myHIN Blog

October 30, 2012

My Experience at INFORMS 2012 Conference

My trip to Phoenix with my research team was an exciting and eye opening event. I got to experience the business trip on an academic level, and admittedly I enjoyed telling my friends and classmates, “I’m going to Arizona to present at an international conference.” My appreciation for the entire event was refined from our arrival in the desert until our withdrawal from the Valley of the Sun.

First of all, when we pulled up at the hotel in Phoenix I felt like the Fresh Prince of Bel Air! And looking out onto the city and off into the mountains of the west was truly a sight to behold. I began to consider what life would be like if I were to move to out there, but I digress…

In the morning we attended the main event, our presentations at the Informs 2012 conference. Initially, I was apprehensive about going all the way out to Arizona to present the myHIN project to a room full of scholars and research gurus. But I discovered that my audience was thirsty for information, and when we finished they had positive feedback on ways to advance the project and increase effectiveness. It created a much different atmosphere than a sales pitch where your audience may pick you apart over the company budget. In the end I was honored to be the direct link in disseminating HIV awareness information and I believe we made a positive impact. I’m looking forward to the next conference and also having my research published!