Photo & Memory Contest

The Development & Growth Committee is collecting photos and memories of SABER experiences to share on our website as part of the website redesign effort. Help us communicate stories about this amazing community to our current and prospective members!

Theme: Memories that Inspire

Deadline to submit: February 15, 2024

Finalists will be chosen by the Development & Growth Committee. SABER members will vote for the winner. The winner will receive a SABER-branded item (TBD). 

Go to the SABER website to view rules and guidelines and to submit a photo. You must log into your account to view the contest and make a submission. 

2024 Annual Meeting 

Call for Abstracts

Please see the SABER website for the official call and rubrics

Abstract Training: 

Based on the feedback from the SABER community, the abstract committee would like to be accessible by using a multi-pronged approach to abstract training:

  • Live (& recorded) Zoom, training session: First, we will be holding a 1-hour training session via Zoom on Tuesday, January 30 at 1 pm EST, 12 pm (noon) CST, 11 am MST, 10 am  PST (link). This session will go over how to write an abstract for a short talk and will be recorded.

  • Office hours/drop-in session: Also, we will be holding a 1-hour office hour via Zoom on Tuesday, February 20 at 2 pm EST, 1 pm CST, 12 pm (noon) MST, 11 am PST (link). The goal of this session is for members of the abstract committee to be available to answer questions about abstract writing and submission.

  • Slack channel: Finally, we will be available between February 19 and 23 to answer any of your last-minute abstract submission questions. More info to follow.

Abstract Reviewers Needed!

Please sign up to be an abstract reviewer! Creating the best meeting program possible requires that we have an active community willing to donate their time to this effort.

      We would like anyone who is submitting an abstract to sign up as a reviewer (or those who are advisors of individuals submitting abstracts). We also very much welcome those not submitting an abstract to review. Please complete the sign-up form for reviewers by January 31st (Link: Reviewer Signup Form). 

      For anyone new or wanting additional reviewer support, we also offer reviewer training!  The session is typically in early March, details to follow. 

      Check the SABER website for more annual meeting updates and announcements. 

      Upcoming Event: Listening Session 

      Conducting Our Work in Challenging Times

      Thursday, February 29, 2024

      10:30 am PST / 11:30 am MST / 12:30 pm CST / 1:30 pm EST

      Many SABER members work in states that have recently passed legislative restrictions on DEI offices and social justice efforts. How does this impact the work we do as Biology Education researchers and educators? How can we support each other as we navigate these new realities? Share your perspectives and needs, or just learn more about the impacts on our disciplinary colleagues.  


      This event is free for SABER members. Registration is required.

      Regional Meetings

      SABER East
      Rochester, NY
      May 29-31, 2024

      We are accepting abstract submissions through February 2 for all session types. Please submit your abstracts via the following link: SABER East Abstract Submission. If you have any questions please email saber.east@gmail.com. 

      Conference registration will open on March 1. See the SABER East Website for more information, including session descriptions. 

      Look for summaries of SABER West and Midwest in the next newsletter.

      PEER Spotlight

      The SABER PEER Advocacy subgroup is focused on advocating for anyone who identifies as a PEER (Persons Excluded due to their Ethnicity or Race). The subgroup posts quarterly Spotlights on the SABER website to highlight the accomplishments and visions of PEER members within the SABER community. 

      Our winter PEER Spotlight is our immediate past president of SABER, Marcos Garcia-Ojeda. Marcos is a Teaching Professor at University of California, Merced. He’s a founding faculty at UC Merced and since 2022, he's been UC Merced’s Associate Dean of Equity, Justice and Inclusive Excellence. 

      Recently, Marcos Garcia-Ojeda, took some time to have a conversation about his training trajectory in Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER). Marcos had many interesting insights to share about his motivations in AIDS/HIV research, his path to education research, and strategies on identifying mentors. 

      PEER Spotlights with a link to the full interview will be found on the SABER home page soon! 
       

      Committee News

      Website Redesign Underway

      The Website Committee is working with a web designer to give our online home a fresh and dynamic makeover. The goal is to create a visually appealing and user-friendly space that not only enhances your member experience but also serves as a powerful tool to communicate our mission and goals. 

