Developmental Biology New York (DBNY) Conference

Project Abstract/Summary Undergraduate research is a key component of experiential STEM education. The most substantial research experiences culminate in communication of results to the larger scientific and public communities. The timing and intimidating scale of large scientific conferences, however, often hinder full undergraduate participation. Our DBNY conference enables undergraduates to present their work in a welcoming inclusive setting, while maintaining the resources for networking, mentorship, and career development found at larger conferences. Numerous colleges in our region are committed to undergraduate research, and often integrate research as a required component of their STEM curricula. Several conferences during Spring semester are appropriate for undergraduates to fully participate, including the regional zebrafish and C. elegans community meetings. Despite research being a year-round activity, to our knowledge, there are no undergraduate-friendly conferences in our region during the Fall semester. The first DBNY conference in 2019 and had more than 100 attendees from 20 institutions with subsequent conferences (either virtual, hybrid, or in-person) having similar attendances. Our focus on Developmental Biology (broadly defined as “the biology of change”) allowed us to attract a diverse pool of participants, while keeping the conference thematically focused and at a size to maximize undergraduate participation. DBNY also offers several features designed to enhance the training of future scientists. First, DBNY is cost-free, eliminating one of the key barriers that prevent students from attending conferences. Second, DBNY has a strong focus on career preparation in STEM. Accordingly, one of the best-reviewed aspects of our past conferences was our career panel, in which recent graduates from our region, the keynote speakers, and others invited to ensure a diverse range of career paths, discussed the trajectories of their individual careers. Lunchtime mentoring opportunities are also provided in small groups. Topics are chosen based on the interests and needs of the participants. Third, DBNY has a strong focus on accessible networking opportunities. Our keynote speaker is often a current graduate student, which allows undergraduate students a role model for their near future. The talk judges are drawn from faculty with strong interests and experiences in undergraduate education and poster judges are current local graduate students. Finally, one of our guiding principles in creating this conference is to enhance diversity and inclusion in STEM education; accordingly, our keynote speaker and most of our career panel in the 2019-2023 conferences were from underrepresented groups in STEM, and we will continue this practice in future conferences.