March Meeting Plans Return as Hybrid Event
After two years of completely virtual meetings, physicists are preparing to convene in Chicago for the annual APS March Meeting. The 2022 March Meeting will be an in-person event with virtual components, although meeting organizers say they are keeping a close eye on the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and will adjust their plans accordingly.
The APS March Meeting brings together physicists from all over the world representing 30 APS Units and Committees. Researchers working in industry, academia, and national laboratories will present nearly 12,000 technical papers covering a broad spectrum of physics during the week-long meeting to be held this year from March 14 to 18. The in-person meeting will take place at Chicago’s McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America.
Nearly five full days of scientific sessions will explore the latest research in quantum information, superconductivity, biophysics, fluid dynamics, and much more. The online portion of the meeting will include a mix of live presentations and pre-recorded videos that will be available to registered participants on the virtual meeting platform.
Pre-meeting events to be held on March 12 and 13 include short courses on Sustainable Polymers, the Physics of Biological Movements, and Effective Science Communication as well as tutorials covering topological photonics and oxide heterostructures.
Another March Meeting highlight is the Kavli Foundation Special Symposium, which will feature a variety of exciting topics such as treating cancer with nanotechnology (Naomi Halas, Rice University) and atom-by-atom engineering of novel states of matter (Cristiane Morais Smith, Utrecht University). Attendees will also be able to browse scientific equipment, products, and services in the Exhibit Hall and meet employers at the Job Expo.
Industry Days will also be featured during the meeting—a series of interesting activities that bring together graduate students, early career scientists, industry professionals, and academics who want to stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in industry and applied physics. This year’s Industry Days will showcase the diverse activities of physicists who work in non-academic careers.
Those attending the meeting in-person will notice some differences around the convention center this year. For one, all attendees will be required to wear a N95, KN95, KF94, or 3-ply surgical mask at all times except when actively presenting, or eating and drinking. Additional health and safety measures to mitigate the spread if COVID-19 include a proof of vaccination requirement, submission of a negative test result, and a daily attestation that attendees are free of symptoms and have not knowingly been exposed to the virus.
Attendees will also notice an increased emphasis on sustainability. All signage will be recyclable, resource-intensive meat products will be discouraged, and water coolers will be available for refilling reusable water bottles. Additionally, APS is offering attendees the option to offset their carbon emissions resulting from their travel to Chicago by adding a nominal fee to their registration.
Registration for the 2022 March Meeting is open through the meeting. Discounted registration is available through March 7.
David Barnstone is the former head of public relations at APS.