Join Korena Mafune, PH.D. and Samira Fatemi for a workshop to help you communicate your science with the media and audiences of all backgrounds
Tuesday, May 23, 2023
6 pm EDT, 5 pm CDT, 4 pm MDT, 3 pm PDT
via Zoom
Cedar Sekorski (it/its or they/them)
Where did you grow up?
I grew up near Elkland, Missouri
Current research location
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
Current adviser
Anita Davelos
Current project description
I am currently looking at microbial sediment community structure and composition in an urban freshwater marsh.
Any good stories from field work?
As far as I know, my cat, Gratch, is the only cat to ever go in a foray with Tom Volk.
Who is your mycology role model?
Tom Volk
What have you learned from studying fungi?
Don’t lose sight of the larger ecosystem
What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done your current position?
I am going to save the Earth
Awards you’d like to brag about
So many! I guess my REU in mathematical ecology and my Summer Graduate Fellowship are the two most prestigious so far.
What is your favorite fungus?
Ganoderma applanatum because it’s a very handsome fungus and I have a thing for shelf mushrooms.
What is your favorite fungus fact?
I fond their dikaryon phase quite fascinating. And also how they can be such good buddies to plants.
Thursday, May 4, 2023, 9am – 10 am EDT via Zoom
JOIN US TO HEAR ABOUT FELLOW MYCOLOGISTS’ WORK!
Alicia Kock
I am a doctoral candidate at the North-West University in South Africa. I am a part of the research group that focuses on Environmental Microbiology and Agricultural Biotechnology. My research interest is on Environmental Mycology. At the moment, I am working on diversity of early divergent fungi (Mucoromycota) and drivers influencing their distribution and abundance.
Nicole Reynolds
As a postdoc in Dr. Teresa Palowska’s lab at Cornell University, I have been studying communities of Mucoromycota fungi and their bacterial endosymbionts. Our sampling locations include four sites in California within the Desert and Mediterranean biomes. Previously, I obtained my PhD from the University of Florida under the supervision of Dr. Matt Smith, studying Zoopagomycota fungi which are close relatives of Mucoromycota.
Recording available on our YouTube channel.
Seeking a Budding Fungal Biologist
The Smith Fungal Biology Lab at the University of Florida is looking for a full-time research technician to work on several ongoing projects related to fungal systematics, ecology, and evolution. Ongoing projects in the lab include studies on the systematics and evolution of truffles and other Pezizomycete fungi and the CLIMUSH project on the distributions and ecological responses of macrofungi at a continental scale. The technician will also support the fungal collection at the Florida Museum of Natural History. More about the Smith Fungal Biology lab and the FLAS fungal collection can be found on the Smith Lab website: https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/people/faculty-pages/matthew-smith/
The position is ideal for recent graduates who eventually wish to pursue a graduate career in fungal biology.
To be considered for this position please submit: 1) a brief cover letter indicating why you are appropriate for the position, 2) a CV or resume, 3) transcripts of academic degrees, and 4) the names of 3 professional references. Send application package as a single PDF via email to Dr. Matthew Smith (trufflesmith@ufl.edu). Review of applications will begin 8 May 2023 and continue until the position is filled. Informal inquiries or questions? email trufflesmith@ufl.edu.
Position Details
SYNMYCANTHROSIUM
A Symposium in Honor of the Mycological Life of Dr. Tom Volk
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS
We are currently welcoming submission of abstracts for presentations at the Synmycanthrosium (“Together-fungus-people-place”) to be held at UW-La Crosse May 21–22, 2023. This symposium will honor Dr. Volk’s profound and enduring scientific impacts in the field of mycology and beyond. The symposium agenda is available here.
- Submissions should focus on work that was carried out in collaboration with Dr. Volk or that has been informed by his findings or example. This could include, for example, if Dr. Volk was a role model or inspiration to you.
- Descriptions of work in progress, presentations of new results, and retrospectives of previous work are all welcome.
- Poster presentations and short talks (15 min.) are available.
- Student researchers whose studies have been inspired by Dr. Volk are especially encouraged to apply.
- Amateur mycologists who wish to disseminate their findings to a scientific audience are welcome to submit, either individually or as an organization.
- Abstracts should be no more than 300 words in length and should clearly articulate Dr. Volk’s influence on the work, be it intellectual, personal, direct, or indirect.
