The ASM Student Chapter at the University of Iowa is a trainee-led organization that aims to connect Microbiology and Immunology undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees through professional and social activities.
ASM Student Chapter Board 2022-2024
President: Marla Shaffer - Microbiology Graduate Student
Vice President: Natalie Jarvis - Microbiology Graduate Program
Secretary: Riley McFarlane - Microbiology Graduate Program
Treasurer: Swetha Ashokkumar - Microbiology Graduate Program
Microbiology Undergraduate Student Association (MUSA) Representative: Kailey Hogaboom and Grace Gutzman
Faculty Advisor: Mary Weber, PhD
Meetings, Seminars, and Conferences
Undergraduate and graduate students have their own separate monthly meetings. The goals of these meetings are to discuss career development topics relevant to each trainee level. Additionally, all trainees gather twice a semester for joint meetings that either discuss professional topics relevant to everyone or social activities that support community building between postdoctoral, graduate and undergraduate trainees.
Our ASM Student Chapter also hosts faculty and student seminars each semester that are available to all trainees and encourage a low-pressure environment for trainees to engage with on-campus research.
Events in 2023:
- March 7 - Pulvermacher Seminar – Dr. Stacey Schultz-Cherry, St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital
- April 7th - Clay Microbes Craft event
- April 18 - ASM Webinar watch party on careers in the microbiology industry
- April 26 - Cookie Drive
- May 19 - M&I Departmental Retreat with talks from graduate students, postdocs, and faculty
- June 1- Clay Microbes Craft event
- November 14 - ASM Chapter Invited Speaker Seminar – Dr. Becky Lamason, MIT
Events in 2024:
- April 26 - Cookie Drive
- July 23 & Aug 20 - Career Pathways in Microbiology webinar
Sept. 6 and Oct. 3 - Graduate Student Coffee Hour
- Sept. 18 - Fellowship Info Session - This workshop will primarily focus on the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and include a brief overview of other fellowships, such as the NIH F31.
