Dr. David Westenberg, associate professor of biological sciences, is an invited plenary speaker for the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Virtual Conference for Undergraduate Educators on July 8-9. The virtual event replaces its annual in-person summer conference held in major U.S. cities.

Westenberg’s presentation for the conference is titled “Good Evening Ladies and Germs: Using Humor, Story Telling, and Games to Discover Connections to Our Microbial World.” He will focus on how to effectively communicate science to the community to open dialogue and inspire questions. He will also highlight how the ASM supports the communication strategies as it seeks new ways to inspire the next generation of scientists.

In October, the ASM honored Westenberg with the 2020 Carski Award, which recognizes an educator for outstanding teaching of microbiology to undergraduate students and for encouraging them to subsequent achievement. A virtual presentation of the award will occur later in July.

Founded in 1899, the ASM is a 30,000-member professional organization for scientists who study viruses, bacteria, fungi, algae and other aspects of microbiology. The Society publishes a variety of scientific journals, textbooks and other educational materials and organizes annual meetings, workshops and professional development opportunities for its members.