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The Wind River Conference on Procaryotic Biology
Each year during the first part of June, some 80 to 100 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and scientists from around the world make their way up into the Rocky Mountains just outside of Estes Park, Colo., to attend the Wind River Conference on Procaryotic Biology. Here of late their destination has been the Aspen Lodge which sits at a breathtaking (literally) 9,000 feet above sea level, where each morning attendees are greeted with a majestic view of the fourth-highest peak of the northern Front Range of the Colorado Rockies. For five days, conference attendees enjoy keynote addresses by several distinguished scientists conducting cutting-edge research, oral and poster presentations by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, and lots of time for small and large group discussions as well as free afternoons to explore the majestic surroundings provided by the Rocky Mountains.
The conference, I believe, represents a unique environment that has prided itself on maintaining a high quality of science presented and discussed in an informal and friendly atmosphere. In addition, its focus has always been the nurturing of new and upcoming scientists in the form of graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and some very bright and creative undergraduates. Indeed, while the keynote presentations mark the highlights of the conference, the major focus is on graduate student presentations. To assist in this focus, each invited keynote is asked not only to attend the entire conference but also to actively engage these students at every opportunity in discussions about their research. For many graduate students, the conference not only represents a place where they can present their work (regardless of how preliminary the data might be) to an international audience for the first time, but it also provides an opportunity for them to receive valuable insights and new ideas and approaches regarding their research endeavors from some of the world's leading scientists. The experience has proven invaluable in its contribution to many graduate students who now attend the conference as industrial scientists and academic professors. To further support the conference's emphasis on graduate students, travel support has always been provided for most if not all students who attend and present at the conference. For this, the conference is deeply grateful primarily to the National Science Foundation and Genencor International for their continuous support that has allowed some 20-30 students to attend the meeting each year for the past 10 years.
Last year's attendees to the 44th meeting of the conference were privileged to hear very informative and entertaining keynote addresses by Ryland Young, John Costerton, and Tony Romeo, who spoke on such diverse subjects as the critical parameters that surround phage lysis, the dynamics of biofilm formation, and global generegulation by a small RNA molecule. In addition, ASM President Abigail Salyers presented her work on the ecology of antibiotic resistance.
In 1999, graduate students accounted for more than 60% of the 44 oral and 15 poster presentations given. The caliber of these presentations was exceptional, with many being made by first timers to the conference. To add further emphasis to the graduate student focus of the conference, several students who attended this year's meeting were asked to comment on their past and present experiences with the conference. These comments can be found on the conference's website (see below) and in the online version of this letter.
Comments from Graduate Students Who Attended the 2000 Wind River Conference:
"As a student I've had the opportunity to attend numerous regional, national, and international meetings, and I have yet to find another meeting with an atmosphere more conducive to student learning and interaction than the Wind River Conference…In the past there have also been very enlightening seminars which discussed the pros and cons of working in commercial research organizations and the art of writing grants, both pertinent questions with which students are confronted. One of the major benefits of the Wind River Conference is that everyone is housed at the Aspen Lodge, thus it is easy for you to introduce yourself to a speaker and discuss any questions you might have in an informal, one-on-one atmosphere. The meetings are also organized with seminar sessions in the morning and keynote speakers in the evening, thus allowing the attendees to have their afternoons free for numerous outdoor activities, including hiking, fishing, boating, and horseback riding in the Rocky Mountain National Park…With the relaxed surroundings and interaction-biased atmosphere this meeting is very student-oriented and allows you to build professional and personal relationships that will last your entire career." —Jon S. Blevins, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.
"The Wind River Conference on Procaryotic Biology caters to graduate students by putting the majority of the conference's focus on their work. The students may give a talk or poster about their research and the professors/scientists that attend are very helpful at offering ideas or asking questions about the student's work."
—Laura Clements, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Ky.
