Travel grants provided by the IGS Foundation (IGSF) enabled seven young engineers to attend the prestigious 5th GeoAmericas conference in Toronto, Canada.
The IGSF is a sister organization of the IGS established to support the educational, sustainability and diversity initiatives of the Society. Improving young engineers’ access to industry conferences and events is a key part of its grant-making.
Funding was provided to the IGS Young Members Committee to award to applicants, including Young Members, engineers and students, who were facing travel expenses greater than $500.
Feedback from the successful recipients, who all presented papers at the conference, was very positive.
Faneva Rarison, of the Research Institute on Mines and the Environment – Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada, said: “GeoAmericas was one of the best conferences I’ve attended, leaving me inspired and eager to continue collaborating and contributing to the field.
“Receiving the travel grant from the IGS Young Members Committee and the IGS Foundation helped me a lot to participate in the conference.”
Benjamin M. Stark, from George Mason University, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed myself at GeoAmericas 2024 and I would like to thank the IGS Young Members Committee and other Committees involved for the funding to be able to attend.
“I likely would not have been able to attend the conference without the funding, as flights and several nights of hotels stays are cost prohibitive based on my current situation. The support from the IGS was extremely helpful.”
Anibal Moncada, of Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, said: “Participation in the conference allowed me to expose my work and get to know in person many of the industry’s well-renowned researchers, as well as get to know better the commercial aspects of the geosynthetic industry.”
José Luiz Ernandes Dias Filho, from the São Carlos School of Engineering at the University of São Paulo, said he enjoyed “four intense days of networking with a lot of companies, professors and Young Members”, adding “Attendance would not have been possible without funding obtained through the Young Members and IGS Foundation initiative.”
Yu Tan, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said: “The conference did a really good job of engaging both academia and industries, helping me to conduct research that can benefit engineering practice.
“Also, the Young Members Committee did a good job of engaging students and young professors. They built connections between young members and provided a chance to chat with each other.”
Osaka University’s Beatriz Mydori Carvalho Urashima said: “The conference provided a platform for networking and collaboration, facilitating discussions on the latest advancements and challenges in the field. Attending the conference wouldn’t have been possible for me without the financial support from the IGS Young Members.”
Finally, Fuxiu Li from Queens University, said: “GeoAmericas 2024 exceeded my expectations in every regard, and I am grateful to have been a part of it. The knowledge gained and connections made will undoubtedly have a profound impact on my future endeavors.
“One of the most rewarding aspects of the conference was the opportunity to make new connections with esteemed professionals in my field. Our discussions opened up new avenues of investigation and sparked ideas for potential future collaborations.”
GeoAmericas2024, which ran from April 28-May 1, was hosted by IGS North America in Toronto, Canada, and themed ‘Connecting State of the Art to State of Practice’.
** Watch IGS members explain what they think of IGS Young Membership, and why you should join, plus there’s a message from IGS Brazil Young Members for speakers of Brazilian Portuguese.
Watch here.
For more information about becoming a Young Member, email youngmembers@geosyntheticssociety.org. To donate to the IGS Foundation or apply for a grant, visit here.
