WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • JUNE 2024 19 conference in San Antonio, Texas, from February 18-24, 2024, participated in numerous networking and professional development events. Students attended a happy hour meet and greet with the USAS Board of Directors on Sunday evening before the official start of the conference. This mixer allowed students to get to know the Board of Directors on a personal level and vice versa. Ribbons reading “USAS Student Sub-Unit” were distributed to students at this same event. These ribbons were attached to conference name tags to emphasize the presence of SubUnits at the conference and allow for Sub-Unit members to easily identify one another. Other student members participated in professional development activities such as presenting, moderating, and chairing sessions. At least four Sub-Units developed posters to display in the designated Student SubUnit area of the poster session. Four Sub-unit members also chaired and moderated two oral presentation sessions at this conference — the Facilities Showcase and the Student Sub-Unit Showcase. The Facilities Showcase highlighted aquaculture-related job opportunities, facilities, and resources throughout the country that might be useful for students. The Student Sub-Unit Showcase provided six SubUnits with a platform to discuss their yearly accomplishments and share advice. Student Sub-Unit members also served as student mentors to local high school students invited to the conference by the USAS Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Sub-Unit mentors presented brief overviews of their educational and career paths thus far, guided high school students through the tradeshow, and engaged in informal conversations with the high schoolers over lunch. Each Sub-Unit conference event facilitated communication between Sub-Units and general attendees, increasing awareness of what Student Sub-Units are and how they operate. Several needs arose from the Sub-Unit oral and poster sessions. The Sub-Unit members called for increased communication and collaboration between individual Student Sub-Units throughout the year — not just during conferences. Other attendees wanted more information on how to successfully fundraise, strategies for increasing student retention rates, and ideas for Sub-Unit events. Some Sub-Units run by graduate students are located on satellite campuses apart from the main campus and the undergraduate population (anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours). These SubUnits are seeking methods to improve connections with the main campus and physically transport students between the campuses. Though each Sub-Unit faces unique challenges, the oral and poster Sub-Unit sessions provided a time and place to identify and brainstorm common hangups experienced by other Sub-Units. Responding to these needs, the USAS Student Liaison and USAS Student Activities Director plan to host virtual happy hours to increase internal communications among individual Sub-Units and brainstorm ideas to overcome ongoing and new challenges for the SubUnits. The Student Liaison and Activities Director will also identify funding opportunities for Sub-Units, offer virtual professional development, and coordinate collaborative work among the Sub-Units. Student Sub-Units are a valuable addition to the USAS community and provide students with leadership, networking, and professional development opportunities. Students are the future of USAS, and Sub-Units provide meaningful experiences that encourage students to remain active members of the USAS beyond graduation. If you are a USAS student, please consider starting a Sub-Unit at your institution. If you are a general USAS member, please consider encouraging students at your institution to form a Sub-Unit. If you are a member of another chapter of WAS, please consider including Student SubUnits as an integral part of your chapters. LEFT: FIGURE 1. Scan the QR code to view the USAS Sub-Unit webpage, which contains a list of current USAS Student Sub-Units, their by-laws, and annual reports. Notes Julianne Grenn (jmgrenn@vims.edu) and Michelle Walsh (michelle.walsh@cfk.edu) USAS Student Sub-Unit members from Kentucky State University, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and College of the Florida Keys participated in Aquaculture America 2024. USAS Sub-Unit members with “USAS Student Sub-Unit” ribbons at the Women of the Water 2023 Conference.
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