ELEVATE

Researchers within the field of Applied Superconductivity require a broad and diverse skill set, both technical and professional.  As the premier congregation of leaders and influencers within this field of study, the Applied Superconductivity Educational Foundation (ASEF) champions the continued growth of our community through our ELEVATE program.  Educational opportunities encompass best practices in technical research activities, as well as reviewing scientific abstracts, delivering good scientific presentations and wisely moderating conference sessions. ELEVATE also includes curated outreach activities to share the wonders of science with students of all ages during the technical conference and in the off season.  Also through the program we gain clarity through educating our membership on the continued importance of promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion within the scientific realm.  

Whether you are a student, industry partner or seasoned researcher, the program organizers strive ‘to elevate’ your conference experience and your connection to our community. All ELEVATE activities are designed to enrich the field of Applied Superconductivity and those who interact within it, not just our bi-annual conference, but everyday.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

ELEVATE is pleased to announce a first-of-its-kind event at ASC‘24! Step into a world of shared experiences, unique journeys, and heartfelt narratives at this live storytelling event on September 3, 2024 in Salt Lake City. We are assembling a diverse cast of speakers from our community to recount their journeys, bring us together by celebrating our differences, and demonstrate the human side of our science. We are hosting this event in collaboration with The Story Collider, a podcast and live production company that specializes in true personal stories in science, and they are seeking people of all experience levels and walks of life to share something personal about their journey.

This performance will consist of stories – not lectures – with a beginning, middle, and end, in which you undergo a change. They are typically 8 to 10 minutes long and can be about anything from how you first fell in love with science to how your work has affected your personal life to challenges you’ve faced in your work to something else completely different.

The Story Collider science storytelling show will be held on September 3, live at ASC in Salt Lake City. Reserve your ticket to attend the performance during registration. Whether these stories are sad, heartfelt, or hilarious, when you come to listen and connect, you’ll leave with a deeper appreciation for the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in our Applied Superconductivity community.

If you are interested in telling a story like this, please email Story Collider here or use the by button below by June 3, 2024, and include a short (1-2 paragraphs) summary of your story and include ASC’24 in the subject line. You can also fill out the Story Collider online form.

Student Program

Students arriving and registering on Sunday evening will be encouraged to visit the ELEVATE room for food, beer and wine bar, giveaways, and door prizes. No need to register, just stop by to network with fellow students and learn about the ELEVATE events for the week. The ELEVATE committee will be facilitating networking between students in different technical categories as well as some invited senior community members from industry and academia. The ASC‘24 Student Welcome Reception is a fantastic opportunity to start your ASC adventure on the right note. It’s a place to catch up with friends, discover resources, and maybe even win some awesome prizes.

We are thrilled to announce the Superconducting Student/Mentor Trivia Challenge, a unique opportunity for all students attending the conference to engage in an educational event designed to facilitate networking between students and senior mentors from industry and academia in a fun and informative way. This pre-registered lunch competition will provide ample opportunities for students to connect with senior community members, fostering valuable mentorship relationships. This event will feature giveaways, as well as prizes for the teams who know their Applied Superconductivity facts. So, prepare to be quizzed on your knowledge of Applied Superconductivity while bolstering your professional network!

In order to prepare graduate students and young professionals for becoming the next generation of scientists and engineers in our Applied Superconductivity community, we are offering a training program for first-time oral session moderators. Moderating a conference oral session can be intimidating for young participants because it can require asking questions, interacting with senior scientists, and keeping the session on time.

To provide this training, approximately 40 students and YP’s will be selected and assigned as a third co-moderator under the supervision of the primary moderators. Prior to sessions beginning on Monday morning, a breakfast event will be held for participants and interested mentors outlining the requirements, then time for participants to mix and meet with mentors for advice. The application for this program is now open. Please fill out the form here.

Information for moderators:

ELEVATE is introducing a new program this year to allow students and YP’s to apply to shadow an oral session moderator. The participants in this program have familiarity with oral session moderating but would like to observe some of the techniques an experienced moderator might use to keep a session on time or manage Q&A after a talk. We are hoping that the confirmed moderators of sessions in which a participant has been assigned agree to work with the participant, arriving a few minutes early to discuss the session expectations, and potentially giving the participant some responsibility during the session. We are expecting 40 participant to be assigned to sessions related to their interests, if the session you are assigned to moderate has been assigned a participant, you will be informed beforehand (no later than 2 weeks before the start of the conference) and rewarded with a small token of our appreciation for your efforts.

Information for participants:

If you are interested in participating in the moderator training program, the application is live now. You will be asked on the application what your fields of interest are, and if you have a presentation. We will assign you to an oral session based on this information. Once the confirmed moderators are determined and have accepted the assignment of working with you, we will notify you. Notifications will be no later than 2 weeks before the start of the conference.

