Amy Cheng Vollmer: Professional Activities

Amy Cheng Vollmer | Courses | Research | Professional Activities 
Abstracts | Publications | Professors in the Vollmer Lab  

To stay abreast of current research findings and to contribute to research in the area of bacterial stress response, I spend time engaging in many professional activities:

• Accepting invitations to speak at colleges and universities to talk about my research (at some of these campuses, I have also met with students and postdoctoral fellows to talk about career options in microbiology)
• Recently, I have also made presentations on teaching
• I have compiled a list of resources for those who teach and do research with undergraduates - with help from Lisa Elfring at the University of Arizona (pdf here).
• I had the privilege to be the editor-in-chief (chair of the editorial committee) for the first 3 years and as co-editor-in-chief for the 4th year of a new journal supported by the American Society for Microbiology, Microbiology Education. I also serve as an ad hoc reviewer for journals such as: Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Journal of Biochemistry, Food Microbiology
• I have served the National Science Foundation as a panelist as well as an ad hoc reviewer in Microbial Genetics. I have also served as a member and as chair of the panel that reviews applications for Predoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry, Biophysics and either Molecular or Structural Biology
• The American Society for Microbiology is the oldest professional society in the biological sciences: I served for 5 years as chair of the Student Membership Committee.  This committee focuses on supporting undergraduate, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.  Student Chapters, sponsored by ASM branches are a great way to keep students involved with the ASM at the local level.  Our committee provides support and assistance to Student Chapters.  I have also participated as a presenter in the Kadner Summer Institute for Career Preparation (for graduate students and postdocs)

Microbiology Educators Network June 3, 2004 at Swarthmore College
Back Row (l to r): David Kushner (Dickinson College), Tony Lobo (Ursinus College),
Amy Vollmer, Steve Krawiec (Lehigh University), Iruka Okeke (Haverford College)
Front row (l to r): Rami Mysliwiec (Penn State Berks Co.),
Laurie Caslake (Lafayette College), Craig Phelps (Rutgers University)

• With support from the ASM's Eastern PA branch, the HHMI and the Mellon Foundation, I have organized a group of regional microbiology educators.  We meet 3 times each year:  a teaching workshop, a summer research symposium and a research dinner.  We have been 'neworked' since 2003. 
• Foundations are important professional organizations. I was very honored to be serving as president of the Waksman Foundation for Microbiology.
  Recently I also was an adviser to the Beckman Foundation in its awarding of grants to 13 institutions to support undergraduate research
• I have learned a great deal reviewing programs at a number of institutions, including: re-accreditation of University of California at Santa Cruz, re-accreditation of Westmont College (CA), the biology department at Georgian Court College (NJ), the HHMI program at Haverford College (PA), the biology department at Dickinson College (PA),Brigham Young University (UT), Ursinus College (PA).

• I have also helped to organize professional meetings: The First Tri-College Symposium on Research in the Life Sciences in 1993, the annual Myxobacterial conference in 1994, and the 2000 Gordon Research Conference on Microbial Stress Response. These have been a lot of work, but fun, because I get to meet and know colleagues all over the world!

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Invited Lectures on Research

2010 Rice University, Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering

2008 Allegheny Branch of the American Society for Microbiology

2007 Eastern Michigan University, North East Microbiologists (NEMPET), Coastal Carolina University, Cornell University

2006 University of Pennsylvania; Bristol Myers Squibb; The Pennsylvania State University; Emory University; University of Washington, Seattle

2005 Shenandoah Valley VA (Combined communities of: Bridgewater College, James Madison Univ., Eastern Mennonite Univ., Mary Baldwin College) Student Chapter of the ASM - Inaugural Lecture; Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA; Oklahoma State University and the Missouri Valley Branch of the ASM; University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ

2003 Villanova University, Philadelphia, PA
Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
American Association for Higher Education: Conference, Washington, DC
Responder to Richard Lewontin, Hugh Lacey's Retirement Symposium,
Swarthmore, PA
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
ASM Undergraduate Education Conference, University Park, MD

2002 ASM Eastern Pennsylvania Branch, Philadelphia, PA
St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA
Bucknell University, Department of Biology, Lewisburg, PA
University of Georgia, Athens, GA, Research Experience for Undergraduate
(REU), Inaugural Summer Program Speaker

2001 Drexel University, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Philadelphia, PA
Indiana University, Department of Biology, Bloomington, IN

2000 Williams College, Department of Biology
Linda Hall Library, Kansas City, MO
Gordon Research Conference on Microbial Stress Response
Swarthmore College, Alumni Weekend Lecture

1999 Swarthmore College, Board of Managers Meeting
Swarthmore College, Faculty Noon Lecture

1998 University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Department of Microbiology

1997 Rice University, Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry
Ursinus College, Department of Biology
Hofstra University, Department of Biology

1996 Texas A & M University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

1995 Hamilton College, Department of Biology
The Second Tri-College Symposium on Research in the Life Sciences,
Haverford, PA
Rice University, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
Swarthmore College, Alumni Weekend
Swarthmore College, Faculty Lecture

