Representatives from the UMD Graduate School, the Biogical Sciences (BISI) Graduate Program, and the NIH-funded T32 Training Grant traveled to Tampa, FL from November 9 - 12 for the 2016 ABCRMS Meeting. 
What is ABCMS? Sponsored by NIGMS and managed by the American Society for Microbiology, ABRCMS is one of the largest professional conferences for underrepresented minority students, military veterans, and students with disabilities interested in pursuing advanced training in the STEM fields. 
Dr. Zhongchi Liu (CBMG), Dr. Michelle Brooks (BISI Grad Program), Christopher Perez (UMD Graduate School) and others connected with 125 potential students from 80 different institutions from across the United States, encouraging each to consider graduate education in the sciences. Dr. Liu and Dr. Brooks placed particular emphasis on the UMD BISI Graduate Program's MOCB Concentration Area and the Cell and Molecular Biology NIH Training Grant.

Representatives from the Biological Sciences (BISI) Graduate Program, the NIH-funded T32 Training Grant, and the MOCB Concentration Area traveled to Indianapolis from July 13 - 16 for the 2016 AHEAD Conference. 

What is AHEAD? AHEAD is an international organization for professionals who develop policy and provide services to meet the needs of college and graduate students with disabilities . Since its inception, AHEAD has delivered training to higher education personnel through workshops, publications, consultation, and conferences. Attendees of the2016 AHEAD Conference in Indianapolis represented a diverse array of professionals actively addressing disability issues on their campuses and in the field of higher education.

Julie Choi (T32-funded MOCB Graduate Student), Pravrutha Rama (MOCB Graduate Student), Dr. Charles Delwiche (Professor and Direct of BISI Graduate Program), and Josh Kiner (Administrative Coordinator, UMD Entomology) connected with a disability support professionals from other universities with the goal of encouraging undergraduate students with disabilities to considering graduate education, particularly in the University of Maryland BISI Graduate Program's MOCB Concentration Area.