American Genetic Association presents the annual Stephen J. O’Brien Award

At the 2014 AGA Symposium, the Council of the American Genetic Association granted the annual Stephen J. O'Brien Awards for best student-authored articles published in Journal of Heredity’s 2013 volume.  The award honors Dr. Stephen J. O’Brien, who served as Editor-In-Chief for the Journal from 1987-2007.

An Award Committee made up of the current Editor-In-Chief, Scott Baker, an Associate Editor, Jill Pecon-Slattery, and a Council member, David Baum, evaluated 15 eligible articles.  Council voted to present this year’s award to two authors for their outstanding papers:  Dr. Sara Hanson for her article, “Inventory and Phylogenetic Analysis of Meiotic Genes in Monogonont Rotifers” (supervisor, Dr. John Logsdon), and Dr. Alexander Nater for his article “Marked Population Structure and Recent Migration in the Critically Endangered Sumatran Orangutan (Pongo abelii)” (supervisor, Dr. Michael Krützen).

The Award Committee, in presenting their recommendation to Council, had the following comments:

“The panel had a difficult time choosing a single top paper, as the strongest candidates differed markedly in subject and approaches.  One article emphasizes genomics of rotifers, and the other the conservation genetics of Sumatran orangutans.  The rotifer paper was refreshingly different from approaches taken by the other papers, examined an interesting evolutionary problem, and featured impressive methodology, including 454 sequencing of 2 genomes and rtPCR experiments for gene expression.   The orangutan paper was nicely written and included comprehensive molecular ecology data across the full range of an endangered ape. It illustrated the insights possible by the integration of genetic and behavioral data of critically endangered, long-lived species.

The award included a $1,500 prize to each author, as well as up to $1,500 reimbursement to attend the AGA Symposium, and a one-year AGA membership and subscription to Journal of Heredity.

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Issue 116_2 now Online!

This issue of Journal of Heredity spotlights the aquatic environment in all is glory, from the scale of copopod splash pools to that of entire coral reefs. 

 

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William Murphy, Journal of Heredity Editor in Chief, has been named SEC Professor of the Year!

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Recent Advances in Conservation Genetics (ConGen Global-2025)

        

This course hosted 25-30 students, especially welcoming to participants from African countries, and 15-20 faculty from around the world.  The course featured the latest methods, interpretations, and applications of genetic/genomic analyses for the conservation of endangered species, and the faculty shared their expertise in technologies, research strategies, and translation featuring population-based studies.

https://conservationgenetics.org/congen2025 

Read the final report on the conference here to see what you missed! 

 

 

Genomics of Marine Mammals IV (G4) Workshop

This two-day workshop will be part of the 25th Biennial Marine Mammal Conference in Perth this year, accommodating up to 150 experts and novices. It will focus on advancements in marine mammal genomics, highlighting novel methods and applications in evolution, conservation, and emerging diseases, and integrating genomics with traditional knowledge. 

https://www.smmconference.org/

 

Resources for Inclusive Evolution Education (RIE2)

Do you want to create interdisciplinary teaching resources for inclusive undergraduate evolution education? The Resources for Inclusive Evolution Education (#RIE2) working group is looking for participants to do just that! Apply now by filling out this google form! Deadline is 5 p.m. PT on May 28, 2024 #ScienceEducation #EvolutionEducation #TeachingEvolution

Please contact inclusive.evoedu@gmail.com with any questions, suggestions, or if you'd like to contribute further to this effort.

 

 

 

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