Student Handbook

Seminars & Journal Clubs

MONDAY GRADUATE STUDENT SEMINARS (BioBM 833)

These seminars are held at 12:30 pm every Monday in G10 Biotechnology Building. All graduate students in their 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year must register for this course (BioBM833, S/U, 1 credit). All graduate students in their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and subsequent years must give a yearly seminar to present their research progress. Students will be exempt from this requirement only if they are officially scheduled to graduate during the semester that they would normally present a seminar. The most senior students present first, starting at the beginning of the fall semester. Any student who would like to change his/her seminar date (or cancel because of scheduled graduation) should contact the DGS or the faculty member in charge of the course. All 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students are required to attend at least 2/3 of the seminars (averaged for the two semesters) in order to receive a passing grade. (Second year students who have a TA conflict are exempted from this requirement). Students in their 5th year and beyond are not required to attend the seminars, even though they are required to make a presentation. First year students are encouraged to attend these seminars to gain perspective on the scope of research going on and to help them choose a lab in which to work.

At least two weeks before your seminar, email your seminar title and a one paragraph abstract, including a recent reference or two, to Diane Colf, GFA dmc18@cornell.edu . She will prepare a flyer to advertise your seminar.
You should remind your committee members a week beforehand about your seminar and again the Monday morning of the seminar. You may also wish to designate a faculty member outside your committee who will meet with you after the seminar specifically to critique the presentation itself. In addition, it is advisable to invite some other faculty who you think may give you some additional feedback on your work. If you extend them a personal invitation, they will likely attend.

You should use the sound system in G10 Biotech, as the ventilation system often comes on during talks and can drown out the speaker's voice. The sound system (including the microphone) is stored in the podium. The remote control for the projector is built into the podium. Please pick up a fresh 9-volt battery for the microphone and a laser pointer from the 107 Biotech main office. The department's laptop computer is automatically reserved every Monday from 12 noon-2:00pm for these seminars, so you may pick it up from the main office during that time. Please note that if you would like to use the laptop on an earlier date to practice for your seminar, you should reserve it in the main office as soon as possible, since it is heavily used.

OTHER SEMINARS

The Friday MBG Seminar is held at 4:00-5:00pm every Friday during Fall and Spring semesters, and occasionally during the Summer, in the G10 Biotechnology Building Conference Room. These talks are given by scientists visiting from other institutions and provide an opportunity to hear and meet some of the most distinguished researchers in the area of biochemistry, molecular and cell biology. Speakers are usually invited and hosted by faculty members, but one or two slots every semester are reserved for student-invited speakers. The student representatives typically solicit suggestions for names for possible speakers. Students also often suggest names of speakers to their major professor. Coffee, tea and cookies are available at 3:45pm. If you are interested in talking individually with a speaker, see the host listed at the bottom of the seminar notice.

The bulletin board across from the first floor elevator in the Biotechnology Building is the place to check for the times and topics of the many other related seminars on campus.

JOURNAL CLUBS

Participation is on a voluntary basis, but you are encouraged to attend the Journal Clubs in your area of interest. Below are some of the Journal Clubs that meet on a regular basis. Because they often change each semester, one or several contact names are provided. You can also check the department web site for more information: http://www.mbg.cornell.edu/Journal_Clubs.cfm.

Most labs also have their own weekly lab meetings which are also attended by students doing rotations in those labs.