Workshops and Special Events
In-Person & Virtual Workshops/Special Events
Virtual Workshops will be held the day prior to the virtual conference (May 28) and during breaks on the main virtual conference days (May 29-30). Sign up links for virtual workshops (if required) will be sent approximately 3 weeks prior to the virtual conference.
In-person Workshops are held on Day 1 of the conference (June 20, 2025), or Days 2-5 during the 2 hour lunch window. Special Events, Meetings, and Mixers are held throughout the 5 days. Note: Some workshops have additional costs and have limited capacity. Sign up for most in-person workshops during main conference registration.
In-Person Opening & Closing Events
OPENING RECEPTION (JUN 20 - Eve)
Evening welcome reception with appetizers, following the IDEA plenary Award Speaker.
Come join us to kick off the conference!
Free to attendees.
No registration required.
Cash bar.
Come join us to kick off the conference!
Free to attendees.
No registration required.
Cash bar.
Super Social (Closing Banquet - Jun 24 - Eve)
The Super Social will be held at the UGA State Botanical Gardens of Georgia, and includes dinner, socializing spaces, access to different gardens, and a DJ/dancefloor space.
Cash bar.
Additional cost to attend.
Registration required prior to June 1, unless capacity reached before then.
The Super Social will be held at the UGA State Botanical Gardens of Georgia, and includes dinner, socializing spaces, access to different gardens, and a DJ/dancefloor space. (Additional cost to attend)
Cash bar (drinks available for purchase).
Pre-registration was required prior to June 1.
Your entrance ticket is a 'SSocial' mark on your nametag.
Rotating shuttles to the gardens will be available going to and from the gardens (but cannot take everyone all at once). If you have your own car (and are driving there), please consider taking a few people with you if you have room - there is free parking. You will be asked to show your name badge at the security entrance to be let into the parking area, and you can tell them you're with the Evolution group.
Shuttles will leave from the main (upper) entrance of the Classic Center, starting at 5:55 pm.
NOTE: There will be 4 different areas to line up for meals, with the same items at each station. If the line is long in the main room, try the garden side room (downstairs) or the building up and to the left of the main building. Signs to different areas will be on site, and some buses may be directed to gather meals from specific areas to help with flow.
Cash bar.
Additional cost to attend.
Registration required prior to June 1, unless capacity reached before then.
The Super Social will be held at the UGA State Botanical Gardens of Georgia, and includes dinner, socializing spaces, access to different gardens, and a DJ/dancefloor space. (Additional cost to attend)
Cash bar (drinks available for purchase).
Pre-registration was required prior to June 1.
Your entrance ticket is a 'SSocial' mark on your nametag.
Rotating shuttles to the gardens will be available going to and from the gardens (but cannot take everyone all at once). If you have your own car (and are driving there), please consider taking a few people with you if you have room - there is free parking. You will be asked to show your name badge at the security entrance to be let into the parking area, and you can tell them you're with the Evolution group.
Shuttles will leave from the main (upper) entrance of the Classic Center, starting at 5:55 pm.
NOTE: There will be 4 different areas to line up for meals, with the same items at each station. If the line is long in the main room, try the garden side room (downstairs) or the building up and to the left of the main building. Signs to different areas will be on site, and some buses may be directed to gather meals from specific areas to help with flow.
In-Person Workshops
Undergraduate Diversity at Evolution (UDE) Career Development Workshop (Jun 20 - AM)
Time: 8:30 am - 1:00 pm
The SSE Undergraduate Diversity at Evolution (UDE) program sends undergraduate students and recent grads to the in-person portion of the meeting. Selected applicants will present a poster, receive mentoring, and participate in a career-oriented Undergraduate Futures in Evolutionary Biology panel and discussion. Awardees will receive free meeting registration, travel, and lodging, a meal stipend, and a ticket to the Super Social. Applicants demonstrating a need for funds to attend and applicants preparing to attend graduate school in ecology, evolutionary biology, or related fields will be given priority.
Lunch included for participants.
Note: This workshop is for UDE awardees (a program sponsored by SSE), however there are a few extra spots available just for the workshop, for interested undergraduates to sign up during registration.
The SSE Undergraduate Diversity at Evolution (UDE) program sends undergraduate students and recent grads to the in-person portion of the meeting. Selected applicants will present a poster, receive mentoring, and participate in a career-oriented Undergraduate Futures in Evolutionary Biology panel and discussion. Awardees will receive free meeting registration, travel, and lodging, a meal stipend, and a ticket to the Super Social. Applicants demonstrating a need for funds to attend and applicants preparing to attend graduate school in ecology, evolutionary biology, or related fields will be given priority.
Lunch included for participants.
Note: This workshop is for UDE awardees (a program sponsored by SSE), however there are a few extra spots available just for the workshop, for interested undergraduates to sign up during registration.
