In this Issue:
- The NABT2023 Program Has Sessions, Speakers, and So Much More!
- Time is Running Out to Book Your Hotel in Baltimore
- NABT Accepting Applications for the 2023 Jennifer Pfannerstill Travel Award
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Deadline Reminder: QB@CC Mini-Grants for 2-Year College Instructors
- SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT: Celebrate miniPCR's 10th Birthday by Entering to Win a FREE miniPCR
- NABT Announces Winners of 2023 CESR Poster Competition
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NABT Members in the News: Congratulations to Sarah Bordenstein, Audra Ward Brown, Bob Kuhn, Sheela Vemu
- BSCS Science Learning Recruiting Teachers for Gendered-Genetics Study
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The NABT2023 Program Has
Sessions, Speakers, and So Much More!
Friday, November 3rd starts bright and early with the First Timers' Coffee Break and NABT Meet & Greet. If you want to learn more about NABT, or get more involved, these are easy ways to meet other NABT'ers. Then it's speakers, sessions, and symposia. We have a great symposium from NCSE featuring dinosaur dynamo and author Riley Black. And don't forget to grab your lunch (included with your registration) and head over to a section luncheon or hang out in the exhibit hall. After, it's more sessions until we have last call in the exhibit hall and then head over to HHMI Night at the Movies.
But wait, there's more! Saturday, November 4th begins with the Biology Education Poster Session (and student competition) and BioClub Breakfast, followed by our Scott Williamson Speaker, Dr. Ryan Gutenkunst, and more sessions and symposia. We take a break to celebrate our outstanding colleagues during the NABT Honors Luncheon, then wrap up with you guessed it, more sessions. We then end the day with a special presentation of the NABT Distinguished Service Award to researcher, explorer, speaker and author, Dr. Lee Berger.
Our formal program may be wrapped, but we still have an evening of Baltimore history and haunts planned . You're invited to join us for a bite and a beverage harborside at the hotel, before we depart in groups for a "haunted" walking tour of Baltimore's most historic waterfront neighborhood, closing out at a popular spot to "cheers" to a successful conference.
Every year, NABT brings together educators and scientists to discuss the latest research, teaching strategies, and best practices in life science education. Join us in Baltimore from Thursday, November 2nd through Sunday, November 5th for more of the professional learning, opportunities, and community that support you as a biology and life science teacher.
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Time is Running Out to Book Your Room in Baltimore
We don't want to jinx anything, but there is a chance downtown Baltimore will be very popular in early November. Don't be left out of the fun!
Secure your hotel room at NABT's discounted rate at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront as soon as possible (and definitely before October 1st). That way, you can easily attend all the NABT events, exhibits, and special functions.
Book now at NABT2023 Baltimore Marriott. If you are making a reservation over the phone, be sure to mention that you are part of the NABT Conference to receive the discounted rate.
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NABT Accepting Applications for the
2023 Jennifer Pfannerstill Travel Award
The Jennifer Pfannerstill Travel Award is a scholarship program established to honor the memory of Jennifer Pfannerstill. Generously supported by Bedford, Freeman, and Worth as well as private contributions, the Pfanny Travel Award is a need-based scholarship providing support for a teacher who wants to develop as a professional by attending the NABT Conference for the first time.
This award is open to current NABT members who are educators from 4-year colleges, 2-year colleges, and high schools. The awardee will receive complimentary registration to the NABT Conference, hotel accommodations for the duration of the conference, travel reimbursement, and a one-year complimentary membership to NABT.
Please note: You can still apply for the travel award even if you have already registered for the NABT Conference in Baltimore.
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Deadline Reminder:
QB@CC Mini-Grants for 2-Year College Instructors
NABT and QB@CC are still accepting applications for five mini-grants available to two-year college instructors who want to attend the NABT Professional Development Conference for the first time. The mini-grant will cover conference registration fees, one year of NABT membership, and up to $500 in associated expenses, including subs/TAs, childcare, travel costs, or other related expenses.
Required application materials include:
- Professional profile or current CV.
- Short essay (< 1000) describing the importance of professional development and how attending the NABT Conference will enhance your teaching practice. Please include how meeting your specific need will make your participation possible.
Selected applicants will also be required to attend one of two QB@CC workshops being presented at the NABT Conference in Baltimore to receive the honorarium, which will be paid after attendance is confirmed.
The application deadline is 11:59 PM Pacific Time on Tuesday, September 5th.
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Want a FREE miniPCR?
Come see us at NABT in Baltimore for a full day of workshops!
The Central Dogma through fluorescence
CRISPR/Cas in a tube
Environmental DNA
Transformation
and more!
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NABT Announces Winners of
2023 CESR Poster Competition
This is the second year NABT has held the CESR Poster Competition, and we received posters from 16 different teams at nine institutions. NABT volunteers reviewed all posters and video submissions. Winners who placed 1st, 2nd, and 3rd received cash prizes, and instructors received a complimentary year of membership to NABT.
Congratulations to Ursuline College, who had two teams from the school tie for 1st place!
