Dear EMBRIO Members,

Today: Plan to join us for the Institute’s all-hands seminar at 3PM ET with “Development of EMBRIO as a Community of Practice” (abstract below) presented by Soumi Mukherjee and Emily Georgopoulos in the Gardner Lab at Purdue. Their research is a central component to understanding interdisciplinarity evolution, functioning, and community derived value of our Institute, as well as providing insights into evidence-based intentional improvements the Institute can incorporate.

Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/99105530025?pwd=wPuFZtASboXSfD8Y9e4vsbKpcrKl5j.1&from=addon

Abstract:

Biology Integration Institutes (BIIs) are interdisciplinary, multi-institutional communities dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research and training. Sustaining BIIs requires addressing members' diverse needs across time and space. Using the Community of Practice (CoP) change theory, we examined a BII's progression from its potential stage to stewardship stage, documenting its development through meaningful, shared, and coordinated activities. Feedback gathered from evaluation surveys and interviews informed repair mechanisms to support member growth and expertise. Insights from this study can guide other Institutes in fostering collaborative CoPs through intentional structures, activities, and evaluation strategies.

Tuesday, November 26th Thesis Defense: Mayesha Sahir Mim, Ph.D. Candidate in EMBRIO (Zartman Lab) at Notre Dame, will defend her Ph.D. dissertation on "Engineering Morphogenesis through Calcium Signaling and Cellular Mechanical Mediators." She invites all EMBRIO members to join her talk Tuesday, November 26th at 9:30AM.

Zoom link: https://notredame.zoom.us/j/9721071389

Passcode: 071389

In-person location: McCourtney Hall, B01, Notre Dame University.

Reminders:

EMBRIO investigators at Purdue – it is time to post your summer 2025 research projects with the SURF program to recruit undergraduate researchers to your lab! EMBRIO will cover the faculty portion of the stipend and housing allotment (Your College or SURF typically covers 1/3 of the cost, and your Dept the final 1/3). The SURF program provides an 11-week on campus research experience. Get your project posted by December 1st for priority consideration. Learn more about the program and submit your project today

Dec. 9th, 2024. EMBRIO All-Hands Seminar, 3PM ET, Mark Alber, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Mathematics, Director of the Interdisciplinary Center for Quantitative Modeling in Biology, UC-Riverside, seminar title TBA.

The NSF Biology Integration Institutes Grantee Annual Meeting will be held December 17-18, Denver, CO. The NSF Research Coordination Network grant team with the BII’s will be hosting this year’s meeting, with goals of community building, peer learning, and future visioning for transformative scientific impact. Please check out the event website for details on hybrid sessions, keynotes, and panels. Contact lead organizer, Dr. Gemma Jiang (gemma.jiang@colostate.edu ) for the zoom link to connect to sessions.