On July 24, more than 200 fellows, presenters, STPF staff, mentors, and supervisors gathered to celebrate the end of the 2014-15 fellowship year at the Year-end Summit and Send-off (YESS). The annual event provides fellows the opportunity to reconnect, share, reflect on the year's accomplishments, and contemplate their next steps as science policy leaders.
Alex Moseson (2014-16 Executive Branch Fellow) poses with a message to future fellows. | AAAS/Kat Song
Speakers shared their experiences and imparted words of advice for the future. STPF Director Cynthia Robinson spoke about the fellowship as only the beginning of a wider path to the future. The President of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Maria Freire (1984-86 Congressional Fellow sponsored by the Biophysical Society), offered advice based on her years working on health and technology policy in a stirring keynote address. "Policy can be used as a beacon showing the path for innovation," she said.
The afternoon was devoted to 10x20 presentations: 10 slides presented for 20 seconds each. Through humor, scientific data, heartfelt messages, and photos, nearly two dozen fellows told stories about their fellowships. Twelve posters were also presented by fellows highlighting achievements from the past year.
Watch videos from the event on the STPF YouTube channel.