Physical Oceanography Dissertation Symposium VIII and IX

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The VIIIth and IXth Physical Oceanography Dissertation Symposium (PODS) conferences will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii from 5-9 October 2014 and 2-6 October 2016, respectively. These symposia were established in 2002 to bring together, for the purposes of scientific discussion and interactions, recent PhD graduates in physical oceanography. The goal of these meetings is to provide these individuals with an opportunity to present their dissertation research in front of their professional peers and to forge professional relationships between the participants that would facilitate their future research and academic careers. This program is modeled after the highly successful Dissertations Symposium in Chemical Oceanography (DISCO) meetings, which first met in 1978, and is formatted in a similar manner. The DISCO symposia are held in parallel with the PODS symposia so that there will be interaction between the participants in both of these meetings, broadening the perspectives of all participants. A broad international announcement of the PODS symposia will be made to physical oceanographers working at academic institutions in both the US and other countries to develop an applicant pool. From this pool, the sponsoring agencies will select invitees. The meeting will consist of a series of sessions grouped by research subject area that are chaired by selected invitees and will also include student-led discussion periods. In addition to an initial presentation by an invited senior scientist in the field, there will also be presentations by and discussion with agency program managers explaining funding mechanisms and strategies. Participants will form break-out groups to discuss current issues in research, as well as obstacles and opportunities to career paths in the field, and then provide feedback to agency personnel through formal presentations. By bringing the two separate symposia invitees together in evening discussion sessions revolving around specific topics, the goal is to broaden the disciplinary expertise of the participants, promote future collaborations, and to make connections between their research and the education of future generations of scientists. Logistical support for these symposia will be provided by the University of Hawaii's Conference Center, as well as from two faculty members from the Department of Oceanography. Intellectual Merit: The PODS symposia will produce a cohort group of early career professionals in the field of physical oceanography from widely differing backgrounds and geographical origins, serving to create a peer-mentoring group that will last throughout their careers. In addition, the cross-disciplinary contacts arising from the combination of the DISCO and PODS meetings will foster future inter-disciplinary understanding and collaborations. Thus, the PODS participants will be uniquely situated to take advantage of networking between individuals and groups, which is of great importance to foster advances in our scientific knowledge and preparedness to meet upcoming environmental challenges.Broader Impacts: These PODS attendees play a critical role in improving our understanding of Ocean and Earth Science processes, which provide the scientific framework vital for developing rational climate-related policies. In addition, as a minority institution, the University of Hawaii fosters interactions between traditionally under-represented groups and minorities. Planned meeting activities include interactions between meeting participants and students, particularly undergraduates in the Department of Oceanography's Global Environmental Sciences program.