"At the end of just my first year in graduate school, with only six months of that time devoted to my research, I felt that my attending a conference to present was a bit premature. Couple my fear of being woefully unprepared with normal apprehensions about being in the company of people who knew infinitely more than I did, I was more than a little intimidated about attending the Conference event. Despite everyone's efforts to convey to me how comfortable this gathering was, it wasn't until I arrived that I began to understand for myself. There was a sense of familiarity in this new place and these new faces…The informal environment provided students a friendly forum to gain the experience of public presenting. Everyone seemed to benefit from the insights and expertise of other researchers in this field. The comfortable atmosphere promoted not only the interaction between students and professors, but also the exchange of ideas and the cultivation of collaboration. Having the opportunity to meet and interact with such a variety of scientists introduce me to both new perspective in procaryotic research and the energy that accompanies it." —Raquel Brown, Department of Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow.
"This conference allowed students to meet and interact with professors and students studying a wide range of procaryotic organisms. There were numerous opportunities to share and discuss opinions on our research activities. The open and informal nature of the Wind River Conference afforded the students the opportunity to take full advantage of these interactions"…"The professors and researchers attending the conference were very open to discussion with the students. Not only were they approachable during the social events of the conference, but often they would approach the students to inquire about their research or university. The many occasions that I had to speak with professors about my research, as well as their own, provided me not only with an appreciation of their research, but a more positive outlook on my own as well"…"The chance to meet with a number of people who were not only conducting interesting research, but were also enthusiastic and excited about it as well, made a very positive and powerful impression upon me." —Brian A. Firek, Department of Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow.
"I have to admit my experience with conferences is somewhat limited. I suspect however, that the Wind River Conference is quite unusual. To begin with, it is a far less intimidating environment than the more mainstream conferences I have attended. Wind River creates a milieu that encourages new graduate students to talk about their research in the same forum as people who have spent a lifetime in the field. Graduate students are also invited to be moderators at Wind River, and this is an experience that graduate students usually don't have. This relaxed atmosphere encourages students and professionals alike to talk about what they are interested in, and to talk to many other people who share some of those interests and are supportive of young scientists as well as new ideas. Every time the conference has finished I leave with a renewed confidence in my research and with a wealth of new ideas and directions to go…As well, the conference has been very tolerant of novel ideas, that probably wouldn't be presented at a more formal meeting because they are so new, yet still need to be debated and researched in order to push the science forward…Finally, for graduate students, the opportunity to meet with people who are experts in your field of study (that you might other wise know only from papers or quick emails) and talk with them for an hour or two over coffee is of great benefit." —Christian Ross, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Texas at Dallas.
"The quality of research being performed by the attendees of the conference was evident in both the oral and the poster presentations. I was impressed with the content of the presentations as well as the manner in which the work was presented. It was clear that the informal atmosphere of the conference did not compromise the scientific basis of the meeting. In fact, I believe that it was this friendly informal atmosphere that enhanced the interaction and exchange of ideas among the attendees of the meeting. To graduate students who may have relatively few opportunities discussing/presenting their work with other researchers in the field, this can make a big difference in how they view the experience"…"The combination of incredible accommodations at the Aspen Lodge and a well-organized Conference made a first-class impression!" —Amy Trott, Department of Biology, Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg.
The Wind River Conference on Procaryotic Biology will meet once again in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado on 6-10 June 2001 under the direction of Dr. Ken Bayles from the University of Idaho. I can say with a great deal of confidence that not only will attendees be overwhelmingly satisfied with the science and congenial atmosphere that the conference provides, but those in attendance for the first time will undoubtedly want to come back again and again like so many others who attend this conference year after year and consider it a home away from home.
45th Wind River Conference on Procaryotic Biology
For more information regarding the upcoming meeting of the 45th Wind River Conference on Procaryotic Biology contact Dr. Ken Bayles, Department of Microbiology, Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry, University of Idaho at 208-885-7164 or by e-mail at kbayles@uidaho.edu . Information regarding the conference can be found by visiting the conference's website.
Mark E. Hart
Program Director
Wind River Conference on Procaryotic Biology 2000
Email: webmaster@asmusa.org