While at ASMCUE you will have plenty of opportunities to engage in formal and informal discussions with your peers all focused on the same goal: to improve teaching and learning in the biological sciences. View the Schedule at a Glance and see what we're planning. *Please note that this schedule is subject to change. 

JMBE Office Hours
Interested in getting feedback on your manuscript? Sign-up for JMBE Office Hours at ASMCUE! 

Planning Committee Chair
Jaclyn Madden, M.S., Harford Community College, Bel Air, Maryland

Planning Committee Vice-Chair
Nancy Boury, Ph.D., Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa

Abstract Review Chair
Brian Gentry, Ph.D., Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa

Microbrew Review Chair
Jordan Moberg-Parker, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles, California

Committee Member Local Liaison
John Buchner, Ph.D., The University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland

Chair, ASM Sub-Committee on Undergraduate Education
Amy Siegesmund, Ph.D., Pacific Lutheran College, Tacoma, Washington

Thursday, August 1, 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Please note: Additional fees may apply

Course-based Student Microbiome Research
Bruce Nash, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY

To meet the need for student research and introduce students to high throughput research, we have adapted microbiome research for use by students. To enable implementation in courses, we have developed streamlined biochemical and bioinformatic pipelines that make microbiome research more affordable and approachable. The session will introduce these tools and our program, which aims to develop course-based research experiences, then lead participants through our bioinformatic pipeline. Preliminary results from pilot classes, including evaluation of student learning and attitudinal changes and student results, will also be presented. There is a registration fee for this workshop.

Attendee Learning Objectives:

• Learn about tools to support microbiome research in undergraduate classes, including working through sample data using a browser-based implementation of QIIME 2.
• Introduction to tools that enable microbiome analyses in courses. 

NSF Proposal Writing and Merit Review 
V. Celeste Carter, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA 
Rupa Iyer, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA 
Pushpa Ramakrishna, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA 

This workshop will present an overview of NSF programs (e.g. Improving Undergraduate Education in STEM (IUSE), Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM), and Advanced Technological Education (ATE)) of interest to both two- and four-year institutions. The NSF Merit Review process will be presented. Participants will have an opportunity to review and rate a successful NSF proposal that will be provided ahead of the session. Two proposals will be provided, one IUSE and one ATE. There is no registration fee for this workshop.

Attendee Learning Objectives:

• Describe the NSF merit review criteria and how the criteria are used in the proposal review process.
• Gain an understanding of DUE programs of interest to both 2-yr and 4-yr institutions.
• Review and rate a successful proposal and understand proposal processing.

Characterizing Hypothetical Proteins Using a Novel Classroom Bioinformatic Project
Laura Harris, Davenport University, Lansing, MI
Kuana M. School, McLaren Greater Lansing Hospital, Lansing, MI  

Incomplete genome annotation hinders microbial research. Proteins with hypothetical annotation result from either an outdated database or insufficient experimental evidence. Knowing what a hypothetical protein is focuses research efforts. This session leads attendees through a bioinformatics project using several open-access, web-based programs to characterize hypothetical proteins that we successfully use in both individual and group assignments for all undergraduate levels including non-science majors. Results from student projects improved public database annotation and are published in international, peer-reviewed scientific journals. 
There is a registration fee for this workshop.

Attendee Learning Objectives:

• Apply a multi-step bioinformatic project characterizing hypothetical proteins based on desired teaching outcomes & level being instructed in their classroom.
• Discuss microbial hypothetical protein selection strategies.
• Use free, publicly available, computer programs to acquire protein information. 
• Use program results to predict protein homologs, physiochemical properties, cellular location, domains, secondary & tertiary structures, & ligands.

Presenting Case Studies to Build Quantitative Skills Using HHMI BioInteractive Resources
Parks Collins, Mitchell Community College, Statesville, NC

Stories are a great way to engage students. However, not all stories are equal. One of the best ways to use stories, or cases, as a pedagogical tool is to infuse them with authentic data. This enables students to practice quantitative skills in a biological context while also having the opportunity to read, argue, challenge, and struggle with a research problem. We will demonstrate how to implement effective use of HHMI BioInteractive resources for both presenting case studies and building quantitative skills. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to work through examples and explore data sets that complement stories all while learning helpful strategies for presenting these to students.
There is no registration fee for this workshop. Supported by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI).

Attendee Learning Objectives:

• Become familiar with HHMI Biointeractive’s resources.
• Learn about pairing stories with quantitative analyses by using HHMI BioInteractive resources.
• Understand the importance of using case studies in the classroom. 
• Participate in case study activities that require data manipulation.
• Develop a classroom-ready case study activity from HHMI resources that requires students to use quantitative skills.