BGSA Bi-Weekly Newsletter | September 3rd, 2024

Artwork by Kate Sheridan

Hi BGSA!

Let us introduce ourselves - we are your BGSA execs team for the year! Abbie Jones and Nada El Baba will be your co-presidents, Fiona Madsen will be your vice-president, Olivia Rahn will be your secretary while Alex Berger will remain on as your treasurer. For social events, Jake Harvey will be your Social rep. Please feel free to come up to any of us if you have anything to bring up! See attached a list of our filled positions for 2024-2025. Interested in getting involved? Check out the current gaps in positions!

We hope your semester is starting out nicely. Here’s the info to keep on your radar for the next few weeks:

Abbie Jones

they/she/elle

PhD. Candidate | BGSA Co-President

Quantitative Biodiversity Lab

McGill University | Faculty of Science | Department of Biology

abbie.jones@mail.mcgill.ca

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Fall Orientation Event & Social  

Please come to welcome our new students and join us this next Monday September 9th at 4:15PM in the Stewart Courtyard (if the weather allows - otherwise room TBD) for our annual Orientation event! We are serving coffee and cookies for all - BRING YOUR OWN MUGS!

Afterwards, please join us for the first social of the year at 6PM in Thomson House. We have reserved the blue room (back left of the main floor) - come chat, meet the newbies, and see your friends freshly back from fieldwork!

Let’s start the year on a great note and give our new students a warm welcome.

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BGSA Retreat!!

                Mark your calendars: This year’s BGSA retreat will happen on the last weekend of classes - November 29th to December 1rst! As per usual, this event will run over the weekend, and will include transportation, meals and accommodations. 

                Please watch out for later announcements for cost & sign-up! Spots will be limited!

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Events & Seminars

Bi-Weekly BGSA 5 à 7

Wednesday, Sept 4 at Thomson House, starting at 5pm will be our first 5 à 7 of this semester. Come to Thomson House after work and have a drink with your fellow biologists!Just like last semester, these will run every other Wednesday (same time) at Thomson House. The BGSA doesn't have the budget to pay for drinks. We only supply the company.

Watch out later for info about our weekly Coffee Hours as well!

PGSS Thomson House Warming Party

Friday, September 13 at 10PM

Join us at Thomson House to celebrate the start of the 2024-2025 school year with PGSS’ annual housewarming party! There will be DJs, dancing, and drink specials. No registration is required. PGSS members can bring up to 2 guests.

Alma Howard Lecture in Molecular Biology 2024

September 6th at 3PM

McIntyre Medical Sciences Building Room 504 

Current research of the Jacobs-Wagner lab examines the general principles and spatiotemporal mechanisms by which bacterial cells replicate, using Caulobacter crescentus and Escherichia coli as models.

Come see Dr. Christine Jacobs-Wagner speak on “Cracking Old Mysteries of Cellular Replication”!

AGSEM New Year, New Contract Rally

September 4th at 12PM

McTavish and Sherbrooke                The Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) is having their back to school rally on Wednesday, September 4th at 12pm at McTavish and Sherbrooke! Come join us in grabbing a BBQ lunch and learning more about recent updates! 

CEEB Seminar Series

                This year’s CEEB seminar series will start on September 26th at 4PM (this year, they will be run on Thursdays at 4PM) with a talk from Dr. Chris Cameron, invited by the Larsson lab. Please join us! Watch out for later announcements with talk title info.

EEL Talks

                This year’s EEL talks will be run on Fridays at noon - sign-ups are still available here, with slots still available for the 20th and 27th of September! This is a great opportunity to present your work to an informal audience. Room N7/1.

WIPS Talk Series

                Info TBD

Molecular Seminar Series

This year’s molecular seminar series will run on Mondays at noon in Stewart N5/2, starting on September 30th with Dr. Jesse Shapiro, invited by the Kassen lab.

QLS Seminar Series

                This year’s QLS seminar series will start on September 10th at noon (this year, they will run on Tuesdays from 12-1PM) at 550 Sherbrooke, Room 189.

                Please find this year’s schedule and speakers list here!

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Announcements & Other Opportunities

2024 QCBS Biodiversity Science Intensive Course

Still need to fill out course credits? Get the chance to do so while staying at Gault Nature Reserve for two weeks with some of the world’s most renowned biodiversity experts at this year’s QCBS Biodiverisity Science Intensive Course, running from November 11th to the 22nd. 

