While all events at the AAPA benefit from student involvement, the following free events were compiled by the Student Committee as being of particular interest for students this year. The list includes predominately AAPA events (with a few affiliated events not directly organized by the AAPA). All AAPA events are indicated by a preceding ‘AAPA’ in the title. 

Wednesday, 4-5 pm (Zilker Terrace)

AAPA Student Committee Meeting: Come meet with the Student Liaisons to the Executive Committee and contribute your ideas for how to serve the AAPA student membership better. All student members are welcome and encouraged!

Wednesday, 5-6 pm (Zilker Terrace)

AAPA Student Early Career Meet-and-Greet: The goal of the event is to introduce student members to early career AAPA members who can answer questions about graduate school, careers in physical/biological anthropology, and the society itself. The career members who will be attending are being announced every few days leading up to the conference on the AAPA student members page on Facebook! 

Wednesday, 5-8 pm (Marriott Grand Ballroom Foyer)

AAPA 8^th Annual Committee on Diversity (COD) Undergraduate Research Reception & Symposium: This is a wonderful experience for undergraduates to present their original research and a great time for students to meet each other and support their colleagues. The symposium is open to everyone from 6-8pm

Wednesday, 8-11 pm (Marriott Grand Ballroom)

AAPA Opening Reception: A must-attend event for all students. This is the biggest networking event of the entire meeting. It is a great time to meet up with old friends, make new friends, and track down professors you want to meet.

Thursday, 12:00-2pm (Foothills Ballroom I)

AAPA Committee on Diversity LGBTQQIAA meeting.  This is the general member planning meeting for the group. All interested AAPA members are welcome.

Thursday, 12:15-2:15pm (Big Thicket)

AAPA Committee on Diversity AACT (Anthropologists outside of Anthropology, Contract and Teaching Focused Faculty) meeting.  This is the general planning meeting for the group that focuses on issues related to AACT scholars.  All interested AAPA members are welcome.

Thursday, 1:15-2:15pm (Zilker Terrace)

PAWMN (Physical Anthropology Women’s Mentoring Network) Lunch: a luncheon and panel discussion. This event is intended for women who are graduate students or post-PhD (at any stage). Pre-registration required!

Thursday, 10 am-7 pm and 7- 8:30pm (Zilker Foyer and Zilker 4)

AAPA Silent and Live Auctions: It is always fun to check out the items up for bid. Make sure you enter to win the Lunch with Luminaries! The lunch provides a small group of students to attend a private lunch with senior scientists in biological anthropology. Lunch is FREE, but you must be present during the drawing to win.  While you’re there, make sure to buy a raffle ticket for the 50/50 raffle which, like all auction proceeds, supports AAPA student travel awards (half the cash pot goes to the winner and half towards student awards). Don’t forget to turn in your Amazing Advisors form, and your advisor may win a prize! Make sure to be present for the LIVE auction starting at 7pm.

Thursday, 6-8pm (Zilker Terrace)

PAWMN (Physical Anthropology Women’s Mentoring Network) Happy Hour: A great event for women at all career stages in biological anthropology. This event is attended by many established female scientists who are interested in peer networking and mentoring the next generation of women scholars in biological anthropology. Come armed with questions of how to navigate academia, juggle family and work, etc. For women at the graduate level and above, please join the Facebook group or get involved via LinkedIn.

Thursday, 9-11pm (TBA, check Facebook and Twitter for details).

BANDIT Happy Hour: Biological Anthropology Developing Investigators Troop (BANDIT), a community bringing together a troop of like-minded primates lucky enough to have a career studying other primates, hosts a happy hour event for those on the job market and the tenure track, in the lab and the field, from post-defense to pre-tenure, adjuncts, assistants, visitors, and academic hobos of all stripes. They welcome everyone and it is a great time! Don’t miss it! Check for details about the event on Twitter or Facebook.

Friday, 5-6pm (Big Thicket)

AAPA Education Committee meeting.  This is the general planning meeting for the group that focuses on K-12 education outreach.  All interested AAPA members are welcome.

Friday, 6:30-8:30pm (Zilker 4)

AAPA Business Meeting and Lifetime Awards: It is important to get involved with the AAPA early in your career. Open to all members, the business meeting is a great way to learn how the organization works and hear reports from all the committees at large. Come discuss and debate the current issues, hear updates from the Executive Committee and celebrate your colleague’s awards.

Friday Evening, TBD

AAPA Committee on Diversity (COD) GAYAPA Social Event: This fun, all-inclusive group arranges an outing for everyone to go have a fun night on the town. A $5 donation will go to support a local LGBT advocacy group. They are hoping to raise a glass and raise some money, so come join in on the fun! More details will be announced on the Queerbioanth Facebook page!

Saturday, 9-10am (Hill Country A)

AAPA Committee on Diversity International Scholars meeting.  This is the general planning meeting for the group that focuses on International Scholar issues.  All interested AAPA members are welcome.

Saturday, 6:30-9:30pm (1st Floor Restaurant Area, Hyatt Regency)

AAPA Closing Reception and Student Awards: One last chance to share some food, raise a glass, and discuss all the hot topics that occurred at the annual meeting. Come support your fellow students when the student awards are announced!

Hot Topic Panels:

Thursday, 12:15-2:15pm (Zilker 4)

AAPA COD sponsored panel discussion: Reflections on the 2017 Symposium and Future Directions for Biological Anthropology.

Friday, 12:15-2:15pm (Foothills Ballroom I)

AAPA Career Development Panel: How to get funding in anthropology? A workshop on grant writing with the NSF, Leakey Foundation and Wenner-Gren Foundation.

Friday, 12:15-2:15pm (Texas I)

AAPA COD WIN sponsored panel: Balanced: A Panel on Family Life and Careers in Academia (pre-registration required).

Friday, 2:30-4:30pm (Foothills Ballroom I)

AAPA COD AACT Panel on Career Paths

Saturday, 12:30-2:15pm (Zilker 4)

AAPA Presidential Panel Discussion: Should the AAPA Change Our Name?