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Who am I: Davida Smyth

Where am I located: Texas A&M University-San Antonio

What am I doing: Soil, Water and Air microbiomes

What do I teach: Microbiology, Bacteriology, Virology

I'm happy to share my cell: 9146022854

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Fun fact: I play the accordion :)

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Add a picture of you :)

Who am I:

Where am I located:

What am I doing:

What do I teach:

I'm not/happy to share my cell:

Pronouns if you wish to share:

Fun fact:

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Who am I: Shankar Shanmugam

Where am I located: Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi

What am I doing: Soil microbiomes

What do I teach: Soil microbial ecology, Metagenomics

I'm happy to share my cell: 6623126187

Pronouns if you wish to share: He/Him/His

Fun fact: ??? I try to play indian bamboo flute

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Timmy tardigrade joins me at all academic meetings and conferences. This is from SABER 2024.

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Who am I: Mel Melendrez-Vallard

Where I am located: Anoka Ramsey Community College - Coon Rapids, MN

What am I doing: Contaminated/Uncontaminated Sediment microbiome comparisons over time

What do I teach: Introductory Micro (nursing/allied health), General Micro (majors), Biology (majors), Medical Terminology

I'm happy to share my cell: 7632673278

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Fun fact: I'm a watercolorist (semi-serious hobby) - unofficial portfolio of works at https://photos.app.goo.gl/9PywXKpUwWcJYHAH9

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I am a assistant professor of Biology at community college of Philadelphia

I teach Forensic Biology, general Biology and Microbiology. Looking to incorporate Microbiome (PBL) in Microbiology. curriculum

Here is my cell 610 564 0240

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Who am I: Justin Nash

Where am I located: Cameron University, Lawton, Oklahoma

What am I doing: Multi-drug resistant microbial prevention via herbal adjuvants

What do I teach: Microbiology, Immunology

I'm happy to share my cell: (580) 483-5388

Pronouns: I was never great in English. Science Rules! Call me Justin.

Fun Fact: I've visited 3/7 continents so far!

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Hi I’m Kathy from Northland Pioneer College in rural northeastern Arizona.

I teach biology, microbiology, and human heredity. My cell 443 745 7941

Fun fact I like to be outside (except when it’s too hot or too cold)

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Who am I: Kimberly (Kim) George

Where am I located: Montgomery College (community college), Takoma Park, MD

What am I doing: planning to start working with soil/water microbiomes

What do I teach: Microbiology, Intro Biology (majors & non-majors)

I'm happy to share my cell: 240-462-9395

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Fun fact: I love to travel! Favorite trips include Hong Kong and Singapore.

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Who am I: Klao Runcharoon

Where am I located: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

What am I doing: Poultry foodborne diseases, food safety, animal microbiome, and environment

What do I teach: Microbiology, diagnostic technique, animal microbiome

I'm happy to share my cell: 762-728-1544

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Fun fact: I was a cabin crew before!

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Who am I: Geena S.

Where am I located: Brooklyn College CUNY

What am I doing: Project Manager

What do I teach: N/A

I'm happy to share my cell: 347-653-7182 (please note that I will not respond if you do not state who you are)

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Fun Fact: I watched Twisters in 4DX three times??

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Who am I: Caitlin Fisher-Reid

Where am I located: Bridgewater State University in Bridgewater, Massachusetts (roughly halfway between Boston and Providence, RI)

What I am doing: salamander population ecology and evolution, and hopefully: skin microbes!

What do I teach: ecology, evolution, evolutionary medicine

I'm happy to share my cell: 631-805-1992

Pronouns: she/her

Fun Fact(s): I have four dogs and I spend the winter curling with my husband.

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Who I am: Laura Runyen-Janecky

Where I am located: University of Richmond, Richmond, VA

What I am doing: Studying how bacteria thrive in their environments (from food to tsetse flies)

What do I teach: Intro and core level Biology courses, Food Microbiology, Microbiology

I am happy to share my cell: 804-307-4387

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Fun fact: I own part of the Green Bay Packers

Also, I am at La Quinta and am happy to share Ubers.

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Who am I: Pamela A. Marshall (Pam)

Where am I located: Arizona State University West Valley campus (greater Phoenix metro area, Arizona)

What am I doing: getting re-energized to do research after a COVID and a short stint in administration; we have done microbiome research into both desert microbiome and forensic microbiome work

What do I teach: Pharmacology and Genetics

I'm happy to share my cell: 602-677-6443

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Fun fact: I just got back from a trip to Las Vegas and didn't drink or gamble. Ask me what we did!

Also staying at La Quinta and happy to share. I use Lyft, but same difference.

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Who am I: Bridgette Kirkpatrick

Where am I located: Collin College, Plano, TX (community college, North Dallas)

What am I doing: Student projects, barcoding, phage

What do I teach: Biotechnology, gen biology, genetics, molecular biology techniques, quality assurance

I'm happy to share my cell: 903-813-6126; staying at La Quinta, driving

Fun fact: My family has a small ranch with horses and cattle.

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Who am I: Fernando Calderon Gutierrez

Where am I located: Texas A&M University San Antonio

What am I doing: Molecular and quantitative ecology of groundwater ecosystems

I'm happy to share my cell: +52 6121535251

Fun fact: I do cave diving for work and fun

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Hi! I'm Emily Wiley.

I'm located at Claremont McKenna College in Southern California.

I'm helping to build a new integrated science department including new curriculum for non-science and science majors involving eDNA analyses.

I teach molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, intro bio, interdisciplinary courses.

I'm happy to share my cell: 909-802-9403

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Fun fact: I just returned from living in Croatia for 6 months as a Fulbrighter.

Also staying at La Quinta and happy to share a ride!