1994 University of Chicago, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

1992 North East Microbial Physiology, Ecology and Taxonomy Meeting
Swarthmore College, Sigma Xi Noon Lecture
Nineteenth International Conference on the Biology of Myxobacteria
Swarthmore College, Department of Biology

1991 Eighteenth International Conference on the Biology of Myxobacteria; session chair
Temple University, Biology Department

1990 Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and Science, Department of Chemistry
Swarthmore College, Department of Biology

1989 University of Delaware, Department of Life Sciences
Swarthmore College, Department of Biology
Pomona College, Department of Chemistry, Pomona, CA

1988 Cutter Biological Laboratories, Berkeley, CA

1985 University of California, Santa Cruz, Department of Biology
Mills College, Department of Biology
SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
Genentech, Inc. South San Francisco, CA

1984 International Mid-Winter Conference in Immunology, Pacific Grove, CA.

1983 American Society for Microbiology Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.

Invited Lectures on Education/Careers

2011 Baylor Medical College: Career Panel, Keynote speaker: Strategies for Success Workshop (Pearson Publishing) at Moraine Valley Community College, IL

2010 Plenary speaker at ASMCUE, San Diego, CA; National Institutes of Health: Career Symposium; Rice University, Institute for Biosciences and Bioengineering; Rice University, Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology; University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Microbiology program; Texas Medical Center, Student Chapter of the American Society for Microbiology: Career presentation; University of Pennsylvania Career Services; University of Pennsylvania Medical School: postdoctoral fellows career panel

2009 College of Physicians, Philadelphia, PA: panel on antibiotic resistance and MRSA; Indiana University, Biology Department; Keynote speaker, Strategies for Success Workshop, (Pearson Publishing) at Quinsigamond Community College, MA

2008 Allegheny Branch of the American Society for Microbiology: annual symposium held at Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA; Ballenger Lecture Series: Eminent Scientists, Mott Community College, Flint, MI; Keynote speaker on Mentoring and Networking, ABRCMS, Orlando, FL; University of Pennsylvania, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; Harvard University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences; Boston University, Women in Biology; AAAS Meeting, Careers involving scientific training and interpersonal communication; Keynote speaker, Strategies for Success Workshop (Pearson Publishing) Ohlone Community College, CA; Keynote speaker, Strategies for Success Workshop (Pearson Publishing) Toronto, Canada

2007 Keynote speaker on Mentoring and Networking, ABRCMS, Austin, TX; University of Michigan, Life Sciences Post-doc Association; Keynote speaker, Strategies for Success Workshop (Pearson Publishing) Henry Ford Community College, MI; ASM Kadner Institute: Career Preparation-Graduate Students & Postdocs, Boulder, CO; Cornell University, Department of Microbiology; MIT, Department of Biology, Masters Education Group; Tufts University, Department of Microbiology; Harvard University, Office of Career Services; Harvard University, Microbial Sciences Program; Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Yeshiva University, NY.

2006 ASM Education Board Sponsored Kadner Institute: Careers Workshop Panelist on Liberal Arts College Faculty Careers; Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Career Symposium; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; University of Wisconsin, Madison; University of Pennsylvania Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs - Career Workshop Series: Pursuing an Academic Career; Swarthmore College Alumni in Atlanta; Swarthmore College Alumni in Seattle; American Society for Microbiology General Meeting - Student Brown Bag Lunch Series: "Non-bench Career Trajectories" ; American Society for Microbiology Conference for Undergraduate Educators: "Teaching Metabolism Interactively"

2005 American Society for Microbiology General Meeting - Student Brown Bag Lunch Series: "Non-bench Career Trajectories"; Strategies for Success Workshop at Prince George's Community College; University of Pennsylvania - Career Workshop for biomedical postdoctoral fellows; ASM Education Board Sponsored GAP (Graduate students & Postdoc) Sumner Institute: Careers Workshop Panelist on Liberal Arts College Faculty Careers

2004 Swarthmore College Alumni in London, UK; Strategies for Success Workshop at Montgomery County Community College; ASM Education Board Sponsored GAP (Graduate students & Postdoc) Sumner Institute: Careers Workshop Panelist on Liberal Arts College Faculty Careers

2003 ASM Undergraduate Education Conference, College Park, MD

2002 ASM Eastern Pennsylvania Branch, Philadelphia, PA; ASM Undergraduate Education Conference, Salt Lake City, UT; ASM General Meeting, Committee on the Status of Women in Microbiology: Session on Careers in Microbiology, Salt Lake City, UT; University of Georgia, Athens, GA, Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU): Inaugural Summer Program Speaker; National Association of Biology Teachers National Meeting, Cincinnati, OH:

2001 Drexel University, Department of Biology and Biotechnology, Philadelphia, PA; Indiana University, Department of Biology, Bloomington, IN

1996 Texas A & M University, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

1992 AAUW - Northern Philadelphia Region: Women in Science Day; Franklin Institute: Women in Science Day