43rd Annual American Association for Aerosol Research (AAAR) Conference

This year we have an exciting and diverse array of Plenary Lectures, Special Symposia, Poster Sessions, Oral Platform Sessions, Tutorials, and Special Events that will take place from Monday through Friday. Our Tutorial Chairs, Sarah Petters and Manish Shrivastava, are curating a collection of 16 Tutorials covering a diverse range of aerosol science topics, incorporating both new subjects and established favorites. The mornings of Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday will kick off the conference with 8 AM Plenary Lectures and conclude with our Friday Plenary Lecture. Our current lineup of plenary speakers and their respective topics include:

1. Chuji Wang (Mississippi State University) – Friedlander Memorial Lecture: “Optical Trapping for Aerosol Science and Applications: Advances and Perspectives”
2. Chris Hogan (University of Minnesota) – Lundgren-Marple Lecture: “Aerosol Transport Phenomena: Unraveling the Mysteries from Past to Present”
3. Ann Dillner (University of California, Davis) – AEESP Lecture: “Long-Term Speciated Aerosol Monitoring Networks”
4. Richard H. Moore (NASA Langley) – “At a Crossroads in the Sky: Tackling Aerosols, Contrails, and a Sustainable Future for Aviation” 

The technical program will showcase parallel Platform and Poster Sessions thoughtfully curated by our 20 Working Group Chairs and Vice Chairs. We are organizing 5 Special Symposia aimed at fostering cross-disciplinary interaction and bridging multiple areas of aerosol science and technology. These sessions will focus on the following topics:

1. Burning Questions of Aerosol Emissions, Chemistry, and Impacts from Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fires (Chairs: Amara Holder, Joost de Gouw, and Shantanu Jathar)
2. Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Indoor and Outdoor Aerosol: Sources, Vectors, Reactivity, and Impacts (Chairs: Madeline Cooke and Clara Eichler)
3. Aerosol Processes and Properties in Changing Environments in the Anthropocene (Chairs: Rajan Chakrabarty and Manabu Shiraiwa)
4. Reducing Aerosol Exposure with Control Technologies and Interventions (Chairs: Christine McCool, Katherine Ratliff, and Jeffrey Siegel)
5. Advancing Aerosol Science through Data Analysis Tools (Chairs: Christopher Tessum and Geoffrey Smith)

Shannon Capps and Jessica Tryner from the Education Committee are organizing the two Student Presentation Competitions this year, featuring both Poster and Oral Platform Competitions. We hope many of you will consider volunteering to be Judges for both competitions when registration opens. We look forward to your participation in supporting the next generation of scholars in aerosol science!

The Exhibit Hall, accessible from Tuesday to Thursday, offers a chance to engage with and learn from leading companies providing instrumentation and services in aerosol science and technology. We will once again host the Exhibitor and Instrument Application Showcase, aka ‘Scientists doing Experiments drinking Coffee’ featuring a platform session area within the Exhibit Hall. This provides opportunities for practical education and exchange, focusing on real measurement applications and challenges. It`s an enjoyable and educational means to encourage interaction between exhibitors and attendees.

The Exhibit Hall will also host our Welcome Reception and the Meet the Job Seekers Poster Session on Tuesday evening. This session allows job seekers to present their background and expertise to potential employers in academia, government, and industry, and provides employers with the opportunity to meet job seekers.

We are planning for Geeks Who Drink Trivia on Monday night and a variety of events throughout the week, including the Early Career Event, Fine Particle Art and Video Competition, Representation and Equity Affairs Program, Fun Run, and more. For the first time, we are also organizing an LGBTQ Event to bring young and senior researchers together from this community to discuss how folks have navigated aerosol science careers in academia, government and industry. We hope this will also build a support network for this community moving forward.

There will be opportunities for Travel Grants (for US and International participants), Student Assistants and Social Media Ambassadors. The Calls for Travel Grant, Student Assistant, and Social Media Ambassador Applications are anticipated to open in June following the abstract submission deadline.

The conference venue in Buffalo, NY, is a car ride from the world-famous Niagara Falls and located on Lake Erie in close proximity to the Canadian border. The conference hotel this year is at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo Hotel, which is conveniently attached to the Buffalo Convention Center. The Buffalo Convention Center is just a short 15-minute drive from Buffalo Niagara International Airport. While attending the conference, consider visiting Buffalo’s waterfront, including locations at Canalside (located at the foot of Main Street in downtown), Erie Basin Marina (immediately next to Canalside), the Buffalo River area, and the Outer Harbor (which has a lot of green space, bike paths, and marinas). Food critics call Buffalo “one of the great eating cities,” which includes many regional specialty dishes. The Buffalo Convention Center and conference hotel are quite close to Buffalo’s waterfront, where you will find many restaurants and bars to reconnect with colleagues and friends during the conference! 

We look forward to welcoming you in October to the 43rd Annual Conference of the American Association for Aerosol Research!