Town Hall Session at AGU
Date: 12/16/10 - 12/16/10
Location: San Fransisco

AGU 2010, San Francisco, December 2010
Town Hall Session: Climbing the Ladder of Scientific Success: Leadership Training for Scientists
Professional Leadership Through Social Networking: With the funding trends toward large collaborative research programs, it is more important than ever that scientists collaborate not only within their scientific discipline but among other interdisciplinary fields. (COSEE OCEAN)
During this lunchtime session, after brief introductions, the audience chose which group they wanted to join for further information. The COSEE OCEAN section attracted the largest group, approximately one dozen participants. The group was made up of scientists, graduate students and educators. After a brief introduction, using stories to illustrate the theory of networks, participants were given a blank sheet of paper and asked to draw their scientific relationships (first order). Then they were asked to draw the relationships of those closest to them, such as advisors, students, and collaborators. They then were asked, who could you add to this map who would help you achieve your research and/or education/outreach goals? There was a discussion, including simple tools that help “develop an eye” for networks; defining a common vocabulary to understand and talk about networks; and emphasizing that networks matter. The group seemed to gain new understanding of their own networks and how they might use them for furthering goals. Finally they were given a checklist to determine if they were “Natural Network Weavers”.
Key messages:
• Think about how to use these skills to build a more powerful network to accomplish your goals.
• Apply what you heard today to your work
• Use a network lens to increase your capacity
• Visualize your social capital
• Collaborate through building connectedness
• In addition to what you know, it’s who you know

Contact Name: Cathereine Cramer
Contact Phone: 508 274 1354
Contact Email: catherinecramer@comcast.net

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