ASHS 2024 Conference

In this workshop section, we'll delve into the essential strategies for students and early career professionals looking to establish their professional brand. Crafting a distinct identity is crucial in today's competitive job market, and we'll explore techniques tailored to graduate students' unique experiences and aspirations. From honing your elevator pitch to leveraging your academic accomplishments, we'll cover the fundamental elements of personal branding. Additionally, we'll delve into the increasingly vital role of social media platforms in shaping professional reputations, offering insights on how to navigate and optimize these channels effectively. Whether you're aiming for a career in academia or industry, this workshop will equip you with practical tools to kickstart your journey toward building a compelling professional presence.

In the section focused on professional behaviors, we'll delve into the often-overlooked yet critical nuances that can make or break a student or early career professional's transition into the professional realm. From mastering email etiquette to navigating the intricacies of multigenerational workplaces, we'll provide invaluable insights to help you navigate diverse professional settings with confidence. Understanding the expectations surrounding communication, both written and verbal, is essential, and we'll offer practical tips on crafting professional emails that leave a positive impression. Moreover, we'll explore the dynamics of multigenerational workplaces, where varying communication styles, work habits, and values converge. By fostering an understanding of these differences and learning effective strategies for collaboration and communication across generations, you will be better prepared to thrive in today's diverse and dynamic job market.

A forum for discussion of potential collaborations with regards to plant growth and culture – i.e. propagation, root growth, water management, weed control, PGRs, plant nutrition, etc.

Growing Together: Enhancing Accessibility, Engagement, and Inclusion in the Horticulture Society

Accessibility, inclusion, and engagement are foundational to any society, including our own American Society for Horticultural Sciences, ensuring that every community member can contribute to and benefit from the diverse array of knowledge, perspectives, and experiences within the fields of horticulture and plant sciences. This special interest group session is dedicated to fostering these principles within the broader horticultural society, the green industry, and the gardening community. The meeting aims to unite ASHS members who share a passion for the art, science, and business of plants, gardens, landscapes, and gardening, making these accessible to everyone, irrespective of their abilities or backgrounds.

Committee members Heather Kirk-Ballard, Assistant Professor of Consumer Horticulture at Louisiana State University and Sam Humphrey, Graduate Research Association at North Carolina State will lead a discussion to address key topics such as strategies for creating more inclusive systems. We will discuss practical ways to interact, cultivate, and enhance diversity within our workforce and society, aiming to break down barriers that can perpetuate disparities.

In this session, we will discuss the findings from the recent ASHS DEIJA committee climate survey that examined the feedback from members regarding the impact of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within the American Society for Horticultural Sciences. We acknowledge the resistance some may have towards the formation of a diversity and inclusion committee. As many organizations face similar backlash against DEI initiatives, often due to misunderstandings or perceived threats to the status quo, it is essential to engage in transparent and constructive dialogue. Our aim is to clarify the objectives and benefits of DEI, underscoring its role in promoting fairness, opportunity, and representation for all members of the organization.

The session will include discussions about accessible practices, presentations and workshops that can be designed for individuals with physical disabilities or mobility issues. Strategies to increase participation from diverse community members. This could involve outreach programs for schools, collaboration with a greater community, and events that cater to a wide demographic. Developing programs that cater to people of all ages, abilities, and ethnic backgrounds. This may include bilingual garden tours, programs for the visually impaired, and workshops tailored for elderly gardeners. The meeting also provides a platform for members to share their experiences and best practices in creating inclusive environments. There will be networking opportunities to foster collaborations and partnerships among participants, aiming to build a supportive community that values diversity and inclusion in horticulture. The objective of this meeting is to establish clear, actionable steps that the society can implement to enhance accessibility and engagement. This will ensure that all members of the broader community can fully benefit from the opportunities offered by horticulture.

Coordinator(s)

• Heather Kirk Ballard, SPESS, School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Baton Rouge, EBR, United States
• Samson Humphrey, NCSU, Raleigh, North Carolina, United States

A forum for discussion of potential collaborations with regards to international horticulture – i.e. International issues and networking, international consultants, international horticulture groups, etc.

Leadership Class III will present the results of the class project survey.

The Department of Horticultural Science at North Carolina State University is located in Raleigh, NC. The program has 3 graduate degrees, MHS (non thesis and optional DE), MS (thesis) and PhD (dissertation). Studies range from landscape design, production, sustainable agriculture, herbicide and weed science, plant physiology, breeding, molecular biology and biotechnology, and genomics. Research is conducted in modern labs, excellent controlled environment and greenhouse facilities, and 18 field research stations across the state. Thirty-one graduate faculty are located on campus and at off campus research sites. We currently have 60 graduate students in the 3 programs. The department has a number of graduate assistants available each year that provide the student with a stipend and pay for the tuition. Raleigh is located in the center of the state with easy access to highways, an international airport, many parks and greenways, and is just a short drive to the mountains and the beach. Raleigh is a cosmopolitan city and is one corner of the Research Triangle Park, a community of numerous universities, colleges, and biotech research companies.

Meeting new people is one of the best ways to start collaborating. It can be difficult to meet new people even at the annual conference with so many disciplines represented. This  session /event will provide the following impacts:

• Enhance and develop connections of ASHS members with each other.
• Create a structured time and space for low-pressure conversations and introductions.
• Practice elevator speeches and first impressions for aspiring and experienced professionals.
• Increase potential collaborations across disciplines and ASHS members.

The goal of this session is for participants to meet 10 to 15 people at the conference in a fast but low-pressure time.
 
The Partnership Development Committee (PDC) will create a signup sheet for the event to gauge the number of participants so that the room can best be set along with the time each pair has to converse. All members are welcome, even those who did not sign up prior to the conference. 
We will promote this event via social media, the ASHS newsletter, and by members of the PDC personally reaching out to other ASHS Professional Interest Groups. Participants will be encouraged to bring business cards, resumes, CVs, and job opportunities to this event.

1. Introduction (10-15 minutes)
   1. Establish groundwork for the networking event.
   2. Provide tips and potential questions for participants to ask.
2. Networking session 1 (30 to 35 minutes)
   1. Split into two groups.
   2. Pairs have 6-7 minutes (will determine based on # of participants).
   3. 1 person from each pair will stand up and move to the next chair at the end of the designated time.
3. Break (10-15 minutes)
   1. Opportunity for participants to talk more with someone they connected with.
4. Networking session 2 (30 to 35 minutes)
   1. Moving sets from Groups 1 and 2 swap.
   2. Pairs have 6-7 minutes (will determine based on # of participants).
   3. 1 person from each pair will stand up and move to the next chair at the end of the designated time.
5. Recap and discussion (15-30 minutes)
   1. Sharing opportunity for participants.
   2. Promotion of the collaboration center and other collaborative events.
   3. Opportunity for participants to talk more with someone they connected with.

The amount of time each pair has to discuss will depend on the number of participants and will be determined shortly before the session.

Speaker: Dr. Brittany Barker, Research Associate, Oregon IPM Center, Oregon State University
Description:
The webinar will provide an introduction to the use of R for formatting, viewing, and analyzing data collected in horticultural and ecological studies. Additionally, the RStudio platform will be introduced to demonstrate how this integrated development environment for R can be used to view and interact with data, write code, and streamline the production of figures and output. Example code for conducting popular statistical analyses (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA, and ANCOVA) and for creating beautiful plots with ggplot2 will be presented.