2020 YES Meeting at Baylor University Connects Young Environmental Scientists to the Professional World

March 6, 2020

Media Contact: Tonya Hudson, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-4656
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by Cerenity Austin, student news writer, Baylor University Media and Public Relations

WACO, Texas (March 6, 2020) — Baylor University’s department of environmental science will host the ninth annual Young Environmental Scientists (YES) Meeting, a conference designed to provide a platform for environmental science students to share their research and receive free professional training in their field. The event will be March 9-11 in the Baylor Sciences Building, 101 Bagby Ave.

“The Young Environmental Scientists (YES) meeting is an exceptionally unique international event coordinated for students by students,” said Bryan Brooks, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science, director of the environmental health science program and editor-in-chief of Environmental Science & Technology Letters. “The YES meeting also includes diverse professional development and technical training courses, including career panels, in a more relaxed setting.”

The YES Meeting was started by student members of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), a leading environmental science professional organization that connects researchers in more than 90 countries. Each year, SETAC chooses an institution in Europe or North America—this year with Baylor serving as host—and highlights legacy and emerging environmental topics.

The theme of the 2020 YES Meeting is “New Times, New Science,” which will expand on the future of environmental science and discuss issues that may arise.

“Baylor students are significantly engaged in research,” Brooks said. “In fact, Baylor’s research aspirations cannot move forward without robust contributions from Baylor students. I am proud of the leadership and commitment of our graduate students, who took on the responsibility to host this international meeting at Baylor, while continuing to advance their primary research efforts.”

Baylor students, such as doctoral candidates Rebekah Burket, Kendall Scarlett and Marco Franco, graduate assistants in environmental science and 2020 YES Meeting Organizing Committee Chairs, will represent Baylor by presenting their work to scientists while highlighting research that occurs at the University.

The meeting includes presentations, scientific sessions, short courses and for the first time, a career fair, where students will engage with different companies searching for employees.

“The YES Meeting offers everything that individuals find in major scientific conferences; thus, all attendees can take full advantage of networking opportunities, short courses and training,” Franco said. “In 10-15 years, these young scholars will be the ones moving environmental sciences forward, and the fact that they have the opportunity to meet each other at this stage opens the door to exciting opportunities in the future.”

The YES Meeting also will feature keynote speeches from leading international environmental scientists Alistair Boxall, Ph.D., professor of environmental science at the University of York in York, England, and Paul van den Brink, Ph.D., senior scientist and professor for the Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group at Wageningen University in The Netherlands.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 18,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 90 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.