1. The CIDER Experience Anna M. Courtier James Madison University

2. My background… “Structural Seismology” Mantle Plumes (Are hotspots actually hot?) Water in the Mantle (How much? Where?) Canadian Northwest Experiment (How are continents formed?)

3. CIDER 2006: What went well? Logistics at KITP went smoothly  Convenience enabled research Great balance between grad students, post-docs, junior and senior faculty Good group size  Larger would have made it harder to connect with all participants

4. Successful Research Outcomes AGU PresentationEarth and Planetary Science Letters (2007)

5. What about the Timeframe? CIDER 2006: Two or Three-Week Options Two-week background/tutorial worked well One week for focus groups seemed short Matching summer schedules? Flexibility is an issue Particularly for grad students and early-career faculty…

6. Specific CIDER benefits? Wealth of knowledge  Informative overview of topics Developed research focus Experience with tutorials of all disciplines made the lectures mean more  Helped with future research and teaching Networking!!

7. How can we continue and expand the CIDER benefits? 1. Keep distinct lecture, tutorial, focus group format 2. Supplement with structured “Pre-Workshop” materials? Basic background reading Simple online tutorials? 3. Maintain wide variety of participant backgrounds Scientifically as well as “career stage” Involve advanced undergraduates? 4. Follow-up meetings for working groups

8. Future Research Focus? Increasingly interdisciplinary Invite other communities for specific topics or mini- workshops embedded within summer program?  Surface Tectonics?  Planetary Geology?