Call for Chat Room Topic Proposals for the 2021 Equine Science Society Symposium

Over the years the workshop component of the Equine Science Society (ESS) Symposium has been a valued part of the program, covering diverse topics from how best to undertake a digestibility trial or check for insulin sensitivity to what your next career step should or could be. We therefore plan to continue offering these important sessions to attendees as part of the 2021 virtual ESS program. However, they will look a little different this year. We are introducing chat rooms as a way to engage symposium participants and encourage dialogue between colleagues and friends. This informal approach should bring about new ideas for our research, teaching, and extension programs, as well as potential new collaborations.

Chat rooms will be available for one-hour durations during two different sessions, later afternoon (Eastern Time) on June 1 and early afternoon (Eastern Time) on June 2. If you have a topic you would like to discuss with your colleagues, please submit the name of the topic as well as a few sentences describing what you would like to discuss. In order to ensure we have active chat rooms, each person submitting a topic will also need to submit the names of 3 or 4 people who are also committed to discussing the topic.

Please submit the following to the GoogleSheets Chat Room Topic Submission: chat room topic with a 1- or 2-sentence description, and 3 or 4 other interested parties who are committed to being in the chat room with you.

The deadline for submission of chat room topics is April 23, 2021, 11:59 pm EDT.

Chat room topics will be reviewed and selected for inclusion in the program based on space available as well as the timeliness of the topic, overall merit, and the perceived appeal to the wider ESS membership. Applicants will be notified regarding chat room topic selection on or before May 3, 2021.

Once confirmed, a brief description of each chat room will be provided on the 2021 ESS meeting website. Additionally, chat room titles and leaders will be listed in the symposium program. Chat room leaders will be asked to provide a brief report on their workshop at the ESS General Business Meeting. For additional information on the 2021 ESS Symposium, please visit the meeting website at https://www.equinescience.org/Meetings/2021-Meeting.

If you have any questions, please contact Kari Turner at kturner@uga.edu.