to make their way through the industry. Committees, such as The Next Wave planning committee, are already brainstorming session topics, keynote speakers, and program format for 2010. May comes quick!! A call for abstracts that recently came across my desk relates to a special technical session titled, "Applications of Multibeam Backscatter". The organizers are looking for case studies that illustrate the use and benefits of multibeam backscatter. If you want more info on the session let me know and I'll forward you the call for abstract information. If that particular topic is of no interest to you, never fear! There are many other technical sessions being organized for the OTC. Get your works together and present!! The OTC's official website is www.otcnet.org and it is diligently updated with all the latest and greatest information on the conference.
Speaking of conferences, the AAPG Annual Convention is planned for Houston in 2011. Hosted by the Houston Geological Society, there will be many opportunities (and needs!!) for volunteers. While it may seem ages away, there are many logistics involved with convention planning and all helping hands are welcome and appreciated! Contact the AAPG (www.aapg.org) or the HGS (www.hgs.org) if you are interested in lending your time or resources in preparation of the event.
I suppose I could go on forever. There are endless opportunities to get involved in the geo-community. You can attend and participate in events of all types. You can get behind the scenes and help in the planning by contributing your time, your experience, your enthusiasm, and your available resources. All the while you'll meet interesting people and build an experience base that will extend your social network, technical knowledge, and contribute towards developing your soft skills. Can't find an event that is interesting enough for you? Come up with an idea for what you'd like to see and present it to your local society. You will be surprised how enthusiastically an idea can translate to reality. It just depends on what you put into it!
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