| About | ATDS Meeting Info | Talks & Schedule | Related AAS Meeting Events |
Welcome to the 5th annual Astronomers Turned Data Scientists (ATDS) Splinter Meeting. This gathering came from a desire to create a more cohesive community among former astronomers who are currently working with Big Data in Industry and between those former astronomers and current astronomers (especially those who use Big Data / Data Science tools and techniques in their research, as well as those who might be interested in transitioning from academia into a data-related career).
The meeting will take place during the 241st AAS 2023 Winter meeting in Seattle, WA on Tuesday, January 10, and is sponsored by the AAS Committee on Employment. It will take place in person in Room 401 and also be accessible remotely for free (via Zoom).
Speakers and attendees can participate in the ATDS day of talks and discussion sessions remotely for free, without an AAS membership or Meeting registration (though you won't get access to other networking or career-related content during the AAS Meeting). The talks and discussion sessions will cover a wide range of topics, mostly aimed at ATDS who are currently working as data scientists (or in data-adjacent roles) in Industry, as well as astronomers who use Big Data techniques in their research. The schedule (which can be found below) will include mostly technical talks by data professionals, as well as some career-related presentations and open panel discussions (some of which will be more applicable to people currently in Industry and some will be more applicable to people intersted in future careers in Big Data).
During ATDS, networking and recruiting among current and prospective data professionals will be strongly encouraged. To this end we will have ample time for open discussion and networking during our Splinter Meeting. Those attending in person will also be able to participate in various AAS Career Services events throughout the AAS Meeting related to Big Data, Data Science, and Careers/Recruiting. More info about recruiting and other data-related and career-related events at the AAS Meeting can be found below.
We also plan to have an informal evening event for ATDS attendees after the main ATDS meeting on the evening of January 10.
Lastly, the in-person meeting will require proof of COVID-19 vaccination and masking for all attendees (see the official COVID-19 Policy at AAS 241 for more details).If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at Astro2Data{at}gmail{dot}com and we look forward to seeing you in January!
Sincerely,
Jeffrey Silverman
Eva Noyola
Joseph A'Hearn
In order to strengthen the connection between the AAS and former members, the AAS created the Alumni Affiliate membership class. The 2022 membership dues are $106 and one qualifies for this membership if they "have left the astronomical sciences or related fields but would like to retain a connection to the AAS community". Furthermore, "prior AAS membership at the Full, Associate, or Junior (dues-paying student) level is desired, but not required". Note that it takes a few days for an Alumni Affiliate application to be processed, and you will receive an email confirmation and member ID once your membership is approved. If you have any questions regarding AAS membership, please contact Diane Frendak.
Once someone is an Alumni Affiliate member of the AAS (and has their valid member ID and proof of COVID-19 vaccination), they can register for the entire AAS Winter Meeting at the reduced rate of $260 for in-person participation ($204 for virtual/remote participation), through November 15. It goes up to $292 ($229) for November 16 through December 7, $332 ($260) for December 8 through January 4, and $386 ($303) for on-site registration January 5 through January 12. The meeting registration fee is in addition to the membership fee mentioned above.
You do not need to register for the AAS Meeting in order to attend or participate in the ATDS Splinter Meeting remotely. In order to participate in ATDS in person, you must register for the in-person AAS Meeting. And of course, registration includes all aspects of the AAS Meeting, not just the ATDS Splinter Meeting. Note that meeting registration is significantly more expensive for non-members.
The ATDS talks & discussions will take place on Tuesday, January 10, in Room 401, from 9:00am to 3:40pm PST and also be accessible remotely for free (via Zoom). For people registered for the AAS Meeting (in person or remote), we also have an Official AAS241 Slack Channel. All talks will be 25 minutes total (including Q&A). Click here for more information about the speakers and their talks, including the full abstracts.
The 2-part recording is here and here.
The scientific program for the entire AAS Meeting can be found here. The ATDS schedule avoids Plenary and Prize Talks and includes ample time for networking and open discussions.
| Event | Time (PST) |
|---|---|
| AAS Plenary Lecture | 08:10am - 09:00am |
| Mingling & Welcome Remarks (with light breakfast provided) | 09:00am - 09:15am |
| Talk Session 1 (J. Yao-Yu Lin, J. Silge) | 09:15am - 10:05am |
| Break | 10:05am - 10:15am |
| Talk Session 2 (T. Tanaka, B. Barton) | 10:15am - 11:05am |
| Panel / Open Discussion 1: Topic TBD | 11:05am - 11:35am |
| Break for AAS Plenary Lecture | 11:40am - 12:30pm |
| Lunch (on your own) | 12:30pm - 01:15pm |
| Talk Session 3 (C. Griffith, J. Guillochon) | 01:15pm - 02:05pm |
| Panel / Open Discussion 2: Topic TBD | 02:05pm - 02:35pm |
| Break (with afternoon snacks provided) | 02:35pm - 02:45pm |
| Talk Session 4 (H. Sharma, U. Iyer) | 02:45pm - 03:35pm |
| AAS Plenary Lecture | 03:40pm - 04:30pm |
| AAS Plenary Lecture | 04:40pm - 05:30pm |
| Evening Event (see below) | 06:00pm |
Optimism Brewing has agreed to host our informal evening event starting at 6:00pm on January 10. Located at 1158 Broadway, Optimism Brewing is a 15-minute walk from the Seattle Convention Center. Take a look at their space via Google 360. They have beer (brewed with vegan ingredients), gluten-free hard seltzers and ciders, and non-alcoholic sparkling waters and lemonades all available for purchase. Food will also be available for purchase from the Llama Fusion Food Truck. In addition, you are welcome bring your own food or non-alcoholic beverages to the event.
Below are Data Professionals and their companies who indicated that they were interestd in recruiting & potentially interviewing folks from ATDS 2023.
For in-person attendees of the AAS meeting there are a variety of events and activities related to Big Data, Data Science, and Careers/Recruiting (for both academic and non-academic positions). Some of these events include: