American Society for Microbiology announces plenary speakers for ASMCUE 2010

The 17th American Society for Microbiology Conference for Undergraduate Educators (ASMCUE) will be held May 20-23, 2010, at the Town & Country Resort and Convention Center in San Diego, Calif. This interactive, four-day conference features outstanding plenary speakers and concurrent sessions where attendees learn and share the latest information in microbiology and biology education research. The 2010 conference theme — One Health, One Earth: A Sustainable Future — celebrates the national One Health Initiative, an effort by ASM and other organizations to emphasize the interrelationship between human, animal, and environmental health.

ASMCUE 2010 Plenary Sessions

Thursday, May 20, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. - Stanley Maloy, Ph.D.,is dean of sciences and a professor of biology at San Diego State University. Research in the Maloy lab focuses on bacterial physiology, genetics, genomics, and pathogenesis. In support of the 2010 ASMCUE theme, Maloy, a past president of the American Society for Microbiology, will present the talk "(Microbial) Chicken Soup for the Planet."

Saturday, May 22, 8:00 - 9:15 a.m. - Forest Rohwer, Ph.D., is a coral reef ecologist and an assistant professor at San Diego State University. He uses metagenomics, field surveys, and mathematical modeling to study viruses and the role of microbes in coral reef degradation. Rowher will present the talk "Microbes and the Future of Coral Reefs."

Saturday, May 22, 2:30 - 3:15 p.m. - Margaret McFall-Ngai, Ph.D.,,is a medical microbiology and immunology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Research in her lab focuses on host responses to interactions with beneficial microbes. McFall-Ngai will present the talk "Facing Forward in Biology: Microbiology as an Organizing Principle."

Saturday, May 22, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Amy Cheng Vollmer, Ph.D., is a biology professor at Swarthmore College and recipient of the 2006 Carski Foundation Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching Award, which honors educators for outstanding teaching of microbiology to undergraduate students. Vollmer will present "It's Not What We Say..." (an updated version of her Carski Award lecture) and her thoughts on advising, mentoring, and networking.

Sunday, May 23, 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. - Charles Gerba, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Arizona. He has spent more than 30 years teaching in the fields of virology, epidemiology, environmental health, microbiology, and immunology. In his talk "Reinventing Hygiene for the 21st Century," Gerba will discuss the role that fomites (inanimate objects) play in the transmission of common diseases, such as respiratory and enteric infections.

In addition to the noted plenary speakers and session topics, conference attendees can engage in formal and informal small-group discussions and browse the poster and exhibit sessions — all at the Town & Country Resort and Convention Center located in Mission Valley, Calif, just a trolley ride away from downtown San Diego.

Provided by American Society for Microbiology