Joshua J. Cannon, MS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM, 2026 CLEC Steering Committee Member
I’ve had a running joke with a colleague for nearly a decade where, after we vent our frustrations about the ever-growing demands for educators, we smile at each other and calmly say, “It’s going to get better,” knowing full well it probably won’t. We remain in higher education because we love it—you have to—but it’s important to protect yourself from burnout. This is why I attend the Clinical Laboratory Educators Conference (CLEC).
CLEC is my professional reset button—it’s my “Did you turn it off and turn it back on again?” solution. I’m able to turn off the part of my brain that’s constantly reminding me of everything I have to do and how little time I have to do it.
I travel often to attend many conferences, and I always reflect on the quality of the conference in the same way. I base it on the way I feel heading back to the airport. If I feel energized, full of new ideas to improve my courses, new teaching strategies, or scholarship opportunities I want to explore, I know it was a quality conference. I leave CLEC with that feeling every time.
CLEC 2026 will be held February 5-7 at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue in Bellevue, Washington, near Seattle. Attend in-person or virtually. Early bird registration rates are available through December 3.