The 2024 ASM Conference for Undergraduate Educators (ASMCUE) will take place from Nov. 15-17, 2024, in Pittsburgh. For our annual in-person meeting, we are co-locating once again with the (ABRCMS) to provide many opportunities to attend talks at both conferences. This year’s theme, “Quorum Sensing: Communicating Within the Biology Education Community,” is applicable to what we do at these conferences: alone we can be exceptional, but when we come together and share our experiences, our community grows stronger. The resonance of our voices becomes more powerful when we connect with others.
ASMCUE Is for Any Biology Educator
In my first-ever ASMCUE conference in 2019, I attended alone and did not know anyone. Today, I consider my colleagues within this community the greatest that I have. ASMCUE has a unique place in our educational community, as it not only brings together microbiology educators, but also offers open arms for any educator who is passionate about the field of science. Attendees will hear presentations from people within the general biology field all the way to those in immunology. Passionate educators from every type of institution, such as 2-year colleges, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and 4-year doctoral universities, all gather to share ideas and connect.  
Generate New Ideas for Your Teaching at ASMCUE
Every year, I am overwhelmingly excited for this conference, as I feel like the ASMCUE community is so welcoming, engaging and fun to be around. Serving as the Chair for 2024 ASMCUE has been a rewarding experience. In addition to personal and professional growth, it has provided me with a unique opportunity to immerse myself in shaping the event’s direction. From helping to curate sessions, to interacting with my peers, I am honored to have had the ability to see the conference grow and be a part of this truly impactful journey. Being able to see what it takes to ensure a successful conference has made me appreciate the outcome even more.
I am excited to reconnect with people I have met at past conferences and to make new connections with new attendees. After every ASMCUE, I am reinvigorated not only for my profession of teaching, but also for the ideas that we share with one another.
We have a lot of amazing events planned to foster that experience, including group meals, a new attendee orientation, a scavenger hunt, buddy program and affinity dinners centered around the connections and communications that we yearn for most. A few of the opportunities I am looking most forward to include:
The pre-conference workshops, especially the -sponsored workshop “Staying Alive: An Engaging Workshop Exploring HHMI BioInteractive’s Infectious Disease Resources.”
“Build a Scientist,” a poster on scientific identity.
Microbrew on Faculty Fellowships, a presentation that I am doing with the ASMCUE Vice Chair Carlos Goller, Ph.D. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;
Attend ASMCUE to Grow Your Network
Connections—that’s what quorum signaling is all about and what I am most excited about at ASMCUE! One of ASMCUE’s strengths is its relatively small size of about 350 attendees, which allows attendees to network and build relationships with leaders in biology education, new educators and educational partners and companies. Attendees have the chance to connect with fellow educators, both within and outside of their biology subdiscipline. This networking can lead to collaborations, sharing of best practices and potential partnerships.
A group of educators engaging with a presenter at the poster session at ASMCUE.
Source: ASM
As a microbiology instructor at a community college and HSI, I am particularly sensitive to the diverse needs of my students. The collaboration among ASMCUE attendees brings many institutional insights and experiences that I value and look forward to hearing about each year. From workshops on educational research to powerful presentations on the latest teaching strategies, there is something for everyone. When attendees leave the conference, they do not simply leave with content—they also leave with a network of educators ready to support them for years to come. This is the most valuable takeaway of all.
Engaging with enthusiastic colleagues and learning about innovative approaches can reignite the passion for teaching and inspire new course ideas. Each year, I come away with materials ready to implement and ideas for new classroom experiences. At the 2023 conference, Sara Brownell, Ph.D., gave an amazing presentation on the culture of academia and concealable stigmatized identities. She highlighted that when instructors reveal their identity in any way (even as simple as how many kids they have, pets, etc.), it positively impacts students' sense of belonging. Based on this presentation, I implemented a “Get to know me” activity the first week of class and now share more personal information with students than I had before. Students have commented that they like learning about their professors and their shared experiences; this was such a valuable tactic for me.
Presenting at ASMCUE Increases the Impact of Your Work
Educational scholarship is an important way that we ensure our students are receiving evidence-based practices to promote success. Each year, educators can look forward to hearing invigorating talks on these best practices, and the lively conversations that follow. The value of presenting one’s scholarship at this national meeting is receiving feedback from others that may have similar struggles, while also learning techniques for improving current practices. Understanding broader trends and challenges in education can help educators adapt their teaching approaches to better meet the needs of their students and align with institutional goals. As educators, we strive to understand and improve our teaching and learning practices, especially knowing how these pedagogical approaches affect student learning and engagement. Engaging with this community provides valuable feedback on our educational scholarship and increases the impact of our work.
The 2024 ASMCUE, “Quorum Sensing: Communicating Within the Biology Education Community,” is taking place Nov. 15-17, 2024 in Pittsburgh. Register Today!
