Biology students present research at national ASB conference
The annual conference of the Association of Southeastern Biologist (ASB) drew more than a thousand people to its four-day conference in Chattanooga. For UNCP Biology majors Brooke Blackmon, Shannon Lowry, Erika Rivera, and Sierra Wright, the conference was a memorable experience — sharing their research findings while enjoying the excitement of science with a friendly audience. Their research posters spanned a variety of topics in entomology and taxonomy, as co-authored by Drs. Kaitlin Campbell and Lisa Kelly of the Biology Department.
Erika and Sierra had presented posters previously at a national science conference, but not so for Brooke and Shannon. Brooke said, “It was my first conference, and I could not have imagined a better combination of networking with peers, viewing research, and talking with representatives from graduate school. I also liked how the research aspects of the conference were accompanied by other social events and outings. We were able to visit the local Chattanooga aquarium and learn a lot about aquatic animals and environments from all over the world.”
Lowery had similar sentiments.
“This was my first out-of-state conference, and I am so happy I went! I made lasting memories and friendships.”
Rivera is virtually a “veteran” of conferences, having presented work at international, national, and local conferences. She and Wright had presented earlier versions of their posters during last year’s annual Pembroke Undergraduate Research and Creativity (PURC) symposium.
The ASB conference kicked off on Wednesday night (March 20th) with a plenary talk by North Carolina native Dr. Karen G. Lloyd (professor at the University of Tennessee), who is the upcoming Wrigley Professor of Earth Science at the University of Southern California.
“I found the plenary talk to be very inspiring," Rivera said. "It motivated me to continue with my educational goals and push through my current challenges.”
Wright also was inspired.
“There were a few talks on salamanders that I found pretty interesting, especially since they discussed topics that had been mentioned in my Field Zoology class earlier that week, she said. "The plenary talk was also extremely interesting because it took knowledge from both my major (Biology) and my minor (Geology). Usually, I'm completely lost or bored during plenary talks but this time I was engrossed and even able to explain what the speaker had said to others who had trouble understanding.”
A popular and long-standing tradition of the ASB conference is the Thursday Night Social. This year’s social was held at the Tennessee Aquarium, where ASB participants had exclusive access to the facilities, full of amazing creatures of the aquatic realm.
Networking and socializing were also big hits.
"The experiences from this conference opened me up to new aspects of being a student
in science and what being a professional in science could be like," Blackmon said.
"I liked having the opportunity to present my research with others at the conference
and receive comments and new ideas. This led to a lot of beneficial academic discussions
I can use to further my research. I also really enjoyed talking with other presenters
at the conference about their research and its implications for the community.”