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Who: Sinéad Ní Chadhain (she/her)

Where: University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL

What I am doing: Microbial Ecology, Water Quality, SoTL

Teaching: Genetics, Microbiology, Experimental Genomics, Microbial Ecology

Cell: 732 485 4139

Fun fact: I'm a native Irish speaker

Also happy to share Ubers from La Quinta

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Who am I: Sara Bohi Goulart

Where am I located: Master's student at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas (but proudly originally from Brazil).

What I am doing: At the moment studying how climate change is affecting plants (moss!) in Antarctica! I am currently checking the differential expression of genes and photosynthetic and respiration activity but I've been working with Antarctic mosses for some time now in many different ways.

What do I teach: I have been a TA for Biology of Animals and Principles of Ecology and am eager to expand my educational sights!

I'm happy to share my cell and be added to the WhatsApp group: 806-283-4922

Pronouns: she/her.

Fun fact: Antarctica is my absolute passion and I love being there but... I HATE cold weather.

I'm staying at La Quinta and happy to share rides!

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Who I am: Assistant Professor at La Salle University in Philadelphia

What I teach: Biochemistry, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Phage Discovery and Genomics

What I study: I primarily study RNA biochemistry and microbial gene regulation, but recently my colleagues and I have been collaborating to study microbial communities in coal mine waste remediation systems. The acidic, iron-contaminated run-off from these mines breeds iron-oxidizing bacteria that help precipitate metal pollution from the water.

I happy to share my cell phone for the group text: 614-282-4191

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Who am I: Valerie Carson

Where am I located: Tampa FL

What am I doing: Looking for fun student projects to do with my kids and the NanoPore

What do I teach: Biology, Microbiology and ALL the Biotech courses

I'm happy to share my cell: 813-267-5260

Pronouns: She/Her

Fun fact: I'm getting ready to land so I'll have to post later!!

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Hi. Theodore Muth here - great to see everyone! I am a quasi microbial ecologist but my training is in cell and molecular biology. I mainly from the Northeast, grew up on an apple farm in Western NY. I have lived and worked in Brooklyn, NY for the past 24 years. I am the co-PI on the REMNet grant with Davida. We have spent the last 5+ years working with faculty to get microbiome research projects integrated into the UG curriculum.

I teach micro lab and lecture and an upper level classes on the human microbiome and applied/medical microbiology.

My cell is 718 916 7902

Fun fact: I was born in Anchorage, Alaska.

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Who I am: Alison Gardell, Assistant Professor at University of Washington Tacoma

Where I am located: Tacoma, Washington

What I teach: ecotoxicology, biochemistry, human biology, research capstone courses

What I study: My lab focuses on the environmental stress response of aquatic animals. We are particularly interested in understanding molecular and physiological mechanisms that contribute to tolerance and resiliency in some species, but not in others. One of our projects evaluates arsenic impacts on freshwater lake microbiomes.

I am happy to share my cell: 907-830-0166

Fun fact: I was previously a postdoc and assistant professor in Alaska for 7 years before moving to Tacoma.

Staying at La Quinta hotel.

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Who am I: Sarah Alaei

Where am I located: UW Tacoma

What am I doing: freshwater lake (sediment, water, snail, periphyton) microbiomes +/- environmental contaminants like arsenic (collaboration with Alison Gardell, also in attendance) and bacterial pathogenesis (gum disease related, molecular genetics project). What I teach: intro bio (cell/molec part), general microbiology, microbial physiology, capstone research, senior seminar. Cell: 925-337-4843 Pronouns: she/her Fun Fact: this summer I have been doing a lot of backpacking with my 6 and 8 yo kids, paddle boarding on the Puget Sound, and running in the forest.

*Also staying at La Quinta.

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Who am I: Mohamed Abouelkhair

Where I am located: Knoxville Tennessee

What I am doing: Assistant professor (will be promoted to associate professor next month) Microbial Bioinformatics, development of new molecular assays (including CRISPR) to detect existing and emerging infectious diseases, and Cancer and Viral Immunology.

What I teach: Graduate and veterinary student training in Molecular Biology, Immunology (VMP813, CEM 541), Virology (VMP821), Microbial Bioinformatics, and Vaccine development

Cell: 8655498511

Staying at: Drury Plaza Hotel San Antonio Riverwalk

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Who am I: Venkatesan P

Where am I Located: New jersey, NJIT

What am I doing: Research on nanotechnology based drug delivery for bacterial infection, cancer and brain injury

I am happy to share my cell number: +1 2013498297

staying at a Qunita

Fun facts : movies, tennis , cricket

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Who am I: Nana Ankrah

Where I am located: SUNY Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, NY

What I am doing: Fly and water microbiomes

What I teach: Microbiology, Immunology, Microbiome Science, General Biology

I'm happy to share my cell: 8653686561

Pronouns: He/him/his

Fun fact: I can juggle 3 balls ...... for like 3 seconds

Staying at: Embassy Suites San Antonio Brooks Hotel

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Who am I: Olabisi Ojo

Where am I located: Albany State University, Albany GA (Southwestern GA)

What am I doing: Faculty with research interest in molecular epidemiology, genomics, transcriptomics and microbiomics, and metagenomics

What do I teach: Intro to Microbiology, Intro to Biology, Senior Research

I am happy to share my cell: 4124789701

Fun fact: I love music, computers

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Who am I: Rachel Bleich

Where am I located: Appalachian State University, Boone, NC

What am I doing: gut microbiomes

What do I teach: Microbiology, Intro Biology, and Microbiome Research

I'm happy to share my cell: 4026607601

Pronouns: She/her/hers

Fun Fact: My husband and I are adopting a puppy this week