As we near the end of our second semester of the Pub Club I want to thank all of you for your support and participation in this great experiment. The Pub Club was born of a desire to build a local community of scientists that would strengthen and invigorate the work we do as well as better prepare those of us working towards establishing careers in science. While work at the bench is an essential part of our science, history has shown that an atmosphere of collaboration and cooperation not only supports discovery but fosters it. It is my hope that the time we spend at The Pub Club will make our work at the bench more focused, more efficient and more productive. It is also my hope that participating in The Pub Club will inspire new questions, ideas and collaborations resulting in new funding opportunities and stronger science. In addition, I hope that The Pub Club will provide training and professional development opportunities to make us well-rounded, versatile and visible in a highly competitive job market.
Looking back over the last couple of semesters, I can say with confidence that we have consistently met these goals. Our meetings have spawned the bioinformatics “Python Group,” which has been a very beneficial resource for those of us daring to delve into the intimidating world of computational science. In addition to learning a bit of Python, this group has also served as a means to practice our teaching skills. As The Pub Club has grown and participated in events outside of the 4th floor, such as poster presentations, recruitment activities, and the PRL retreat, we have been noticed. We now produce a weekly newsletter whose subscribers include PIs and members of a dozen labs and multiple departments. The Mug Club now includes PIs from six labs, MSU support staff, as well as an MSU Alum who is also a representative from industry.
As we enter the summer season we begin the first stage of another milestone of our Mission: using our success and growth to inspire others to share in and repeat what we have achieved. The first step in the formation of the “beta node” is to bring others into our community, the “alpha node.” It is through this welcoming of others that we can and will expand our “community of minds.” Towards this end, I have invited the Bonito and Friesen labs to join The Pub Club. The participation of these two new labs offers The Pub Club many opportunities: 1) The chance to expand the impact of our efforts, further fulfilling our Mission 2) To widen the range of input and knowledge to which The Pub Club has access 3) To further spread the load required to sustain the unique experience that is The Pub Club and 4) To support new members of the greater MSU community. Assisting and supporting developing new labs within this MSU community not only strengthens MSU plant sciences but also provides additional resources to each of us as individual researchers.
So again, I thank you. Without your weekly support of our Mission we would not have the opportunity to learn from and support this greater community. I would also like to welcome those labs who have chosen to adopt The Pub Club philosophy. We appreciate your commitment to our Mission and our mutual success.
Bethany Huot
