Conference on Biological Stoichiometry
Lincoln, Nebraska
STDA Workshop: March 20th, 2023
CoBS: March 21st-23rd, 2023
Conference Agenda (tentative)
This agenda is tentative and will be updated frequently. Check back soon for more information!
Conference Location – All CoBS 2023 events will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln City Campus Union (1400 R Street, Lincoln, NE 68588) except for the Monday evening social (location TBD), and the CoBS Closing Social (located at UNL’s Morrill Hall).
Check-in
Check-in will be available for STDA workshop attendees on Monday (3/20/2023) from 8am to 9am during the Coffee social. All other CoBS registrants should check in Monday evening, at the social and trivia night (off-campus) or Tuesday morning during the coffee social.
Science: Events and Interdisciplinary Workshops
ADE/s Exhibition: The Arts, Data and Environment/s (ADE/s) initiative is hosting an exhibition at Constellation Studios (2055 “O” Street) that will be open to CoBS attendees on Tuesday and Wednesday evening.
Lead: Katie Anania, Assistant Professor of Art History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
ADE/s Workshop: The Arts, Data and Environment/s (ADE/s) initiative is leading a workshop and roundtable for conference attendees. More information TBA
Lead: Katie Anania, Assistant Professor of Art History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Career Panel: Have a discussion with professionals in different scientific disciplines! our diverse panel is here to answer questions and share advice.
DEIJ Activity: This session will address personal and shared perceptions of diversity and inclusion, along with benefits and challenges of/strategies for fostering justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in a research setting.
Lead: Bethann Garramon Merkle, MFA, University of Wyoming
Plenary Speakers: The Ecological Stoichiometry Cooperative is proud to announce Drs. Elena Litchman, Angélica L. González, and Shawn Wilder as the CoBS 2023 plenary speakers. For more information, visit our Plenary Speakers page.
STDA Workshop:
The STOICH Training and Data Analysis Workshop (STDA) is an all-day event targeted at mentee-level CoBS attendees. This workshop will lead students through data visualization techniques of stoichiometry from best practices to practical applications.
The first half of the workshop will include a crash course on stoichiometric data and the STOICH database. STDA particpants will learn common ways stoichiometric data is analyzed and presented and will discuss the benefits of certain visualization methods. Attendees will then get a brief introduction to R and work through accessing data from the STOICH database. Following lunch, which will be provided, attendees will be placed into groups and paired with a mentor. Mentors and mentees will work together to produce a stoichiometric figure and associated statistical analysis on data from the STOICH database. All groups will have the opportunity to share their results and contribute to a poster that will be displayed during CoBS.
This workshop is optional to CoBS attendees and will require confirmation of attendance during the registration process.
Lead: Felicia Osburn, PhD, University of Central Arkansas
Team Science: More information TBA
Social Activities and Programs
Coffee Social: Every morning, before the day’s events begin, there will be coffee and light snacks provided to CoBS attendees in the Union building.
Closing Social – Night at the Museum: Join us at UNL’s Morrill Hall for food, drinks, and celebrations as we wrap up CoBS 2023. This unique venue is located within Nebraska’s premiere natural history museum. A cash bar will be present at the venue.
Lunch: All lunches are provided to CoBS attendees. You will be given the opportunity to note your preferences and dietary restrictions during the registration process. You will also have the opportunity to opt-out of lunches, if you prefer.
Mentor-Mentee Program: During registration, you will have the option to express interest in a mentor-mentee program. We will follow up with individuals and create mentor-mentee pairs. More details TBA.
Social and Trivia Night: Whether you choose to spend Monday at the STDA Workshop, or not, we invite all CoBS attendees to join us for an evening of socializing and trivia! More information TBA.
Presenters and Workshop Leads
Bethann Garramon Merkle, MFA
DEIJ Workshop
Bethann Garramon Merkle, MFA, is an award-winning science communicator and scicomm researcher committed to institution-level social change. She leads communications and strategic planning initiatives for academic, community development, journalism, and public policy organizations. She studies, uses, and provides training on transdisciplinary approaches to enhance inclusive scicomm and inform equitable institutional change. Additionally, she teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate courses on inclusive scicomm and public engagement.
On faculty in the University of Wyoming’s Department of Zoology and Physiology, she teaches science communication courses, conducts research on the efficacy of science communication training and art-science integration, and leads social justice and assessment initiatives for the department, along with contributing to strategic initiatives across campus. She also directs and co-founded the University of Wyoming Science Communication Initiative (WySCI). Through WySCI, she leads a SciComm Certification program and coach scientists at all career levels to effectively share science and raise money to do so. She has trained over 2,000 scientists how to inclusively share their science with diverse, public audiences and raise funding to do so.
Photo credit: Casey Brucker, University of Wyoming
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