      We anticipate the new website to go live before registration for the annual meeting opens in April. Stay tuned for more and don't forget to submit a photo to the Photo Contest!

      New Committees

      Data Analysis & Stewardship Committee (DASC) 

      The Data Analysis and Stewardship Committee facilitates and conducts research and assessment in support of SABER’s mission, goals, and Strategic Plan, and acts as the steward of SABER data and information. The Committee facilitates and sustains ongoing assessment of organizational data and serves as the liaison between SABER members requesting organizational data and the Executive Committee. The leadership team is: 

      • Elli Theobald- chair
      • Rob Erdmann- chair-elect
      • Natalia Caporale- Data Analysis subcommittee chair
      • Brock Couch- Data Wrangling subcommittee chair
      • Dan Grunspan- Strategic Questioning subcommittee chair

      Persons Excluded due to Ethnicity and Race (PEER) Committee

      Many changes were underway in Fall 2023 for the PEER Network! During the past semester, we transitioned from a special interest group to a committee. As a part of this transition, the PEER committee is chaired by two co-chairs (Sharday Ewell and Fernando Tenjo-Fernandez)  and has a leadership team that is comprised of leads and co-leads of our various subcommittees. The members of the leadership team are:

      • Jennifer Garcia- PEER Advocacy chair
      • Natasha Woods and Chris Jang- Writing Buddies co-chairs
      • Anne McIntosh- Mentoring chair
      • Bianca Salazar and Mary Bonine- Journal Club co-chairs

      Finally, as we are now a committee, we will no longer hold whole group meetings each semester as we have done in the past. Instead, the co-chairs and leadership team of the PEER committee will meet regularly and any activities that the committee plans will be advertised to the entire SABER membership through the listserv and newsletter. We look forward to engaging with all of you during the upcoming semester!

      Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

      As a SABER member, you have access to special interest groups. These are communities for people with similar interests which provide opportunities to learn, collaborate, exchange ideas, and network.

      Joining a SIG is easy; simply email the SIG chair/leader. Find a full list of SIGs and contact information on the SABER website. 

      Biology Through Art

      Recent Events:

      1. Student Art Exhibition

      Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago.

      Students of the course "Design in Nature" presented their art pieces on the campus of NEIU on December 8, 2023.  This course is an integration of biology and art, being cross-listed as BIO 302 and ART 302.  Course instructor:  Beth Reinke.

      2. Student Art Exhibition

      Multiple schools at the Bonita Museum, Bonita, CA (San Diego County)

      The exhibition showcased artworks of students from several participating schools in the Biology through Art project.

      See the Biology Through Art website for past and future events. 
       
       

      Invertebrate Zoology, National University, San Diego, CA.  Works displayed:  acrylic paintings of animal phylogeny, drawings of invertebrates, and 3D print-outs of invertebrates.  Instructor:  Mike Maxwell.
       

      Human Physiology, California State University Fullerton.  Drawings of human heart.  Instructor:  Kristy Forsgren.

      Art, Patrick Henry High School, San Diego, CA.  Large puzzles to demonstrate concept of emergent properties.  Instructor:  Jason Rogalski.

      Immunology Education SIG and ImmunoReach Network

      ImmunoReach network intends to bridge immunology with other disciplines, promote immune literacy, and allow for increased, earlier access to immunology education. Recently, we disseminated learning frameworks for immunology-related concepts and competencies. These learning frameworks endorsed by the Society for Leukocyte Biology, can be found on the Course Source website (see here). ImmunoReach is also inviting participants (faculty or trainees) to develop, implement and assess learning activities aligned with these core concepts and competencies. If you would like to get involved, then please contact us here. Lastly, if you would like to engage with fellow educators and discuss immunology and biology education, then please join us for the spring 2024 symposia. This semester’s schedule can be found here.

      SABER Celebrations

      The SABER homepage features members who have won national and regional awards and other honors related to undergraduate biology education. Members can anonymously nominate someone. We want to highlight SABER members in all career stages, institution types, etc. Given the broad membership of SABER, we do not highlight local, university-level awards and honors. 


      Click here to view past celebrations.


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