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1st Place: The Rate of Glycolysis Reaction of Adaptive Muscle Regions with High Mitochondrial Levels
Presented by Giselle Scipione, Ashley Fornes, and Arionna Carter, Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH (Advisors: Lynn Ulatowski and Lita Yu)
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1st Place: Vitamin K, Vitamin E, & Aspirin:
The Effectiveness of Preventing
Blood Clots
Presented by Nora DeKemper, Endiyah Cuff, and Paige Jankowski, Ursuline College, Pepper Pike, OH (Advisor: Lynn Ulatowski)
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2nd Place: Topsoil Exhibits Greater Bacterial Diversity Compared to Subsoil
Presented by Zinnia Ruch and Wynter Henry, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA (Advisor: Molly Bindell)
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3rd Place: Developing an eDNA Isolation Protocol: Detecting Goldfish DNA in a Controlled Aquarium
Presented by Siobhán Gross, Lauren Rudge, and Isabella Clement, Skagit Valley College, Mount Vernon, WA (Advisor: Kristen Hoffbuhr)
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NABT Members in the News:
Congratulations to Sarah Bordenstein, Audra Ward Brown, Bob Kuhn, Sheela Vemu
This last spring and summer, several NABT members were recognized for their contributions to biology and life science education. Join us in congratulating these leaders in life science education.
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Sarah Bordenstein was named the recipient of the 2023 T. H. Huxley Award. The Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) named the award after one of Darwin's most public supporters and uses it to recognize and promote the development of high-quality evolution education resources.
Sarah is an associate research professor of biology and entomology at Penn State and director of the popular Wolbachia Project. Using DNA sequence data from samples they collect, students and informal scientists conduct real-world evolutionary research through the project.
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Audra Brown Ward has received the William A. Parker, Sr. Mentoring Faculty Award from The Westminster School. This award was established to honor faculty members who have mentored the student recipients of the William A. Parker, Sr. Student Improvement Award. Audra has been teaching AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, and other science classes at the Atlanta, Georgia-based school for the last four years.
In addition to her teaching and service at Westminster, Audra is a national AP Biology consultant and leader, working with the College Board in a number of roles and capacities. Audra is also NABT's current Region VI Coordinator, where she worked to support teachers and identify recipients of the NABT Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) in the Southeastern US and Puerto Rico.
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The Center for Global Health Innovation’s (CGHI) Office of Life Sciences and Digital Health (formerly known as Georgia Bio) recognized Robert Kuhn with their Teacher of the Year Award. This award is part of the group's Golden Helix Awards Program, which celebrates the "contributions and achievements of Georgia legislative, academic, corporate, and advocacy leaders working to advance the growth of the life sciences industry and foster strategic partnerships that can create a healthier world."
Bob teaches at Innovation Academy STEM High School in Alpharetta, Georgia, and is well-known in the NABT community. He frequently volunteers in the AP Biology Section and presents standing-room-only sessions at the NABT Professional Development Conference. We are glad to see him recognized by CGHI for "excellence in STEM teaching and support for the biotechnology pathway."
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Dr. Sheela Vemu recently received an Outstanding Faculty Award from Waubonsee Community College. The awards committee received almost 300 nominations, and 88% were from current students. Sheela has been a full-time faculty member at Waubonsee in Sugar Grove, Illinois, since 2014. In her announcement letter, Dr. Diana Nyhammer, vice president of educational affairs, noted, "Dr. Vemu consistently demonstrates her commitment to student success and to creating an inclusive learning environment. She sees her students through a strengths-based, rather than a deficit-based, lens and actively seeks out ways to help students overcome barriers."
Sheela works tirelessly to promote a more diverse, inclusive, and accessible STEM ecosystem for both her students and peers. She serves as a faculty mentor, her students often present their work at poster sessions and conferences, and while she was the NABT Two-Year Section Chair, Sheela helped launch a series of online "Community Conversations" to help instructors explore new practices and leadership skills.
In addition to her Outstanding Faculty Award, Sheela also received the 2023 NABT Two-Year College Teaching Award, and we look forward to congratulating her for both.
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BSCS Science Learning Recruiting Teachers for
Gendered-Genetics Study
The BSCS Science Learning is currently recruiting teachers for an online study titled: “Exploring how learning about the genetics of sex differences impacts genetic essentialism and STEM belonging and interest” for the 2023-2024 academic year.
This study is part of the Humane Genetics Project. It will explore how teaching about human genetic variation and complex trait development influences how students think about sex and gender differences. This experimental research aims to identify—and revise—the content in common genetics instruction in an effort to reduce gender bias. The work aims to give students a more scientifically accurate understanding of gender and/or sex differences. It could also guide educators to teach these concepts in a more socially responsible manner.
The deadline to respond for study participation is Thursday, September 7, 2023.
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November 3 - 5, 2023
Baltimore Waterfront Marriott
Baltimore, MD
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P.O. Box 3363
Warrenton, VA 20188
Phone: (888) 501-NABT
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Are you hosting a workshop? |
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Use our easy online form to order free items from NABT such as copies of ABT, membership coupons, and other NABT merchandise.
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Notices that appear in News & Views are announcements only and do not indicate an endorsement by NABT. Permission is granted by the National Association of Biology Teachers for libraries and other users to make reproductions for their own or their client's personal, noncommercial, or internal use.
copyright © 2023 All rights reserved
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