Portland places priority on geology

Boulder, Colo., USA:

Media registration

is open now for The

Geological Society of America’s Connects 2021 meeting

, to be held 10-13 October 2021 at the Portland Convention Center (777 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.) in Portland, Oregon, USA. The meeting returns to face-to-face scientific exchange in the geologically rich Pacific Northwest–with online components for remote attendance.

General Meeting Co-Chairs, Ian Madin and Jeff Rubin, and the

local organizing committee

cordially invite members of the media to attend, participate, and cover the meeting. Journalists will find story ideas and access to resources. The conference will feature new research, emerging issues, and context and sources on the geoscience that underpins modern society.

Journalists who cannot cover the meeting in person may select the remote registration package, with access to a subset of live-streamed sessions throughout the conference. Review media eligibility requirements, request

complimentary media registration

, and prepare to be welcomed, inspired, and productive.

Meeting Highlights

Pardee Keynote Symposia–five

Symposia

with invited speakers cover topics of broad interdisciplinary interest, including linking diversity, equity, and inclusion to the climate crisis, Cordilleran subduction zones, celebrating geoheritage, understanding of the conditions of planetary habitability, and the critical role that geoscience plays in advancing society on both global and local levels.

Special Lectures

Presidential Address and Awards Ceremony

: Incoming GSA President Barb Dutrow speaks on “Minerals Matter: Science, Technology, and Society” on Sunday, noon to 1:30 p.m.

The

2021 Michel T. Halbouty Distinguished Lecture

features Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, “On Soil Erosion and Biogeochemical Cycling of Essential Elements,” on Monday: 12:15-1:15 p.m.

Noontime Lecture Series

from 12:15-1:15 p.m.:

• Tuesday: “Bringing Art to Your Science and Thus Your Science to the People: Joining Visual Culture and Scientific Evidence,” with Ken Lambla, June Lambla, Marek Ranis, and Missy Eppes.
• Wednesday: Katie Stack Morgan, speaking on “The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover in Jezero Crater.”

Technical Program

Technical Program Chair Amy Brock-Hon (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) reports that

177 topical sessions

have been organized in addition to general sessions in 38 geoscience disciplines.

Schedule at-a-glance

Oral Sessions run Sun., 10 Oct.-Wed., 13 Oct., 8 a.m.-noon and 1:30-5:30 p.m.

Poster Sessions are on display each day from 9 a.m.-1:00 p.m. and from 2:00-6:00 p.m. with authors present from 11a.m.-1 p.m. and from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

Search topical sessions

for areas of interest by discipline categories or sponsors from the drop-down menus, or use your browser’s “find” feature to search for keywords or convener names. The complete technical program schedule will be available in mid-August 2021, after the abstract submission deadline.

Twenty-four pre- and post-meeting

field trips

will explore a spectacular range of accessible geology: the Cascades, the Columbia Gorge, the Oregon Coast, and the rolling hills and thick sediments of the Willamette Valley. Field trips are a unique feature of GSA meetings and fill quickly.

Supplemental learning through 23 short courses will take place online before the meeting;

11 will be conducted on site

.

Complete meeting information will be updated regularly on the

GSA Connects 2021 website

.

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** HELPFUL TRAVEL LINKS **

• 
  Lodging
  
  : Make reservations early for best selection.
• 
  Explore Portland
  
  . The Rose City is known for its artsy and outdoorsy persona, culinary excellence, and unique flair.
• 
  Read GSA’s Commitment to Care
  
  and the latest COVID-19 updates at
  
  PDX
  
  .

The Geological Society of America (GSA;

https:/

/

www.

geosociety.

org/

) unites a diverse community of geoscientists in a common purpose to study the mysteries of our planet (and beyond), and share scientific findings. Members and friends around the world, from academia, government, and industry, participate in GSA meetings, publications, and programs at all career levels, to foster professional excellence. GSA values and supports inclusion through cooperative research, public dialogue on earth issues, science education, and the application of geoscience in the service of humankind.