Intellectual Merit: This award provides support for undergraduate and graduate student attendance and participation in the 21st Annual Southeastern Regional Yeast Meeting (SERYM) to be held on the campus of Vanderbilt University from March 14-16, 2014. This annual meeting provides a unique opportunity for yeast researchers from states in the Southeastern region of the U.S. to come together to share their preliminary research findings and discuss new research tools and emerging technologies. As model organisms, yeasts are ideal for the study of complex molecular, cellular, and biochemical processes. Researchers studying these simple eukaryotes have made significant contributions in areas as diverse as fungal evolution, DNA damage/repair, RNA processing, cell cycle progression, chromosome segregation, prion propagation, autophagy and organelle biogenesis/ maintenance. This meeting, which is expected to attract between 100 and 125 participants, is the ideal venue for the inclusion of student presentations with the ultimate goal of facilitating interactions and discussions between students and senior scientists.
Broader Impacts: This award will have broad educational impact for undergraduate and graduate student participants, by providing funds to defray travel expenses. Particular emphasis will be placed on increasing participation of individuals underrepresented in the sciences through the recruitment of both women and minorities. A key strength of this meeting is the opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students to present their research in platform and/or poster formats. The regional nature of this meeting provides opportunities for students to discuss their research work with leading scientists, laying the foundation for future scientific development and collaborations.
The CONFERENCE:Southeaster Regional Yeast Meeting 2014 award supported undergraduate and graduate student attendance and participation in the 21st Annual Southeastern Regional Yeast Meeting (SERYM) that was held on the campus of Vanderbilt University from March 14-16, 2014. This annual meeting provides a unique opportunity for yeast researchers from states in the Southeastern region of the U.S. to come together to share their preliminary research findings and discuss new research tools and emerging technologies. As model organisms, yeasts are ideal for the study of complex molecular, cellular, and biochemical processes. Researchers studying these simple eukaryotes have made significant contributions in areas as diverse as fungal evolution, DNA damage/repair, RNA processing, cell cycle progression, chromosome segregation, prion propagation, autophagy and organelle biogenesis/ maintenance. The requested NSF support was used to cover the travel and lodging expenses of 16 student participants in a successful effort to increase the number of undergraduate and graduate students that could attend this meeting. The SERYM 2014 conference organizers placed particular emphasis on strengthening the participation of individuals underrepresented in the sciences through the recruitment of both women and minorities. This meeting attracted 105 participants was an ideal venue for student presentations to foster interactions and discussions between students and senior scientists. Student presentations were judged by senior faculty to provide constructive feedback and outstanding presentations were acknowledged with "Best Presentation" awards. The SERYM 2014 conference has many broader impacts that touch the lives of all of the participants. A key strength of this meeting is the opportunity for both undergraduate and graduate students to present their research in platform and/or poster formats. The regional nature of this meeting provides affordable opportunities for students to discuss their research work with leading scientists, laying the foundation for future scientific development, collaborations and career advancement. The SERYM meeting exposes students and trainees to recent advances in the fields of molecular and cell biology from studies using yeast and thus provides a stimulating and rewarding educational experience. The infectious enthusiasm for science and the mentoring of young scientists displayed by the established researchers who participated in this meeting will hopefully inspire the next generation of research leaders.
