Meeting: 59th Annual Maize Genetics Conference St. Louis, Missouri March 9-12, 2017

Ohio State University, The, Columbus OH

Investigators

Abstract

The 59th Annual Maize Genetics Conference will be held March 9-12, 2017, at Union Station in St. Louis, Missouri. The meeting offers members of the scientific community the opportunity to present and discuss their most recent research relevant to maize genetics and plant biology. This conference grant will broaden the scope of the meeting by funding participants from under-represented groups to attend. These participants will also receive professional development training through presenting their research and interacting with invited speakers and scientist-mentors during the conference. The experience of attending a Maize Genetics Conference, the exposure to cutting-edge research, the scientific interactions, and the contacts established are vital catalysts for the careers of aspiring students and postdocs. The 59th Annual meeting will feature talks by four invited plenary speakers: Rebecca Nelson (Cornell University), Nathan Springer (University of Minnesota), Philip Becraft (Iowa State University) and Jane Glazebrook (University of Minnesota). There will also be a plenary session to award the 4rd Barbara McClintock Prize for Plant Genetics and Genome Studies to recognize one of the most outstanding plant geneticists of the present era. The program will include approximately 35 18-minute talks by speakers selected from submitted abstracts, and two poster sessions. The Maize Genetics Conference provides outstanding opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral scientists to meet and interact with an international gathering of scientists in the field, to discuss their research while presenting talks or posters, and to establish scientific networks that will be valuable as they embark on their careers. Funding from NSF will be used to broaden participation at the meeting through outreach and recruiting efforts that seek to support Conference attendance by students, postdocs and young faculty from under-represented groups with an interest in exploring research possibilities in maize genetics. Partnering these awardees with experienced maize researchers at similar career stages will facilitate their productive participation in the Conference. In addition, students who are minorities or first time attendees will be supported by defraying the cost of food and lodging at the Conference. The Maize Genetics Conference is unique compared to other meetings and is held up as a model for its efforts to support attendance of all graduate student attendees