by Nicole Gerardo

Postdoc Miguel Reyes headed to Washington DC earlier this week to participate in in the Linton-Poodry SACNAS Leadership Institute. This is a well-deserved honor, and an exciting opportunity for Miguel. Only one problem: he has to wear a suit… in the summer… in Washington, DC!

Here is a description of the program: “The Linton-Poodry SACNAS Leadership Institute (LPSLI) provides premier training for motivated underrepresented minority (URM) scientists, laying the foundation for them to lead institutional transformation. In collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the LPSLI is an intensive five-day course featuring small group exercises, keynote speakers, leadership development planning, networking opportunities, and extensive community building among selected participants.”

Congratulations to Hassan Salem and Aileen Berasategui for their recent wedding! We are so happy that this wonderful couple is part of the Gerardo lab. 

Caitlin Conn, currently finishing up her graduate work at the University of Georgia, received a phone call from an NSF program officer today! She was awarded an NSF Special Collections Postdoc to work on Escovopsis, a pathogen associated with fungus-growing ants. We are so excited that she will be joining us!

Congratulations to Erica Harris. She received a MMUF Dissertation Grant from the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. This will support her work on the rols of the monarch butterfly microbiome in disease resistance. Woot!

Congratulations to Wen-Hao Tan and Kim Hoang for passing their qualifying exams!

by Nicole Gerardo

Congratulations to former grad student Nelle Couret, who just received a Multicultural Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology at the University of Rhode Island. Excitingly, the position will transition into a tenure track faculty position at URI!

by Nicole Gerardo

Congratulations to grad student Wen-Hao Tan for being selected as one of Emory’s nominees for the HHMI International Student Research Fellowship.

by Nicole Gerardo

Congratulations to grad student Erica Harris for receiving a Mellon Mays Graduate Studies Enhancement Grant to support her research of the gut microbiome of monarch butterflies.

by Nicole Gerardo

I recently received a link to a story about the American Society of Microbiology’s first agar art contest. The art creations are amazing. I think I have some new ideas for our next Art-Science Study System Secret Santa and ice cream Social (ASSSSSS).