Hi from the State of the Arctic Conference! We’re here schmoozing with the stars of arctic science and finding happiness in the world of science.

A typical day at the conference begins bleary-eyed at 8:30 with a breakfast of tropical fruit, croissants, and COFFEE while listening to presentations introducing the themes of the day:

Day One: An overview of the physical and social components of Arctic research
Day Two: Understanding and predicting changes in the Arctic system and their feedbacks to the global earth system
Day Three: Translating research into solutions

Later in the day we break up into parallel sessions for which we scramble from room to room trying to listen to as many of the different fascinating talks as possible. There are generally four simultaneous sessions – so we hope that a friend will tell us about the ones we miss! Throughout the day we have breaks to socialize, network, and eat delicious cheese. On day two there was a lunch for students to meet with faculty mentors and ask burning questions. The topics ranged from life lessons about science to how to write a grant.

Break’s over! Back to soaking up knowledge under the Miami sun!