December 7, 2017

What #myfirstAGUtalk shows us… the need for a safe, civil, and supportive environment

Posted by Laura Guertin

We each have our own memory of our first AGU meeting presentation. Some of the postings on Twitter recall more humorous moments (eating at The Stinking Rose the night before) and some that naturally cause presenters to be nervous (dropping an entire box of overhead transparencies on the way up to the front of the room). I am fortunate that mine was such a positive one.

But not everyone is sharing on Twitter such a glowing review of their first AGU experience. The negative tweets have not been about the size of the conference, or getting lost in the convention center. These tweets represent experiences that stay with the presenters years beyond their first talk or poster. I encourage everyone to read and reflect upon this sampling of tweets to ensure that AGU is a civil and safe meeting for everyone, where all presenters (from first-timers to more seasoned) feel supported and part of the community.

And there are more tweets that capture discouraging experiences. For this year, I hope all first-time presenters have the following outcome: