For a second year in a row, BPS has hosted a regional networking event at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. BPS members Jennifer Klein, Daniel Grilley, and Tavaire Wakins; University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, along with a team of undergraduate students, worked in putting together an event that brought over 85 participants from surrounding companies, universities, colleges, and high schools.

For a second year in a row, BPS has hosted a regional networking event at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. BPS members Jennifer Klein, Daniel Grilley, and Tavaire Wakins; University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, along with a team of undergraduate students, worked in putting together an event that brought over 85 participants from surrounding companies, universities, colleges, and high schools.

We aimed for a diversity of speakers and workshop instructors who we knew would be excellent at engaging an audience at different stages of their careers.  Many of the workshops were aimed at educators who are interested in incorporating active learning into their molecular bioscience courses. Most of the undergraduate participants were highly enthusiastic about encountering biophysics for the first time.  Students learned quite a bit about career progression and described many useful connections they made with potential future advisors and employers.

We are always surprised by how eager students are to absorb new ideas, as reflected in their excitement over attending this event and in helping us to organize it.  Our students need to be more strongly supported in their decision to pursue a career in biophysics through strong biophysics education starting at the undergraduate level, networking opportunities and helpful, caring mentors. Because of this, we hope to have more events like this one in the future.