The WIC+ professional development travel grant enabled me to attend the Photosynthesis Gordon Seminar and Conference in July 2023 in Newry, Maine. At the conference I learned about new and unpublished research being done in all areas of photosynthesis. As a physical chemist, it was particularly useful to learn from theorists and biologists that work on similar problems as me, but with different techniques and approaches. I also really appreciated the opportunity to meet international collaborators in person. Discussing projects we have been working on together for years in person was so much more exciting than on zoom! I presented a poster at both the seminar and the conference on research I recently submitted for publication. This was the perfect time to present this work because I could advertise the new manuscript to scientists in the field and I received insightful feedback for the next steps in the project.
I would like to thank WIC+ for the opportunity to attend this conference. It was a great time and helped me grow academically and professionally. I am grateful for WIC+’s support and all that the group does year-round for the department.