Workshop: Navigating Scientific Publishing - Early Career Focus (Jun 20 - AM)
Organizers: Liz Alter, Mike Dawson, Leticia Ochoa-Ochoa
Description: Current changes in scientific publishing are among the most radical in >350 years and the range of publishing options expanding. Publisher-owned journals often dominate and increasing Article Processing Charges and surging Open Access threaten to leave authors and institutions with few affordable options. These changes particularly penalize early career researchers who are more dependent on high profile – typically more expensive – journals for establishing careers. This in-person workshop will discuss strategies for navigating the increasingly complicated publishing landscape, and for being successful. Activities will seek opportunities for input on these and other options from participating early career researchers about their concerns and how they would like scientific publishing to evolve to better support them in the future.
Audience: Early Career Researchers
Description: Current changes in scientific publishing are among the most radical in >350 years and the range of publishing options expanding. Publisher-owned journals often dominate and increasing Article Processing Charges and surging Open Access threaten to leave authors and institutions with few affordable options. These changes particularly penalize early career researchers who are more dependent on high profile – typically more expensive – journals for establishing careers. This in-person workshop will discuss strategies for navigating the increasingly complicated publishing landscape, and for being successful. Activities will seek opportunities for input on these and other options from participating early career researchers about their concerns and how they would like scientific publishing to evolve to better support them in the future.
Audience: Early Career Researchers
Introducción a la estadística bayesianay a la función de verosimilitud en Español (Jun 20 - All Day)
This workshop provides an accessible introduction to the likelihood function and Bayesian statistics, specifically tailored for early-career and Spanish-speaking evolutionary biologists. Our goal is to demystify foundational statistical concepts that frequently appear in the methods sections of articles published in our tri-society journals. Additionally, we will dedicate time to exploring how researchers can integrate natural history and collections-based research with modeling approaches.
Temario (Syllabus)
Temario (Syllabus)
- Introdución a la función de verosimilitud (Introduction to the likelihood function)
- Introdución al pensamiento bayesiano (Introduction to Bayesian thinking)
- Introducción a las cadenas de Markov en tiempo continuo (Introduction to Markov chains in continuous time)
- Cadenas de Markov como inferencia y como modelos evolutivos (Markov chains as part of statistical inference and as models of evolution.
- Discusión- Brinquemos con confianza: De problemas evolutivos a estadística. (Discussion- Making the jump from evolution to statistics)
Workshop for teachers: Scopes Trial (Jun 20 - All Day)
The National Center for Science Education has over 40 years of supporting science teachers and helping to ensure that accurate science is taught effectively in K-12 classrooms. Join NCSE for a special workshop focused on K-12 evolution curriculum and instructional strategies.
In this full day workshop, NCSE will share its Story Short approach to three-dimensional instruction (flexible phenomenon-driven mini-storylines that address one or two academic standards that can be completed in as little as five hours of classroom time). In addition to experiencing lessons from the student perspective, participants will learn about culturally responsive strategies for uncovering and addressing students’ misconceptions and leave with access to all of the free resources needed to implement NCSE’s Story Shorts in the classroom.
Teachers will learn about common evolution misconceptions that students may bring into the classroom and how to use research-supported, no-conflict strategies for identifying and resolving them. Workshop facilitators will then lead teachers through 2 of NCSE’s Evolution Story Shorts. The Origin (and Conservation) of a Species uses a conservation lens to introduce students to the concept of classification and speciation using the endangered Alabama sturgeon as an anchoring phenomenon. The Evolution of Horses dives deep into the evolutionary history of horses in North America to explore the relationship between climate change and the evolution or extinction of species.
Registration for this workshop is by a separate link from main Evolution 2025 registration and is targeted towards K-12 teachers.
In this full day workshop, NCSE will share its Story Short approach to three-dimensional instruction (flexible phenomenon-driven mini-storylines that address one or two academic standards that can be completed in as little as five hours of classroom time). In addition to experiencing lessons from the student perspective, participants will learn about culturally responsive strategies for uncovering and addressing students’ misconceptions and leave with access to all of the free resources needed to implement NCSE’s Story Shorts in the classroom.
Teachers will learn about common evolution misconceptions that students may bring into the classroom and how to use research-supported, no-conflict strategies for identifying and resolving them. Workshop facilitators will then lead teachers through 2 of NCSE’s Evolution Story Shorts. The Origin (and Conservation) of a Species uses a conservation lens to introduce students to the concept of classification and speciation using the endangered Alabama sturgeon as an anchoring phenomenon. The Evolution of Horses dives deep into the evolutionary history of horses in North America to explore the relationship between climate change and the evolution or extinction of species.
Registration for this workshop is by a separate link from main Evolution 2025 registration and is targeted towards K-12 teachers.
Phylogenomics Software School (Jun 20 - All Day)
Organizers: Tandy Warnow and Siavash Mirarabbaygi
One full day of tutorials and demos covering advances in software related to phylogenomic analysis of large datasets (hundreds to thousands of species and loci). Specific topics will include: inferring multiple sequence alignments, phylogenetic trees for single genes as well as multi-locus datasets, and phylogenetic networks.