Speaking from experience, this course is an amazing opportunity to meet other interested students from universities all across Quebec and to hear daily seminars about the cutting edge of Biodiversity science. Students of QCBS member profs get a heavily subsidized rate - cost could be as low as 250$, all transport, food and lodging included.

Applications are now open until the 22nd of September.

More info here: https://qcbs.ca/2024-biodiversity-science-intensive-course/ 

McGill Biodiversity Festival

September 25th at 11AM in Burnside Hall

Present your research on biodiversity at the 2024 McGill Biodiversity Festival. This event will provide a unique platform for students to showcase their work to a diverse audience of peers, faculty members, and the broader McGill community.

1. Time Management: Each presentation is strictly limited to 4 minutes.

2. Audience: The audience will include students, faculty, and members of the McGill community with varying levels of expertise in biodiversity.

3. Presentation Format: We encourage the use of visual aids, such as slides, to enhance your presentation.

4. Q&A Session: There will be a brief Q&A session after all presentations.

To confirm your participation, please complete the following form by Sept. 15th : https://forms.office.com/r/TbJ3jb26QD

Plus, the 2024 McGill Biodiversity Photo Contest is here! Submit your best fauna, flora, landscape photos by September 12th for a chance to win. For more info, see here. 

McGill Sustainability Systems Initiatives Scholars Program

Working towards a sustainable future requires strong leadership. Many skills that will prepare students for post-graduate sustainability careers in or beyond academia aren’t offered through traditional graduate research programs.

The MSSI Scholars program provides workshops to students in areas of policy, communications, research equity, and entrepreneurship. Workshops are delivered in collaboration with units that are internal and external to McGill. For more info on the workshops that will be offered, see here. 

                All interested students and postdocs will have to apply here. The application deadline is September 30th, 2024. 

Scientista Mentorship Opportunity

Scientista's Mentorship Program will match undergraduate mentees with senior or graduate student mentors in their field of study so they can receive career advice and mentorship! This allows mentees to learn about various strategies and opportunities to help them achieve their academic and career goals, and provide mentors with the chance to improve their mentorship and leadership skills. This program is particularly intended for female, transgender, and non-binary students in an effort to promote Scientista's mission to inspire and empower underrepresented genders in STEM. 

Interested in participating? Complete our MENTEE or MENTOR Application before September 14, 2024 at 11:59PM 

For questions or concerns, please contact us at scientista.mcgill@gmail.com or contact Meghana Munipalle at meghana.munipalle@mail.mcgill.ca

Research Studies Participant Recruitment

Want to Get Paid for Eating?

This fall 2024, affiliates at McGill Macdonald campus are invited to join the DISH study to help determine current dietary patterns on campus. Participants will receive weekly monetary compensation to order meals in the Ceilidh and/or Twigs cafeterias and complete questionnaires (less than 5 minutes each).

Interested? Fill out the form by scanning the QR code on the attached poster or go here.

adMaer Bioinnovations Scientists Program

The adMare Academy is opening applications for the next cohorts of our BioInnovation Scientists Programs. These programs are intended to provide early career professionals with the knowledge they need to get a head start and succeed in their life sciences careers.

See here and the attached poster for more information.

92nd Acfas Congress / 92e Congrès de l’Acfas

                C’est avec enthousiasme que nous invitons les membres de votre communauté étudiante à soumettre une proposition de communication libre au 92e Congrès de l’Acfas, organisé par l’École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), en collaboration avec l’Université Concordia. Plus grand rassemblement multidisciplinaire de la francophonie, le congrès de l’Acfas est la plateforme par excellence pour diffuser ses résultats de recherche et faire ses premières armes en communication scientifique.

Placé sous la thématique La recherche au cœur des solutions technologiques et sociales, le 92e Congrès de l’Acfas se tiendra du 5 au 9 mai 2025, à Montréal et en ligne. Depuis 2023, le congrès propose une formule hybride pour favoriser la participation de la communauté scientifique à travers la francophonie et assurer un rayonnement élargi des recherches francophones

Pour plus d'informations et pour s’inscrire, cliquez ici!