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TX/OK

Student presenting on Divergence of Species in the Insulin/TOR Pathway

TX/OK Regional Node Meeting – July 21, 2023

The Texas and Oklahoma Regional Node held their first in-person Regional Node Meeting at the University of Texas at Austin on July 21, 2023. The meeting was organized by several Node members, including Node Leader Dr. Lindsey Long (Oklahoma Christian University). Attendees included 8 GEP faculty and 9 GEP students. Seven Universities/Colleges across Texas and Oklahoma were represented at the meeting including: University of Houston-Clear Lake, East Central University, Texas Wesleyan University, University of Texas San Antonio, St. Mary’s University, Oklahoma Christian University, and University of Texas at Austin. 
Student presenting on divergence scores

The morning session included training on the GEP R curriculum by Dr. Nolan Bentley (University of Texas at Austin) and research lightning talks by the GEP students. Additionally, Dr. Tom Juenger from UT Austin talked to the group about his research and how he uses it as a CURE project for several undergraduate students. While the students visited the Wonderspaces immersive and interactive art museum together in the afternoon, the faculty continued the meeting which included updates about the Parasitoid Wasps wet lab project and the National GEP meeting. Several faculty also gave implementation talks where there was valuable sharing of ideas and feedback. Finally, the group ate supper together at True Food Kitchen in downtown Austin before returning home.

Student presenting on Bioinformatic targeting to determine the molecular etiology of Canine anasarca

What worked well for your event that might help others plan similar events?

The registration process was very smooth and the involvement with the students was great. They were included for the professional development portion, the guest speaker, and they gave lightning talks about their research. In the afternoon, they went as a group to the museum which helped with the community building aspect. The events program came together well.

Faculty member Lindsey Long posing for a selfie with two student presenters

What would your Node do differently based on your experiences?

Book a cheaper hotel slightly further from the meeting location and use a ride share service to transport the participants to the meeting site.

Texas and Oklahoma Regional Node Meeting November 5, 2021

TX/OK Regional Node Meeting – November 5, 2021

The Oklahoma Universities in the Texas/Oklahoma Regional Node held a node meeting at the Oklahoma Academies of Science Technical Meeting in Ada, OK at East Central University. Fifteen GEP students presented their annotation projects either in poster or oral formats. GEP students and faculty from East Central University and Oklahoma Christian University ate lunch together and shared experiences.

Scientific Talk on Parasitoid Wasps

Dr. Nathan “Nate” Mortimer gave a scientific talk on the GEP’s Parasitoid Wasps Project he is the Project Leader for at the Texas/Oklahoma Regional Node Meeting on January 5, 2021.

TX/OK Regional Node Meeting – January 5, 2021

The Texas/Oklahoma node held their first virtual Regional Node Meeting (RNM) on January 5, 2021. The meeting was organized by several members of the TX/OK node including Lindsey Long and Alisha Howard. The morning session focused on providing training on the Parasitoid Wasps annotation project for current GEP faculty. This session was led by Dr. Nathan Mortimer and attended by seven GEP faculty members.

The afternoon session was open to faculty, postdocs, and students in the TX/OK region who were either affiliated with, or interested in, the GEP project. This session was hosted on the interactive platform Gather Town and was attended by 13 faculty and students from eight different institutions. Dr. Nathan Mortimer kicked off the afternoon with a presentation on his Parasitoid Wasps research project. This talk was followed by a virtual poster session by current and former GEP students. Finally, the GEP faculty hosted a Q&A session for new and prospective GEP faculty members.