ASU hosts AAAS annual meeting Feb. 8–11

Arizona State University will host this year’s American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting, the world’s largest general scientific gathering, Feb. 8–11.

This year’s virtual meeting is the first ever to offer dozens of free public events. These include a plenary session on COVID-19 in 2021 presented by Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and another on the future of competitiveness with Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the National Science Foundation.

The theme for 2021 is “Understanding Dynamic Ecosystems.” From the environments that we inhabit to the social systems in which we live and work, we are all embedded in a variety of ecosystems. Finding ways of maintaining the stable balance of these ecosystems in the face of rapidly changing circumstances is critical for our advancement. 

This annual meeting features diverse ways of understanding the complexities and dynamics of biological, physical, social and economic systems across scales, as well as strengthening and activating new connections to address underlying problems in various spheres. These challenges facing contemporary society will provide the opportunity to creatively harness science, engineering, technology and policy to promote sustainable change.

ASU President Michael Crow will join others in a panel session around the call for universities today to engage more deeply with the overall research and innovation ecosystem, enabling greater contributions toward solving society’s critical problems while also boosting academic excellence.

Dozens of ASU faculty, staff and students will present on a range of topics, including the future of humans in space, innovating organic agriculture, and access and inclusion in engineering, among others. The event will close on Feb. 11 with remarks from Sally C. Morton, the new executive vice president of ASU’s Knowledge Enterprise.

“The AAAS is integral to understanding and appreciating science and the role it plays in all of our lives,” Morton said. “As a leading research institution, ASU is uniquely positioned to host the annual meeting, and we are honored to have this privilege. I am looking forward to sharing the incredible work being done here and to bringing together the brightest minds in the scientific community to collaborate and learn from one another.”

Full program registration costs $50 for members. Nonmembers can join AAAS and register for the conference for as little as $75. In addition to the full program available to members, the event includes a Public Events Passport that is free to nonmembers. Public events include:

• Plenary events and award presentations.
• Workshops on career development, advocacy and diversifying the STEM workforce.
• E-poster galleries.
• Sponsored sessions.

Learn more and register for the AAAS annual meeting