Abstracts should be submitted online. Detailed instructions for abstract submission are available at the submission site.
The deadline for abstract submissions is 11:59 p.m. on April 14, 2023 (original deadline has been extended). Applicants will be informed of the status of their abstract by April 24, 2023. We expect to be able to accommodate all poster presentations; slots for oral presentations are limited and will be chosen on the basis of their articulated relationship to Dr. Volk’s work and with the goal of creating a thematically broad program. Applicants who are not selected for a talk will be assigned a poster presentation.
Please note that submitting an abstract does not automatically register you for the conference. You must register separately. Registration and travel information is available here. Note that there is a discount for registration by April 14, 2023. Opportunities for sponsors or exhibitors are forthcoming.
Please email Dr. Alder Yu (ayu@uwlax.edu) with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in La Crosse!
The Mycological Society of America (MSA) – Student and Postdoc Section is excited to announce our annual Fungal Art Contest open to ALL members of the MSA community (students, post-docs, professors and fungal enthusiasts). Moreover, to raise awareness of the importance of elevating diversity in mycology, MSA SPS has partnered with MSA-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and have created two separate entries for the 2023 Art contest (see below).
Goal: The winning design(s) will be featured on this year’s MSA-SPS merchandise which will be sold at the MSA 2023 annual conference and on our online swag store (bonfire). All proceeds from this sale will be used for student recruitment and to fund the MSA-SPS student membership scholarship.
Theme: Elevating Mycology
Submissions: Open from March 1st – May 12th 2023
Winners will be announced in the end of May 2023
Submit your designs to this Google Form
Award: Winners will be given a $50 dollar gift card or one item of their choice with their design. Furthermore, the winners artwork will be this year’s MSA-SPS design and will be showcased in our booth at the 2023 MSA conference in Arizona.
Rules and expectations for the competition:
Open to all artists (students, professors, postdoc) and fungal enthusiast
The artwork has to be an original piece
- Art categories
- MSA-SPS
- Open design (Feel free to be creative and depict any of your favorite things about mycology)
- Two submission options
- Color limited (<4 colors)
- Color unlimited (express yourself)
- MSA-SPS & DEI: Importance of diversity for mycology and the mycological society
- Design must include artwork depicting the importance of diversity to mycology.
- Two submission options
- Color limited (<4 colors)
- Color unlimited (express yourself)
- MSA-SPS
- Method of entry: Art submission can be made here
- File name: CategoryName_YourName_ArtPieceTitle.pdf
- Please include a small description of your art piece during submission
- Please upload a high-resolution image of your artwork
- Ensure images are in full color (see specifications below), not blurry, and artwork should be signed.
- Requirements:
- Design should be your original artwork.
- Submissions should be made as a single pdf file.
- Please note that there are 2 categories per section, one category is color limited (< 4 colors). This design will be used for multiple items including t-shirts, sweaters, totes, etc.
- The second category is color unlimited and can include as many colors as the artist desires. If selected, this design will be used for smaller items, such as cups, stickers, notebooks, magnets etc.
- If your design is selected as the winning design, the design should then be submitted as a final “.svg” file (more information will be provided to the winner)
- Winners will be announced at the end of May 2023
- If selected as the winner, submit a picture and small bio to include in Inoculum and to have on our booth at MSA 2023 conference.
- The winners will produce finished art according to the specifications in the entry call.
- Artwork will not be altered in any way without the artist’s express permission.
All entries and rights to the artwork remain the property of the artist unless a separate written transfer and payment for the original has been negotiated, but we have the right to use the image for merchandise, as stated above.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our merchandise chair,
Fabiola Pulido-Chavez at mpuli011@ucr.edu
Are you a student or postdoc studying mycology who is interested in serving on the executive board of the Student and Postdoc Section of the Mycological Society of America? We are looking for nominees for the upcoming 2023-2024 board. If you are interested in a position please read about them and their responsibilities here (https://msastudents.org/student-section-bylaws/) and fill out this nomination form! In addition to working with your peers, elected members have their MSA membership fee waived.
Self nominations are encouraged. You can be nominated for more than one position, but can only be elected to one.
- Send any questions to MSA Student section email (students.msa@gmail.com)
- Nominees will be contacted before elections are opened
We look forward to hearing from you!
