Risteen said the small number of attendees provided an intimate setting more conducive to one-on-one discussion. "I became on a first-name basis with researchers whose papers I have read for years, and I was able to pick their brains about how they came up with new ideas and dealt with failure," she said. "This conference validated my assertion that being a successful scientist in this day and age requires not only technical acumen, but also interpersonal connections and shared experiences from life and the lab."

Risteen delivered an oral presentation as well, entitled "Cellulose Nanocrystals as Ordering Agents for Enhanced Alignment of Semiconducting Polymers."

Her trip was supported in part by RBI's fellowship program, which often provides funding for students' travel to conferences and events that relate to their research area of interest.