2019 Zoological Conference Experience

Two DePaul Biology students in Dr. Kenshu Shimada's 'Shark Lab', Alexandra (Alex) Krak and Phillip (Phil) Sternes, will each present a research poster at the annual Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) held from July 24-28, 2019, in Snowbird, Utah. Alex is an undergraduate student and her presentation will entail her project on the quantitative analysis of tooth shapes in the modern plankton-feeding megamouth shark that is anticipated to help reconstructing the dental pattern of the extinct megamouth shark in the fossil record. Phil is a graduate student, and his presentation will be based on his Master's thesis project quantifying the body shapes of all known species of modern-day sharks and examining their ecological and evolutionary implications. Both Alex and Phil are making excellent progress with their respective project, and their presentations are anticipated to appeal to many zoologists attending the scientific conference.

We need your help to reduce the financial burden for Alex and Phil to be able to fully participate in the conference.  While the funding for the registration fees have been secured, we still need help with covering the estimated cost of transportation, five nights’ hotel, and daily meals. Because this particular year’s JMIH is held at a ski resort in Utah, the estimated cost for hotel rooms and meals are unusually higher than typical conferences. The JMIH is a very important venue for young budding scientists like Alex and Phil to gain experience interacting with other zoologists as well as to expand their network with those professionals for their career development. In addition, their presentations reporting new scientific discoveries will also increase the academic profile of DePaul as an active institution in the field of vertebrate zoology!