Upon arrival at the conference, there will be a welcome breakfast on Monday morning with more pointers, and the opportunity to interact with an experienced moderator to answer questions. There is additional information about session moderating found here.

Short Courses and Workshops

As an initiative to promote graduate student career development, student/professional networking, and encouraging student participation within our scientific community, ELEVATE would like to identify 6 graduate students to attend the Program Committee and Planning meeting at the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City from February 9 – 11, 2024. Like other committee members, the selected students will review abstracts (Large-scale, Materials, or Electronics) prior to the meeting, and then during the meeting, the students will participate in creating the conference sessions and assembling abstracts into those oral and poster sessions. To incentivize student participation, we are offering up to $1500 per student travel reimbursement.

This program benefits the graduate students as well as the senior committee members. The students have an opportunity to network with senior members of the community while working within groups of similar technical interests to assemble the sessions. Students will also have the opportunity to explore other topics within Applied Superconductivity with experts in each field. Welcoming graduate students to these senior-level events will promote their future participation. We need to ensure that whether the student proceeds to a career in industry or academia, they are encouraged to remain engaged in the Applied Superconductivity community. Introducing graduate students to conference organization work ensures that a trained next generation of scientists is prepared to continue assembling conferences that bring our community together with technologically relevant topics. 

The Applied Superconductivity Conference started this as a pilot program in 2022 where several graduate students were selected to participate as committee members. The selected students later remarked that they felt prepared to continue working in a conference organization at a future ASC.

Students that would like to participate in this program can apply here. Note: You do not need to sign into Google to complete and submit the application. Applications must be submitted before November 4, 2023.

We are delighted to collaborating with IEEE CSC to promote the IEEE CSC Young Professionals Networking Event at ASC’24—a platform designed for emerging talents in applied superconductivity. This event promises a refined experience, featuring enlightening discussions on career transitions, strategic networking, adept work-life balance, and the fostering of professional confidence. Engage with esteemed peers and accomplished professionals, contributing to a community of mutual growth and support. This networking opportunity is ideal for students, and early to mid-career professionals to exchange insights and draw inspiration from the experiences of industry and academic peers. Be sure to secure your participation in an event that guarantees to elevate your trajectory in the field of superconductivity.

Abstract writing workshop featuring Peter Lee. Dr. Peter Lee held two workshops that showed ASC authors how to prepare their abstracts. If you would like to view the workshop recording as you prepare your abstract, click on the video below. If you would like to view the workshop slides, click here.

Manuscript Preparation workshop featuring Charlie Sanabria. This virtual event will be offered to ASC 2024 attendees who are considering submitting a manuscript to be included in the special issue of the IEEE Transaction for Applied Superconductivity. The workshop will be held several weeks before the ASC 2024 conference covering the technical writing, and formality requirements as stated in the manuscript template, followed by a discussion to allow questions from the audience. Event date and time to be announced shortly.

Manuscript review workshop featuring Al Zeller. This virtual event will be offered to those who are interested in becoming reviewers of the special issue of IEEE Transaction for Applied Superconductivity for ASC 2024. The workshop aims to provide instructions and hands-on experiences in manuscript review and would be particularly attractive to young researchers and can provide valuable experiences for their career development. Event date and time to be announced shortly.

As part of the ELEVATE Program, and with the goal of promoting educational opportunities and professional and leadership development, Short Courses will be offered at ASC 2024. The courses will follow the structure adopted in previous ASC and EUCAS Conferences. The classes are aimed at instructing attendees on different topics related to applied superconductivity, namely large scale, materials, and electronics applications. They are suitable for undergraduate or graduate students interested in superconducting applications and physicists or engineers working on superconductivity-related fields who wish to broaden their backgrounds. Detailed Short Course information can be found via the button below.

ELEVATE Plenary Session

In the frame of the ELEVATE Program, for the purpose of promoting professional & leadership development, an Early Career Plenaries event has been organized at the 2024 Applied Superconductivity Conference. This event follows the line traced by successful Young Scientist Plenary events at past Applied Superconductivity and Magnet Technology conferences, offering to early career scientists that are contributing significantly to developments in applied superconductivity, the prestigious opportunity to illustrate with short plenary talks their achievements or vision for future directions in our field. The early career scientists will be selected among recommendations made by the Program Committee, to have demonstrated outstanding, significant potential in the field of superconductivity and have gained the recognition and interest of other scientists in the community. The organizing committee believes that this addition to the plenary sessions gives the entire applied superconductivity community exposure to the novel thoughts, approaches and unexplored paths that these early career scientists can deliver. We will be soliciting applications for this program in Spring 2024.

Outreach

ASEF and ASC 2024 are planning ELEVATE Outreach prior and during the ASC 2024 conference. Please check back for updates.