CERF 2019 Conference

CERF 2019 Conference Updates

See below for the most recent updates for our 25th Biennial Conference:

Ambassador Program

“Ambassador” is defined as a representative or envoy with the duty to represent the organization and to provide excellent customer service, thus creating an exceptional experience to all guests. The CERF Ambassador Program will do just that - ensure all members and attendees at CERF have a great meeting experience.

Whether this meeting is your first or fifteenth CERF conference, there are times when attendees feel alone and/or unsure (e.g there is the person whose papers you have already read and admired, but you are hesitant to just walk up and introduce yourself). Or you are just ending one appointment and want to ask someone who has similar interests how they found the next great job.

The CERF Ambassador Program is meant to make these moments easier - with the goal to increase engagement among members and conference attendees, selected CERF members at all career stages will be available throughout the conference to chat informally. We expect CERF Ambassadors to play an active role in meeting First Time Attendees as well as early career and student attendees.

Ambassadors will help make the conference a place of mutual respect where the focus is on learning and collaboration.

SIGN UP TO BECOME A CERF AMBASSADOR

To build on CERF’s broadening participation vision, the Ambassador Program aims to help build a diverse and inclusive community of coastal and estuarine scientists, which in turn strengthens our scientific membership.

Responsibilities of Ambassadors

Participate in CERFing for Lunch at least one day (CERFing for lunch will run every day as it is expected that different days will work for different groups of attendees.)
Go to at least three first-time attendee and student posters
Join ambassadors in social media campaigns (e.g. poster session flash mob, selfies).
Be a welcoming, friendly face of CERF and grow our community!

Rising TIDES (Toward an Inclusive, Diverse, and Enriched Society) 2019 Conference Mentoring Program

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

CERF’s Rising TIDES initiative promotes opportunities for all underrepresented minorities while cultivating a culture that actively engages and leverages diversity of all types. The Rising TIDES Conference Program will jointly support underrepresented minority (URM) students and mentors to participate in CERF 2019 – 25th Biennial Conference in Mobile, Alabama, 3–7 November 2019. Through joint support of both students and mentors, this program aims to enhance career development of URM students, ensure that students participating in the program will have sustained mentorship following the conference, help develop a community of practice for CERF members who are engaged in building diversity and inclusion within their own organizations and across institutions, and involve those who are already mentors of URM students in helping to transform CERF into a broadly inclusive society.

International Travel to the United States

To Request an Official Letter of Invitation

Once you have completed your conference registration form, please email your full name, address, institution/affiliate name and email address to [email protected]. Once processed, a signed letter will be emailed to you. If you need an original sent to you via post, please indicate so in your email request.

If you've submitted an abstract or plan to make an oral or poster presentation, you will need to include the title and presentation date/time for your abstract. Presenters are yet to be decided, and will be announced around August. If you'd like to present, please make sure to submit an abstract for our committees to review.

CERF continues to recognize and support that scientific progress and research is dependent upon the free exchange of ideas among international networks of diverse scientists, professors, researchers, and students.

Changes in U.S. immigration and travel policies have rightfully concerned many international scientists and we respect the concerns of those who may be apprehensive about traveling to the United States due to the travel restrictions.

International travelers to CERF 2019 should apply for travel visas as soon as possible. The U.S. Department of State maintains a comprehensive website containing information about traveling to the United States, and the U.S. National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine also has helpful information for scientists and students traveling to the United States.

To request an Official Letter of Invitation, please email your full name, mailing address, institution/affiliate name and email address to [email protected]. If you are making the request after you’ve been accepted to give an oral or poster presentation, please include the title and presentation date/time for your abstract. Once processed, a signed letter will be emailed to you. If you need an original sent to you via post, please indicate so in your email request.

International travelers are strongly encouraged to register for CERF 2019 as soon as possible. This will ensure space, materials, refreshments and other conference amenities are held for you.

CERF recognizes that extenuating circumstances, including failure to obtain a U.S. travel visa, may hinder conference attendance. In those situations, with the submission of appropriate documentation, CERF will refund prepaid registration fees.

CERF is making efforts to create virtual participation opportunities for CERF members who are unable to travel to the conference. These details are being worked out and will be shared once finalized.

Please notify CERF ([email protected]) if you are unable to obtain a visa for travel to the conference, or for other visa-related issues. CERF will track this information to help us understand the impact of visa-related issues on conference attendance. We also encourage you to report issues via this questionnaire.

Student and Early Career Networking Event

Monday, 4 November | 7:00 – 9:00 PM
Renaissance River View Hotel

Students, early-career individuals, and panelists from a range of career disciplines who would like to participate in the Career Networking Event, please Indicate your interest when registering for CERF 2019. If you registered, please officially RSVP by October 18, 2019 to ensure your spot at the event.

RSVP

Learn More about the Student Networking Event

CERF 2019 Student Judging Opportunities

Graduate and undergraduate students are given the opportunity to have their oral or poster presentations evaluated by a panel of judges at CERF 2019.

Attendees are welcome to sign up as a judge. Graduate students may sign up as judges for undergraduate presentations. Undergraduate students are not allowed to sign up as judges.

Judges will be rewarded with one complimentary drink ticket for use at a Poster Session/Happy Hour or at the Opening or Closing Receptions.

Download the Student Judging Form

If you are interested in becoming a student judge, please contact our Student Judging Chairs Kelly Darnell, University of Southern Mississippi
Zach Darnell, University of Southern Mississippi and include: