What is the ABRCMS?
A few weeks back a colleague of mine from the ABRF (Association of Biomolecular Research Facilities) reached out and asked me if I could help with help with ABRF Student Awards at ABRCMS. The meeting was being held in Seattle (where I live) and another colleague needed some help. So I said sure. The real mission was to recruit students for the annual ABRF meeting in Ft. Lauderdale Feb 20-23, 2016. You might ask what is the ABRCMS and why should Bio-Link be interested?
The ABRCMS is a the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students. From the conference site, “now in its fifteenth year, ABRCMS is one of the largest, professional conferences for underrepresented minority students, military veterans, and persons with disabilities to pursue advanced training in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). ABRCMS attracts approximately 3,600 individuals, including 1,900 undergraduate and post baccalaureate students, 400 graduate students and postdoctoral scientists and 1,300 faculty, program directors and administrators. Students come from over 350 U.S. colleges and universities.” The exhibitors included colleges, medical schools, and many associations and professional societies.
One of the students that visited the ABRF both was from Kingsborough Community College in NY - a Bio-Link program. A quick search of the abstracts with “Community” in the institution field yielded 44 posters that were presented by students from this and other community colleges, which indicated to me that others in Bio-Link community should be aware of ABRCMS for several reasons. For students ABRCMS is a place to learn about future opportunities. While primarily academic and geared to advanced degrees, many of our students have questions and interests in this area. Additionally, many of the sessions focused on preparing for careers in biotechnology and included advice on resume development and interviewing skills. For program leaders and college administrators several opportunities exist for recruiting faculty and increasing awareness of their schools, particularly in areas where post baccalaureate opportunities are provided. And, for Bio-Link, there are opportunities to increase awareness of the role of community colleges in workforce education, career development, networking, and building new partnerships.
Information about 2016 will likely be available early in the new year. To learn more visit http://www.abrcms.org