Photo provided by Elena Perez

The 17th annual Graduate Climate Conference (GCC) was held on November 2 – 4, 2023, hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the first GCC to be held at Woods Hole since the pandemic. Around 100 graduate students participated, including seven from WHOI’s PO department. This year the conference accommodated a record number of students from different fields and universities, a total of 21 different fields and 58 institutions in the U.S. and abroad!

The Conference featured two outstanding keynote speakers, six oral sessions, four poster sessions, and four student-run workshops. Social activities during the weekend included a Jeopardy Game, a Movie night, a Halloween costume party, and a guided tour of Boston after the conference. The Marine Biological Laboratory provided meals, refreshments, and lodging.

First held in 2006, the GCC has grown greatly while remaining true to its core mission of highlighting student-led work in diverse climate-related fields at a conference run by graduate students for graduate students. This year, four WHOI PO graduate students helped organize the conference. Hosting responsibilities have alternated yearly between students at UW and students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)’s Program on Atmospheres, Oceans, and Climate. The 18th annual Graduate Climate Conference will be held at the University of Washington’s Pack Forest center in fall 2024.