Galloway, N.J. — This spring, three Biology majors presented their research and met with fellow students and scientists from around the world at The Allied Genetics Conference in Washington, D.C. This unique opportunity allowed Yasmin Mourad, Jayne Seitz and Johanna Maioriello to share their research while also gaining knowledge and even friendships. 

"Opportunities such as this one allow students to communicate with professional scientists from all around the world. More importantly, the students see where they fit into the bigger picture of the scientific community,” said Michael Law, associate professor of Biology at Stockton, who also attended the conference. 

Mourad said it was extremely refreshing to be surrounded by people who were as excited about science as her lab is. "My time at the conference was humbling in the best way, as I was able to see just how much is going on in the yeast community and beyond," she reflected. "I came back from the conference motivated and inspired to learn and continue my experiments with the utmost attention."

Mourad presented, “Flipping the script: How meiotic transcription controls the Set1 histone methyltransferase.”

Maioriello, who graduated in 2023 with a degree in Biology and minors in Chemistry and Spanish, has worked in Law's lab since 2021 and presented at two NAMS symposiums. She noted that participating in this large-scale conference experience made a lasting impression on her. "The people that came to see our posters ranged from fellow undergrads in the U.S. to professors from other countries, and I thought it was amazing that everyone was able to come together to talk about science."

Maioriello's poster was titled, “ChIP'ing Away at Set1 COMPASS Regulation in Meiosis."

Seitz echoed similar sentiments, sharing, "The network of people I met at the conference made a lasting impact on me. It was apparent how passionate they were about not only their own research but also helping with the research of other labs. It was incredible to hear so many people offering to help other researchers and students throughout the conference. I was impressed by the community and proud to become part of that."

Her poster presentation was "Checking set1 progression to ensure meiotic progression."

Law also commented that this networking that the students share between conference attendees transcends just professional experience. "During these interactions, they form friendships and bond over shared life experiences while learning about future careers they did not even know existed."

Reported by Mandee McCullough

Photos submitted