Invited Talks
Jun 2018 “How We Made This Fish.” Platform presentation and panel discussion for the Precision Genome Editing Workshop, 13th International Meeting on Zebrafish Genetics and Development, Madison, Wisconsin. Invited by organizers Drs. Darius Balciunas (Temple University) and Bettina Schmid (German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich)
Feb 2015 “The Fish with the Vampire Tentacles.” Evolutionary Morphology Seminar Series, Committee on Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago. Invited by Dr. David Jablonski, Department of Geophysical Sciences.
Oct 2014 “Bud Out and Grow Back: Phylogeny, Ontogeny and Regeneration of the Teleost Barbel.” University of Chicago. A full-day visit, including talk and dinner with graduate students. Sponsored by the Committee on Development, Stem Cell and Regeneration.
Feb 2013 “Zebra Ends in Fish: My 5 Years with a (Super) Model Organism.” Biological Sciences Seminar Series, Hope College, Hammond, Michigan. Invited by Dr. Jianhua Li.
Jul 2012 “'Tis Merry in Hall, When Barbels Wag All.” Platform presentation, Glial Cell Investigator Workshop, 10th International Meeting on Zebrafish Genetics and Development, Madison, Wisconsin. Invited by organizer Bruce Appel (UC-Denver).
Mar 2010 “Buds, Stumps and Whiskers: Development and Regeneration of the Zebrafish Maxillary Barbel.” Departmental Seminar, Dept. of Biological Sciences, Purdue University-Calumet, Hammond, IN. Invited by Dr. Barbara Manelli.
Jun 2008 “Research Progress Report.” Developmental Biology Systems Group, Northwestern University Children's Memorial Research Center, Chicago, IL. Invited by the faculty of the Group.
Feb 2005 “Alphatome, Enhancing Spatial Reasoning.” NASA National Pre-Service Teacher Conference (PSTC), Washington, DC. Instructed ~30 prospective science teachers in hands-on exercises to teach three-dimensional reasoning used in anatomy and histology courses. Invited back to repeat my seminar first offered in 2004 (see below).
Feb 2004 “Alphatome, Enhancing Spatial Reasoning.” NASA National Pre-Service Teacher Conference (PSTC). Instructed ~30 prospective science teachers in hands-on exercises to teach three-dimensional reasoning used in anatomy and histology courses. Invited by NASA staff following publication of my 2003 paper in Journal of College Science Teaching.
Apr 2003 "Molecules on the verge of innate immunity: an expanded superfamily of epithelial secretions related to BPI (bactericidal/ permeability-increasing protein).” Invited by the Dept. of Immunology and Microbiology, Rush Medical College, Chicago, IL
Feb 2003 "Hunting the PLUNCs: a conserved protein family expressed in nasal, oral, and airway epithelia." Special Symposium on BPI-Like Proteins in the Oral and Respiratory Epithelia. Invited by the organizers of the National Gordon Conference on Salivary Glands & Exocrine Secretion, Ventura Beach, CA.
Jan 2003 "Four reasons to consider a new class of innate immune proteins in the oral epithelia." National Institutes of Health (NIH) Oral Immunology and Microbiology Research Group (OIMRG) Annual Meeting, Sarasota, FL. Invited by Dr. Ned Lally, University of Pennsylvania.
Mar 2001 "Morphological and molecular mechanism of cartilage segmentation and fusion." University of Chicago Evolutionary Morphology Seminar Series, Chicago, IL. Invited by Dr. David Jablonski.
Research Presentations
Jan 2014 Mock Interview Panelist at GradUCon, an all-day workshop at the University of Chicago. Invited by the Office of Graduate Student Affairs.
Apr 2013 “Succeeding in the Academic Job Search in the Sciences.” Sole speaker narrating a nationally broadcast, one-hour webinar with live streaming Q&A. Over 125 participants logged in. Invited by the Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC), a national organization promoting minority and dual-career academic recruitment and retention. (http://www.hercjobs.org/jobseeker_tools/webinars/)
May 2012 “Your First Year as A Professor.” Panelist for a discussion with current Ph.D. students and postdocs about navigating the transition to faculty life. Invited by the Univ. of Chicago's Career and Placement Services (CAPS).
Dec 2011 “How to Succeed in the Academic Job Search.” A one-hour lecture to Ph.D. students and postdoctoral associates at the University of Chicago. Invited by the Univ. of Chicago's Career and Placement Services (CAPS).
Sep 2011 “So, You Want to Teach at a Liberal Arts College?" A one-hour lecture to Ph.D. students and postdoctoral associates in molecular biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Invited by the UIC Biology Graduate Student Association (UIC-BGSA).
Jan 2011 Panelist for “The Academic Job Search” at GradUCon, a workshop for Ph.D. students and postdoctoral associates in the Division of the Biological Sciences at the University of Chicago. Invited by the Univ. of Chicago's Career and Placement Services (CAPS).
Jun 2008 Panelist for the “Careers in Science” series, a discussion with doctoral and postdoctoral students at Northwestern's Children's' Memorial Research Center (CMRC), Chicago, IL. Invited by the CMRC Pre- and Post-doctoral Trainees Organization.
Oct 2000 Panelist for "The Academic Job Search", a workshop and discussion for Ph.D. students at the University of Chicago, Division of the Biological Sciences. Invited by the Univ. of Chicago's Career and Placement Services (CAPS).
Seminars for Job-Seekers and Career-Builders
