BLACK BIOMECHANISTS ASSOCIATION EVENTS

Pre-conference Affinity Group Event:

How do you best engage with mentors in your field? Mentees at all levels can most benefit from stacking their team with several mentors who act as an advisor, a sponsor, and a coach. In partnership with Latinx in Biomechanix (LiB), we are hosting a Coaches Corner at ASB 2024 to help Black and Latinx Biomechanists match with Coaches to add to their mentor roster. Open to everyone at all career levels, join our pre-conference affinity event to draft a Coach that can mentor you through pivotal aspects of your professional journey.

To accelerate mentorship at ASB 2024 and beyond, we will coach attendees through our mentorship framework and have thematic tables for mentees to meet with a ‘Coach’ to help attendees with their career goals. From getting an academic or industry job, to managing a lab, to promotion, to going through qualifying exams and getting a grant- attendees can meet a Coach who can help with short-term objectives to win your career game plan. Attendees will be able to use our framework to network throughout the rest of the conference. Kick-off ASB 2024 with us: get free lunch, craft your ultimate professional playbook, connect with a line-up of coaches, and get the most out of your ASB experience!

Pre-conference Workshop:

Human biomechanics research has a history of convenience sampling, with the majority of foundational studies occurring in college-aged healthy white males. While there is a recognized need to study diverse populations in order to increase the generalizability of results, progress has been slow. While study design, participant recruitment, and disseminating results to community partners is not easy, it is possible with directed, intentional effort. In collaboration with International Women in Biomechanics, we our hosting a workshop to help move from “talking the talk” about increasing study diversity to “walking the walk” with our biomechanics research.

Our presenters will discuss historical context for both the need for and lack of diverse study samples, practical actions to take into your research, and how to approach human subjects research from a more equitable lens. This workshop is intended for all individuals involved in human research, from undergraduate and graduate trainees through established investigators, and the speakers will offer action items tailored to various career stages. This workshop will provide practical actions that can be taken to reduce barriers to sustainable inclusion of diverse individuals in all parts of the biomechanics research process, while also providing space for open discussion and self-reflection.

Affinity Group Event:

Conferences are enriching and fun, but can get overwhelming. The Black Biomechanists Association (BBA) & Latinx in Biomechanix (LiB) would like to encourage everyone, and particularly underrepresented scholars, to take a mental break from science to recharge and continue to present your best self. Join us for a relaxing lunch with socializing and coloring activities. Attendees will also have the chance to win prizes in a free raffle!

Affinity Group Social:

This is a come-and-go event that is open to everyone. Stop by to reconnect and foster new connections with members/allies of BBA and LiB.