Adriane Lam laid the foundation for her future scientific career when she was still an undergraduate, thanks to her first academic conference.
Not only was she able to present her own research, she forged crucial connections with established scholars, who became advisors years down the road during her master’s and doctoral programs. Conferences are an important part of the academic ecosystem, giving scholars, industry professionals and science communicators the opportunity to come together and share data, teaching strategies, new initiatives and more.
They are also expensive to attend — which can put them out of reach for students already struggling to pay their bills.