2021 Odum Graduate Student Symposium is Feb. 5-6

Beth Gavrilles, [email protected]

Contact: Jeff Beauvais, [email protected] ; Nate Tomczyk, [email protected]

Athens, Ga. – The 27th annual Odum School of Ecology Graduate Student Symposium, showcasing the latest research from University of Georgia ecology students at all levels, will take place online from Feb. 5-6, 2021. It is free and open to all but attendees must pre-register. (Note: your registration is good for both days of GSS.)

This year’s symposium will conclude with a keynote address, “Life in Flowing Water,” by alumnus Ethell Vereen, an assistant professor of biology at Morehouse College who received his doctorate in ecology in 2010.

Organized and run by Odum graduate students, GSS 2021 reflects the depth and breadth of ecological research at UGA, with oral presentations by graduate students in ecology, conservation ecology and sustainable development, integrative conservation, and the IDEAS doctoral program, as well as undergraduate research posters.

The symposium opens at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, with opening remarks by Dean John L. Gittleman. Research talks from 10:15 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. will be followed by an undergraduate poster session from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Oral presentations continue on Saturday, Feb. 6, from 10 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. The keynote address by award-winning educator and researcher Ethell Vereen takes place at noon.

Ethell Vereen, PhD '10, in the lab.
Ethell Vereen, PhD ’10

Vereen received both a master’s degree in environmental health and a doctorate in ecology at UGA, where his research focused on investigating the presence of the pathogens Salmonella and Campylobacter in the stream network of the Satilla River Basin.

He completed postdoctoral training in the Fellowship in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award Program at Emory University, which combined mentorship in research and teaching. As part of the program, Vereen was a principal investigator on a research project, “Water Industry Contribution to Epidemiological and Health Effects Studies Involving Distribution System Water Quality,” funded by the nonprofit Water Research Foundation. He also co-taught biology courses for undergraduates at Clark Atlanta University and research methods for graduate students at Emory University.

In his current faculty position at Morehouse College, Vereen focuses on diversity and inclusion in natural resources while continuing his research in environmental health, water quality, and environmental microbiology. He was recently awarded a $300,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for his current project, “Metagenomic Approach to Assess Water Quality and Microbial Load Variability of an Urban Watershed,” increasing the research capacity at Morehouse and providing increased training opportunities for students.

Vereen is the recipient of 2019 Vulcan Teaching Excellence Award and was recently recognized as one of 1000 Inspiring Black Scientists in America. He serves on the board of directors for the Environmental Leadership Program, a non-profit organization that supports emerging leaders in environmental sustainability and social change.

Vereen’s talk will address contemporary issues and challenges of urban watersheds and life lessons he’s learned as a researcher fascinated by flowing water, rivers and streams.

The complete schedule of talks and posters is available online at gsa.ecology.uga.edu.

As in past years, GSS coincides with the annual John K. Spencer Memorial 5K Run & Walk, which will take place as a virtual race from Feb. 1-7. This event honors the memory of the late John Spencer, a graduate student in the Odum School of Ecology and River Basin Center at UGA. An extraordinary individual loved for his humor, generosity, enthusiasm and kindness, John studied urban streams and was passionate about freshwater ecology, conservation and ecological restoration. Participation is free, but donations will be accepted for the River Basin Center’s John K. Spencer research grants. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/Spencer5K2021.