College of Science and Health students find research and scholarly engagement a key part of their learning experience at DePaul - and many of them had the opportunity to demonstrate it this month at a notable professional event.
Among the approximately 90 participants at the 2024 Midwest Ecology and Evolution Conference (known as MEEC), 22 were DePaul students ranging from freshmen to graduate students in the departments of biological sciences and environmental science and studies. Each of them presented original research focused on the fields of ecology and evolution, with topics spanning a diverse array of innovative subjects. Presentations covered lichen genetics, native plants and plant decomposition, mammalian pathogens and skull growth, rats in Chicago, mammals of the Great Lakes region, fish gut contents, fish skull shapes, fossil sharks and other extinct vertebrates, among other topics.
“Scientific conferences offer young scientists like the participating students at MEEC an opportunity not only to share their research but also to network with other scientists and expand their academic horizon and intellect," says Kenshu Shimada, a professor of environmental science and studies and biology at DePaul, who has annually organized the trip to MEEC for students. “I probably wouldn't be here at DePaul as a scientist if I didn't actively participate in professional conferences since I was an undergraduate, and I hope opportunities like this serve as stepping-stones for a successful academic journey for our students."
Besides Shimada's students, other DePaul MEEC participants consist of students supervised by DePaul faculty members Windsor Aguirre, Andrew Conith, John Dean, Jalene LaMontagne, Christie Klimas, Mark Potosnak, and Noé de la Sancha. Additional DePaul faculty and staff made the trip possible behind the scenes, including Ty Ferguson, Christie Klimas, James Roth, and Tim Sparkes.
You can learn more about the conference, which is organized and run entirely by students, on their website. The annual conference at Southern Illinois University was held this year on April 6-7, 2024.