This month, we're featuring members of our SABER Scholars-in-Training community who were acknowledged for their talks or posters at our annual national meeting in July.

Our third "Human of DBER" for September is Travis Ray, a PhD Student at Middle Tennessee State University and 2026 recipient of the Best Undergraduate Poster Award. 

Hello! My name is Travis Ray, and I am a first-year Ph.D. student at Middle Tennessee State University working in the Barnes Social Perceptions of Science Lab. My research focuses on how students learn and talk about vaccines, a socially controversial issue. My interest in this research is personal. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I attended a Baptist Christian private academy where discussing vaccines was prohibited. However, being around students who expressed different views than I did sparked my interest in the communication of controversial topics in science. Today, I hope to carry over that interest into a career as a biology professor who prepares his students to have difficult conversations about science.

I have been a part of the SABER community since 2025 and have attended the two most recent SABER national-level conferences. But presenting and conducting this research does not come without difficulties. What has been especially challenging to conduct education research is that while we sit at the intersection of biology, education, psychology, and communication, these fields can remain surprisingly siloed. However, some of the most exciting moments in my research have come from discovering ideas outside of biology education literature. My advice to future biology education researchers is to remain curious beyond your discipline and never be afraid to collaborate with people who approach your research in a different manner!

If you have a colleague in DBER that you'd like to nominate to be the next Human of DBER, please submit your nomination here! Nominations are welcome for members of the SABER and biology education research community, including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, staff, educators, and community partners who contribute to biology education, research, or inclusive STEM initiatives.