December 14-15, 2020
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST via Zoom
Join us for the Tiny Earth Winter Symposium! This inaugural, international event is designed to showcase student research presentations as well as engage students’ families and friends in learning more about antibiotic resistance and the science of discovery. Instructors should encourage their students to attend the conference, present their Tiny Earth research, and invite their families and friends to listen and learn.
Event Schedule
Monday, December 14
12:00 (ET)/9:00 PT | Welcome Speakers: Sarah Miller, Christopher Caldwell, Aleicia Kinney This session will welcome everyone to the symposium and provide an overview of the sessions. It will include a First Nations reading about the land on which we stand, a welcome from College of Menominee Nation Interim President, and updates from the Tiny Earth network from the Executive Director. |
12:30 ET/9:30 PT | Keynote: Tiny Earth, Big Discoveries Speaker: Jo Handelsman Tiny Earth founder Dr. Jo Handelsman will give an overview of Tiny Earth’s approach to studentsourcing antibiotic discovery from soil along with exciting new research updates from the Tiny Earth network and Chemistry Hub. |
1:30 ET/10:30 PT | Break |
2:00 ET/11:00 PT | Sponsor Presentation: Drug Development in the COVID-19 Pandemic Speaker: Greg Bleck Join Tiny Earth Ambassador and Catalent VP of Biologics Research & Development in a pithy update about STEM careers and the search for a covid vaccine. |
2:15 ET/11:15 PT | Student Research Presentations (Session I) Moderators: Eric Warrick and Josh Pultorak Learn about Tiny Earth student research findings on their path toward antibiotic discovery from bacteria in soil. Help us celebrate their accomplishments! |
3:00 ET/12:00 PT | Break |
3:15 ET/12:15 PT | Interactive Community Activity: Tiny Earth Trivia! Moderator: Lucy Fenzl Test your knowledge of trivia about Tiny Earth, antibiotic resistance and discovery, soil, the land, pandemics, Titletown, and more! |
3:45 ET/12:45 PT | Wrap-up Moderators: Sarah Miller and Brian Merkel |
Tuesday, December 15
12:00 (ET)/9:00 PT | Welcome Speakers: Heather Pelzel and Brian Merkel, Mike Alexander This session will welcome everyone back to the symposium and provide an overview of today’s sessions. It will include a poetry reading by a student scientist and feature highlights from Tiny Earth student posts during World Antibiotic Awareness Week and International Soil Day, as well as the Chancellor of UW Green Bay. |
12:30 ET/9:30 PT | Panel Discussion: Public Health Emergencies Panel Moderator: Brian Merkel Panelists: Michelle Yousefzadeh, Madhushree Ghosh, Michelle Minikel, Amelia Schurke, Kim Shefchik Call to action! Learn the differential consequences that result during public health crises. Hear from experts and medical students in health care disparities, delivery, and women’s health and how they impact prevention, preparedness, and capacity to respond. |
1:45 ET/10:45 PT | Break |
2:00 ET/11:00 PT | Student Research Presentations (Session II) Moderators: Eric Warrick and Josh Pultorak Learn about Tiny Earth student research findings on their path toward antibiotic discovery from bacteria in soil. Help us celebrate their accomplishments! |
2:45 ET/11:45 PT | Break |
3:00 ET/12:00 PT | Keynote: Disparities in STEM Education: My Micro Story Speaker: Beronda Montgomery Join Professor Montgomery in a journey about the intersectionality of microbiology, leadership, and disparities in STEM education. |
4:00 ET/1:00 PT | Wrap-up Moderators: Sarah Miller and Brian Merkel |
4:15 ET/1:15 PT | TEPI Workshop: Pivot to Online for Spring 2020 Moderators: Enid González-Orta and the Pivot Curriculum Crew TEPI session on the online pivot curriculum for those teaching in spring |
Register by December 11. TEPIs $20; students and community are free.


Eastern Michigan University


University of Wisconsin-Green Bay


Mount Sinai Medical Center, FL


Clinica Hispana Bellin


NeoGenomics Laboratories


Green Bay, WI


Tiny Earth


Catalent


Sacramento State University


University of Wisconsin–Madison


College of Menominee Nation


Michigan State University


Medical College of Wisconsin, Green Bay


College of Menominee Nation