2013 ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators: Early-Bird Registration Deadline

March 15 is the deadline to take advantage of the early-bird registration discount for the 2013 ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators. Registration rates and information: http://www.asmcue.org/index.php/registration. 

2013 Education Planning Calendar

The 2013 Education Planning Calendar is now available. The calendar features deadlines, descriptions, and other information about ASM faculty and student programs, all designed to help members enhance the knowledge and skills that lead to successful careers in the microbiological sciences. Take a look and mark pertinent deadlines on your calendar so that you or your students can take advantage of ASM many skills-sharpening opportunities.

December Issue of Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education Now Available

The December 2012 issue of the Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education (JMBE) is now available! Access to JMBE is free and no log in is required. Be sure to read this issue's Editorial, "Advancing the Vision: New PubMed Indexing, Creative Commons Licensing, and December Highlights," which details ASM's commitment to biology education reform as detailed in AAAS's Vision & Change report and exciting new initiatives for the Journal.  Review all articles in the Table of Contents for Volume 13, Issue 2 here: http://bit.ly/eTOCV13I2WN

Becoming Involved in LINK

Why Be a LINK Mentor?

LINK mentors are NSF-funded or -eligible investigators who make a commitment to mentor ABRCMS or ASMCUE students, postbacs, postdocs, or undergraduate educators. At both conferences, investigators will find all of the opportunities they expect from a disciplinary meeting (networking, presenting work, learning about others’ work, further establishing leadership the field, etc.) along with access to a vast education and outreach network and additional benefits particular to each event.

Specifically, mentors who work with ABRCMS students, postbaccalaureates, and postdoctoral fellows may:

• Network with and introduce their work to a new audience
• Identify high-achieving student, postbac or postdoc mentees and potential collaborators
• Learn best practices for connecting and collaborating with students, postbacs and postdocs
• Learn strategies for enhancing research by addressing challenges at the student or postdoc level
• Hone teaching and networking skills with future faculty and researchers
• Enhance CVs and funding proposals with demonstrated capacity for mentoring and outreach
• Gain new views on the impact of their research from students and postdocs
• Identify new interdisciplinary opportunities in the student, postdoc, or young investigator sectors
• Learn tips for meeting NSF’s broader impacts funding requirements with strategic and effective mentoring of and outreach to beginning scientists

By attending ABRCMS, mentors will be exposed to the best and brightest undergraduate and graduate STEM students, and investigators and/or educators underrepresented in STEM or working with underrepresented students. About 90% of ABRCMS seniors and graduate students have conducted undergraduate STEM research.

Mentors who participate in ASMCUE or participate and work with ABRCMS educators and faculty may:

• Network with and introduce their work to a new audience
• Work with “first-line” faculty and/or educators who influence students exploring science careers
• Identify high-caliber early-career faculty mentees and potential collaborators
• Learn best practices for connecting and collaborating with faculty and/or educators in undergraduate programs
• Enhance CVs and funding proposals with demonstrated capacity for early-career faculty mentoring and outreach
• Gain new views on the impact of their research from early-career scientists
• Identify new interdisciplinary opportunities in the faculty and/or educator sector
• Learn tips for meeting NSF broader impacts funding requirements with effective mentoring of and outreach to early-career faculty

By attending ASMCUE or ABRCMS, mentors have opportunities to share their expertise, explore opportunities for research collaborations, advise about curriculum changes, learn and practice new pedagogies, and mentor colleagues and future faculty (graduate students and postdoctoral fellows).

Why Be a LINK Mentee?

LINK mentees are:

• STEM educators responsible for the development of trainees
• Early-career scientists who are within 3 years of securing their first position and are not recipients of NSF support
• Postbaccalaureate or postdoctoral fellows
• Graduate and undergraduate students

By focusing on these groups, the LINK program aims to address a gap that exists between scientists and students in the highly competitive nature of research today.

Mentees who participate in the program may:

• Expand their professional network
• Learn from informal, honest feedback and advice
• Gain insider knowledge of the “dos” and “don’ts” of the workplace
• Access a personal support network during critical career stages
• Grow in professional confidence and effectiveness
• Learn strategies for balancing personal and professional responsibilities
• Have increased awareness about events, people and opportunities in the field

For more information, contact education@asmusa.org.