Highlights from the 16th annual NE-INBRE conference

Paul Davis, Ph.D., presents Harim Won with the James Turpen INBRE Scholar Excellence Award.

Paul Davis, Ph.D., presents Harim Won with the James Turpen INBRE Scholar Excellence Award.

Harry Won Receives Inaugural James Turpen Award
 
Harim "Harry" Won, a 2016 INBRE Scholar, is the inaugural recipient of the James Turpen INBRE Scholar Excellence Award.
 
Won was selected for the award because he was deemed the most meritorious INBRE student going on to graduate school, said Paul Sorgen, Ph.D., principal investigator of the NE-INBRE grant.
 
"Along with his numerous honors and awards, Won, who received a Goldwater Scholarship, also led a well-rounded undergraduate career as a teaching assistant and tutor for middle and high school students in biology and chemistry," Dr. Sorgen said.
 
Paul Davis, Ph.D., associate professor of biology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, presented the award to his former mentee, Won, during the banquet dinner via Skype.

Won credited the NE-INBRE program for his many successes.
 
"It’s a fantastic program that has had an indelible impact on my life," he said.
 
 INBRE Trivia Contest
 
Attendees of the annual scientific conference were invited to participate in an informal trivia contest challenging them on their knowledge of all things NE-INBRE related.
 
Attendees could either pick up a sheet with all 20 questions listed on it at the registration table or depending on where they sat, read one of the placards featuring a question placed on each table.
 
Some of the questions hinted at the former director’s alter-ego, Ankor, while others asked about the core facilities and key scientific themes.
 
Curious?
 
See how many of the questions you can answer below.
 

  1. What year did the NE-INBRE grant start?
  2. What is INBRE an abbreviation for?
  3. What National Institutes of Health institute was INBRE initially funded under?
  4. Who was the principal investigator of the NE-INBRE grant for 16 years?
  5. Who was the program coordinator of the NE-INBRE grant for 15 years?
  6. Where was the first annual NE-INBRE summer meeting held?
  7. What year did the annual NE-INBRE summer meeting move to Nebraska City?
  8. Name on core lab instrument that is supported by INBRE funding?
  9. What do the first-year INBRE Scholars ride to attend their Lincoln weekly summer seminar?
  10. What is the total number of NE-INBRE Scholars, past and present?
  11. Name one of the external advisory board members.
  12. When the annual NE-INBRE summer meeting was held in Grand Island, what was the "pre-meeting" sport that was played by many?
  13. What are the scientific themes of the NE-INBRE grant?
  14. Each year the NE-INBRE grant faculty and students complete evaluations/assessments of the NE-INBRE grant program. Who are the external consultants that perform our evaluations?
  15. Name the eight institutions associated with the initial NE-INBRE (BRIN) grant.
  16. In what year did the NE-INBRE program graduate its first Ph.D. student?
  17. What is the name of Dr. Jim Turpen’s alter-ego with the Shriners?
  18. Who is the current NE-INBRE grant protocol associate?
  19. Name one of Dr. Sorgen’s favorite sports teams.
  20. For how many years have best poster/oral presentation awards been given out?
  21. What is the total amount of NIH funding that has been awarded to the NE-INBRE program?