Deadline for nominations is May 12th at 11:59 pm PST.
Nomination form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeEZraDnRcNUKz4tXwpJfJ8Y8vbGCWarFb9Fn6IF9NfrOdkvQ/viewform?usp=sharing
Link to the recording: https://youtu.be/4hpIo6IoL-o
Date: March 28, 2023
Time: 1:00 PM EDT
Location: Zoom (link in attached file)
Presenters: Matt Kasson, PhD, Bridget Marie Barker, PhD, and João Araújo, PhD
Description: The MSA SPS is hosting a symposium over Zoom on 3/28 at 1:00 pm Eastern focusing on mycology in the context of the hit show The Last of Us. Join us as Matt Kasson, PhD, Bridget Marie Barker, PhD, and João Araújo, PhD present their views on arthropod-associated fungi and real-world fungal pathogens. How do fungi pathogens actually interact with insects? How is coccidioidomycosis, a real-world pathogen, expanding its range in response to climate change? Tune in to Zoom on Tuesday 3/28 for a mycologist’s perspective!
Link to the recording: https://youtu.be/4hpIo6IoL-o
About Prasanth
Pronouns: He/Him
From: Kochi, Kerala, India
Current research location
Clark University
Current Advisor
David Hibbett
Current project description
My current project is focused on the “evolution of nematophagy in Pleurotacaeae”. For this project, I am combining a wide range of techniques including classical mycology, metabolomics, comparative genomics, and transcriptomics to get a holistic view of the evolution of nematophagy in Pleurotaceae (Oyster mushroom and allies).
Which awards would you like to brag about?
My most recent awards include the graduate student research award from The Mycological Association of Washington DC and Sonoma Mycological Association scholarship award.
What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?
I would like to be a professor at a research institution and continue doing research in fungi.
What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?
My favorite fact of fungi is that they are hyper diverse and morphologically cryptic. Additionally they interact different organisms.
What is your favorite fungus and why?
Auriculoscypha anacardiicola. It is a relative of rust fungi that is parasites of phytopathogenic insects.
Who is your mycology role model?
Dr. P Mani Mohan
What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?
I love to hike, out door sports and cooking.
What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?
Fungi are real bad ass and they can show fascinating adaptation to thrive different ecological niches.
Any great stories from field work?
During my last mushroom foray with the lab, we had to carry our canoe over a beaver dam.
Anything else you’d like to talk about, leave here!
I am heavily involved service with in and outside of Clark university. Currently we are establishing a mycology club in Clark university. I am also a member for FOSTER (Fostering Scientific Temper and Social Responsibility) at St. Teresa’s college Ernakulum, focused on the development of scientific temper in the community.
Current research location
Aime Lab (Purdue University)
Current Advisor
Dr. Catherine Aime/ Dr. Daniel Raudabaugh
Current project description
I am currently using DNA barcoding in the identification of nearly 2000 rust fungus samples.
What is your favorite fungus and why?
Mushrooms of the genus Cyptotrama for its incredible shade of yellow, much better than the shade of gold.
Which awards would you like to brag about?
I was the best undergraduate student twice! (I got two bachelors degree)
Any great stories from field work?
One day I found a mushroom similar to magic mushrooms growing near a palm tree and I ate it to see if it had hallucinogenic properties, but all I got was diarrhea.
What are your career goals/plans for after you’re done with your current position?
I would love to continue doing research on fungi and their potential use for the benefit of agricultural crops.
What is your favorite fact/thing about fungi?
Their impressive interaction with other organisms, their medicinal properties and their great taxonomic richness.
Who is your mycology role model?
Dr. Paul Edward Stamets for boosting mushrooms in the economy.
What do you like to do in your free time? What are your hobbies?
I love to travel and report biodiversity in iNaturalist. My favorite sport is ping pong and I like to watch videos of wild animals in Africa.
Anything else you’d like to talk about?
My first career was civil engineering, but I have discovered that nature has designed the best structures without the need to produce polluting waste.
What is something inspiring or useful that you learned from your experiences in mycology?
My interest in mycology began when I observed how some animals feed on fungi to alleviate some of their ailments and how plants create symbiosis with these organisms. It is incredible the medicinal and nutritional properties that these organisms have.