Organizers
Scott Dawson, PhD, University of California, Davis
Class of 1997; Director, 2022; Faculty, 2015-2019
Rachel Whitaker, PhD, University of Illinois
Class of 2001; Director, 2018-2023; Faculty, 2004, 2009; Lecturer, 2015
John Spear, PhD, Colorado School of Mines
Class of 1998; Faculty, 2022; Lecturer, 2021
Lynn Kee, PhD, Stetson University
Class of 2016
George O’Toole, PhD, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
Director, 2018-2021; Faculty, 2014-2017; Lecturer, 2009, 2012, 2013
Friday, July 29 – arrive early!
8:00 - 9:00 PM • Friday Evening Lecture, Cornelia Clapp Auditorium and Virtually
“50 Years of Microbial Diversity; What a Ride!”
Carrie Harwood, PhD, University of Washington
Class of 1975; Director, 2000-2003; Faculty, 1985; Lecturer 2010-2011
Saturday, July 30 – all lectures take place in the Cornelia Clapp Auditorium
7:30 – 7:55 AM • Coffee and Treats, MBLQuad
8:00 AM • Welcome
Planning Committee
8:00 – 8:20 AM • Brief History of the Course: Tributes
Jared R. Leadbetter, PhD, California Institute of Technology
Class of 1990; Director, 2014-2017; Faculty, 2005-2007; Lecturer, 1997, 2009, 2011-2013; Course Assistant, 1983-1985; Teaching Assistant, 1993, 2000
8:20 – 9:30 AM • Environmental/Ecological Diversity
8:20 – 8:30 AM • Introduction • 1971-1984
Carrie Harwood, PhD, University of Washington School of Medicine
Class of 1975; Director, 2000-2003; Faculty, 1985; Lecturer, 2010-2011
8:30 – 8:50 AM
Francisco Rodriguez-Valera, PhD, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche
Class of 1979; Lecturer, 2019
8:50 – 9:10 AM
Mercedes Pascual, PhD, University of Chicago
Class of 1985
9:10 – 9:30 AM
Colleen Hansel, PhD, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Class of 2000; Lecturer, 2016
9:30 – 10:15 AM • Coffee Break, MBLQuad
10:15 – 11:45 AM • Physical Diversity
10:15 – 10:25 AM • Introduction • 1985-1999
John Breznak, PhD, Michigan State University
Director, 1990-1994; Faculty, 1982, 2004; Lecturer, 2009-2010
10:25 – 10:45 AM
Pete Greenberg, PhD, University of Washington School of Medicine
Class of 1973; Director, 1985-1989; Faculty, 1980-1984; Lecturer, 1978, 2009-2011
10:45 – 11:05 AM
Rebecca Parales, PhD, University of California, Davis
Class of 1987
11:05 – 11:25 AM  Â
Andreas Kappler, PhD, Universität Tübingen
Class of 1998; Faculty, 2003
11:25 – 11:45 AM
Lev Tsypin, Caltech
Class of 2017
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM • Lunch, Swope Center
1:00 – 2:10 PM • Phylogenetic Diversity
1:00 – 1:10 PM • Introduction • 2000-2013
Tom Schmidt, PhD, University of Michigan
Class of 1982; Director, 2003-2008; Faculty, 2000; Lecturer, 2011, 2015
1:10 – 1:30 PM - Virtual
George Fox, PhD, University of Houston
Class of 1973
1:30 – 1:50 PM
Emily Balskus, PhD, Harvard University
Class of 2009; Lecturer, 2014-2015, 2017
1:50 – 2:10 PM
Beth Archie, PhD, Notre Dame
Class of 2019
2:10 – 3:00 PM • Coffee Break, MBLQuad
3:00 – 4:30 PM • Genetics and Functional Diversity
3:00 – 3:10 PM • Introduction • 2014-2022
Dianne Newman, PhD, Caltech
Class of 1995; Director, 2014-2017; Faculty, 2005-2006, 2008-2009; Lecturer, 2011-2012, 2019; Teaching Assistant, 1998
3:10 – 3:30 PM
Mecky Pohlschröder, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Class of 1990; Faculty, 2006-2008; Lecturer, 2014-2015, 2017, 2019
3:30 – 3:50 PM
Kurt Dahlstrom, PhD, University of Georgia
Teaching Assistant, 2014-2015
3:50 – 4:10 PM
Fatima Aysha Hussain, PhD, MGH and MITÂ
Class of 2017; Lecturer, 2021
4:10 – 4:20 PM • Closing Remarks
4:30 PM • Group Photo, Lillie Steps
6:00 PM • Symposium Dinner and Reception, Swope Lower Terrace