Right here, in the academic microcosm of UMASS Boston, top scientists are presenting free lectures about their cutting edge research being conducted at local universities and in biotechnological companies. Even though these seminars have been a standard Friday afternoon event for all Biology graduate students for several years, they have managed to remain a well-kept secret.
The Biology Department sponsored free seminars are held every Friday at 2:30pm during the spring and fall semesters. The seminar is a method used by scientists to communicate details of their current research and discoveries in their fields. Quite often, the topics of the lectures are unpublished, making the hour-long free sessions an ideal way to learn about scientific advancements before everyone else. Since we are located in Boston, we are most fortunate to have several excellent scientists within our locale.
The target audience of these lectures is the graduate student population in the sciences (biology, chemistry, physics, EEOS), however, ALL students (both graduate AND undergraduate) are invited and encouraged to attend. You just may find something that sparks your interest and give you some idea about the direction to take in the maze of your future.
Upcoming seminars include: Human Impacts on Large Whales (November 10); RNA (December 1); and, Epilepsy (December 8). The seminars are held in the small science auditorium, also known as S-01-006, each Friday at 2:30p.m. Coffee and cookies are available to attendees free of charge.
Attendees are reminded that the speakers are well-respected scientists, and thus courteous behavior is expected. Cell phones, leaving in the middle of lecture, whispering amongst yourselves and snoring are strongly discouraged.
Students that have attended these seminars in the past have stated they were pleasantly surprised that the lectures are never as boring as the topic may sound. Also, since the scientists presenting their research use cutting-edge technology in their experiments and investigations, attendees are often treated to remarkable photographs of cells, life forms and research processes.
Additional information may be found at http://www.bio.umb.edu/events/.