Source: American Society for Microbiology
Are you looking for remote access to training and tools that will help you to build key skills for academic and professional success? Our Professional Development Webinar Series offers opportunities for undergraduate students, graduate students and postdocs in microbiology to learn and apply practical skills, including setting goals, time management, scientific presentation and more.
Note: Webinars are organized below by educational level/career stage.
Want to Share Your Expertise With 91麻豆天美's Trainees?
Lead a professional development session to advance emerging scientists by sharing expertise, skills, guidance and insights in the microbial sciences.
Eligibility: Open to educators, researchers, program directors, professionals and science communicators from all sectors in the microbial sciences.
Session Proposal Open Date: Spring-2026
Community College & Undergraduate Students and Postbacs Webinars
Upcoming Sessions:
Summer Research For You | March 17, 2026, 2-3 p.m. ET
“Summer Research for You” is an interactive session helping student trainees explore their research potential and prepare competitive summer research program applications. Trainees will learn how to find programs, strengthen resumes, request recommendations and leave with a concrete application plan.
Skills You’ll Gain
Starting in a research lab, scientific identity development, research competency, research readiness & preparation.Eligibility
Community college students, undergraduate students, postbaccalaureate students in the microbial sciences.Learning Goals
- Identify personal strengths and scientist traits to build self-confidence and scientific identity.
- Describe the general features of summer research programs.
- Learn how to search for and evaluate research opportunities.
- Navigate the key elements of an application.
- Develop strategies for requesting letters of recommendation.
- Strengthen a resume for summer research applications.
Speaker
- Edith Porter, M.D., Professor & University Faculty Undergraduate Research Liaison at California State University, Los Angeles.
Watch Past Webinars:
MicroBio Kickstart: Grow Your Scientific Skills
Graduate Student Webinars
Upcoming Sessions:
Your Graduate Committee: From Requirement to Resource | April 21, 2026, 11-12 p.m. ET
“Your Graduate Committee” is an interactive session that will help trainees learn how to strategically engage your graduate committee to support academic progress, professional growth and well-being. This webinar clarifies committee roles, selecting members, preparing for meetings and incorporating feedback while offering practical strategies for navigating communication challenges, power dynamics and conflicting advice.
Skills You’ll Gain
Feedback integration, effective meeting preparation, strategic committee selection, professional communication.Eligibility
Graduate student trainees (master’s and doctoral levels) in the microbial sciences.Learning Goals
- Clarify the roles and expectations of graduate committee members to help students better understand how committees’ function.
- Equip trainees with strategies for selecting and building an effective committee with complementary expertise.
- Provide practical tools for preparing for committee meetings and incorporating feedback effectively.
- Develop skills for navigating common challenges, such as communication barriers, conflict advice and power dynamics.
- Empower trainees to proactively leverage their committees as mentors, advocates and collaborators to support academic progress, professional growth and well-being.
Speaker
- Shankar Ganapathi Shanmugam, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Research at Mississippi State University.
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Crafting Your Professional Story: Build Your Brand With Confidence | May 19, 2026, 10-11 a.m. ET
“Crafting Your Professional Story” is an interactive session that will help trainees develop a clear, confident way to communicate their skills, experiences and goals. Participants will learn a simple personal branding framework and practice translating coursework, research and lab work into professional language for networking, interviews, mentoring conversations and online platforms.
Skills You’ll Gain
Self-advocacy for scientists, professional identity in science, personal branding.Eligibility
Graduate student trainees (master’s and doctoral levels) in the microbial sciences.Learning Goals
- Identify and articulate key skills, strengths and experiences that have shaped their professional identity.
- Craft a concise personal branding statement using a clear, repeatable structure.
- Communicate their professional story with clarity and confidence in professional settings.
Speakers
- Beth Ford, B.A., Career Coach at Augustana College.
- Dara Wegman-Geedey, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and The Robert & Patricia Hanson Endowed Chair of Health & Human Performance at Augustana College.
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Watch Past Webinars:
MicroBio Grad Edge: Toolkit for Thriving in Graduate School
Postdoctoral Scientist Webinars
Upcoming Sessions:
Building Impact, Not Just CVs: Thriving with Limited Resources| April 7, 2026, 10-11 a.m. ET
“Building Impact, Not Just CVs” is an interactive session showing how scientists can achieve meaningful impact, despite limited resources. The session will highlight strategies for productivity, independence and passion-driven research, while emphasizing real-world impact over prestige, funding size and impact factors.
Skills You’ll Gain
Resourceful productivity, high-impact research, passion-driven work, handling criticism.Eligibility
Postdoctoral and early-career scientists in the microbial sciences.Learning Goals
- Identify strategies for maximizing research productivity when working with limited resources.
- Recognize pathways to scientific success that do not depend on institutional prestige or traditional markers of status.
- Evaluate approaches for sustaining a research program without relying on large external grants.
- Distinguish between pursuing meaningful scientific impact and focusing primarily on journal impact metrics.
- Assess advice and criticism critically to make informed career decisions.
- Align research directions with personal passion and long-term goals rather than short-term trends in the field.
Speaker
- Vijay Kothari, M.S., Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Institute of Science at Nirma University.
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Watch Past Webinars:
MicroBio Postdoc Pro: Advancing Your Scientific Impact
All Student and Postdoc Webinars
Upcoming Sessions:
Trust in Science: Students, Scientists and Society | June 16, 2026, 10-11 a.m. ET
“Trust in Science” is an interactive session that will help trainees explore the importance of research integrity and effective science communication in building credible, impactful scientific careers. Through real-world examples, this webinar highlights responsible research practices and strategies for clearly communicating discoveries to both scientific peers and the broader public.
Skills You’ll Gain
Public science storytelling, research integrity awareness, science communication, science outreach skills.Eligibility
Community college, undergraduate, postbaccalaureate, and graduate (master’s and doctoral levels) student trainees and postdoctoral & early-career scientists in the microbial sciences.Learning Goals
- Explain the principles of research integrity and their importance for credible, reproducible science.
- Highlight the role of transparency and ethical conduct in maintaining public trust in scientific research.
- Develop skills for communicating scientific discoveries clearly to both scientific and non-scientific audiences.
- Encourage effective public engagement by using storytelling to explain what scientists do, why it matters and how science works.
- Promote critical thinking about scientific uncertainty, emphasizing that research often leads to new questions and ongoing challenges.
Speaker
- Stanley Maloy, Ph.D., Professor and Administrator at San Diego State University.
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Watch Past Webinars:
MicroBio Skills for Every Stage
Registration Details
- Once you register, details on how to join will be sent directly to your email. Check your inbox and spam folder.
- All sessions will be hosted on Zoom.
- Recordings will only be available to registered users.