Dear Conservation Genetics Community:
We are pleased to announce that ConGen GLOBAL is offering the next edition of the Recent Advances in Conservation Genetics Course (ConGen2023), which will be held in at the St. Francis University in Loretto, PA, June 21- July 1, 2023.
Saint Francis University is a comprehensive university with a Franciscan, liberal arts tradition in West-Central Pennsylvania. The University is an ideal location for the Conservation Genomics Workshop due to its beautiful setting, modern facilities, and intimate setting. The University serves about 2,300 students during the academic year, 1,300 at the undergraduate level, and 1,100 living on campus. SFU features modern classroom and laboratory facilities, many of which are housed in the new Science Center and adjacent, newly renovated buildings. SFU boasts excellent Wi-Fi networking, spacious classrooms designed to facilitate project-based learning, small research and larger teaching laboratories, technology in every learning space, comfortable residence halls, and well-equipped outdoor spaces for receptions. The 600-acre campus is home to the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art and the Immergrün Golf Course. Also available is a small lake that attracts arthropod, amphibian, and avian wildlife, and a 1.5 mile (2.4 km) nature trail that meanders through edge and forest habitat along the western perimeter of campus.
The University is accessible from several airports, including State College, home of Penn State University, which is about an hour drive away. Loretto is located along the rural, eastern edge of the Allegheny Mountains. Late-June high temperatures historically average a very comfortable 78 ℉ (26 ℃) with low humidity. There are numerous hiking, running, and birding sites nearby, including three nearby state parks with stunning views: Blue Knob State Park, Prince Gallitzin State Park, and Canoe Creek State Park. Also within driving distance are Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium’s International Conservation Center in Somerset County, the Flight 93 Memorial, and the Johnstown Floor Memorial and Museum. Altoona is home to the Altoona Curve, a minor league AA baseball team affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In addition to the outdoor opportunities, children may enjoy Lakemont Park and DelGrosso’s Amusement Park & Laguna Splash, two local amusement parks. The nearby towns of Ebensburg, Altoona, and Johnstown feature local brew pubs, wineries, and restaurants.
The course will host 25-30 participants dedicated to the conservation of animals and plants and about 20-25 distinguished faculty from around the world. The course is directed by its founder, Dr. Stephen J. O’Brien, and taught by renowned scientists conversant in the methods, interpretation, and applications of genomic-based analyses for conservation of endangered species. The 20-25 esteemed experts listed below will share their personal research expertise and experiences in this important and rapidly developing field. The ConGen2023 faculty represent an amazing group of people who come from around the world and will be teaching, sharing their current research and conservation stories, and interacting with students during the course.
Time: June 21 – July 1, 2023
Address: Loretto, PA, USA
Contact:
webpage: https://conservationgenetics.org/congen2020