One full day of tutorials and demos covering advances in software related to phylogenomic analysis of large datasets (hundreds to thousands of species and loci). Specific topics will include: inferring multiple sequence alignments, phylogenetic trees for single genes as well as multi-locus datasets, and phylogenetic networks.
- Cost: $25
- Two coffee breaks are provided
- Max capacity: 100
- Preregister during registration
- Please bring a laptop to participate
- Additional funds are available of up to $500 per registered attendee to partially reimburse costs to attend the workshop, including accommodations, travel, and the $25 registration fee. Please contact Tandy Warnow ([email protected]) with questions about additional funds.
- Target audience: undergraduate students, graduate students, postdocs, faculty, and researchers who estimate alignments and phylogenetic trees or phylogenetic networks, and wish to learn about new advances. People who develop methods are also encouraged to attend.
- Opportunities for contributed talks at the workshop are available; submit a request with a brief abstract of the software you wish to present, to Tandy Warnow ([email protected])
Building models & testing hypotheses in phylogenetic biogeography using RevBayes (Jun 20 - FUlL-Day)
Organizers: Sarah Swiston, Ixchel Gonzalez Ramirez, Mike May
Description:
This workshop will teach participants how to design and apply phylogenetic models of historical biogeography using RevBayes, an interactive environment for statistical computation in phylogenetics. Participants will learn about the principles phylogenetic modeling and gain hands-on experience applying those models to empirical data. The workshop will focus on the geographic state-dependent speciation-extinction (GeoSSE) family of models. Participants will also learn about variants of GeoSSE that allow rates to vary with regional features (Featured Informed GeoSSE or FIG models). The workshop will include general lectures to introduce model theory, lab exercises to learn how to design and fit biogeographic models in RevBayes, and time to discuss modeling strategies with classmates and instructors.
Prior experience needed: Ideal participants should have previous experience with Bayesian inference in phylogenetics, historical biogeography, and programming.
Target audience: students, postdocs, and early career researchers.
This workshop will provide an exciting opportunity to learn sophisticated modeling techniques in historical biogeography to infer ancestral states, incorporate paleogeographical features, and test hypotheses of broad interest in ecology and evolution.
This workshop is part of the NSF-funded collaborative project on the "Origin and Evolution of Hawaiian Plants".
- Cost: Free
- Coffee and lunch are provided
- Max capacity: 25
- Preregister during registration
- Please bring a laptop to participate
Description:
This workshop will teach participants how to design and apply phylogenetic models of historical biogeography using RevBayes, an interactive environment for statistical computation in phylogenetics. Participants will learn about the principles phylogenetic modeling and gain hands-on experience applying those models to empirical data. The workshop will focus on the geographic state-dependent speciation-extinction (GeoSSE) family of models. Participants will also learn about variants of GeoSSE that allow rates to vary with regional features (Featured Informed GeoSSE or FIG models). The workshop will include general lectures to introduce model theory, lab exercises to learn how to design and fit biogeographic models in RevBayes, and time to discuss modeling strategies with classmates and instructors.
Prior experience needed: Ideal participants should have previous experience with Bayesian inference in phylogenetics, historical biogeography, and programming.
Target audience: students, postdocs, and early career researchers.
This workshop will provide an exciting opportunity to learn sophisticated modeling techniques in historical biogeography to infer ancestral states, incorporate paleogeographical features, and test hypotheses of broad interest in ecology and evolution.
This workshop is part of the NSF-funded collaborative project on the "Origin and Evolution of Hawaiian Plants".
Communicating Science (including Controversial Science) to Diverse Audiences (Jun 20 - PM)
Sure, your research is the most exciting and important science out there! But to have an impact, it must be communicated in ways that enable people to understand and compel them to care. This workshop will combine empirical evidence gained from science communication research with fun, engaging activities to provide you with strategies and approaches to help you communicate your work effectively to diverse audiences. It will also explore specific strategies for communicating “controversial” science in non-controversial, non-confrontational ways.
Organizer: Dr. Jory Weintraub (Director of Science Engagement and Prof. of Communication, North Carolina State University). Jory directs university-wide science outreach activities, teaches science communication at NC State University, and runs science communication workshops for students, postdocs and faculty at institutions around the country. Previously he spent over 10 years leading the public outreach and education efforts at the NSF-funded National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.
If you have questions about this workshop, please feel free to contact Dr. Weintraub at [email protected].
Organizer: Dr. Jory Weintraub (Director of Science Engagement and Prof. of Communication, North Carolina State University). Jory directs university-wide science outreach activities, teaches science communication at NC State University, and runs science communication workshops for students, postdocs and faculty at institutions around the country. Previously he spent over 10 years leading the public outreach and education efforts at the NSF-funded National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.
If you have questions about this workshop, please feel free to contact Dr. Weintraub at [email protected].
NSF Proposal Writing Workshop (Jun 20 - PM) - cancelled
Note: This workshop has unfortunately been cancelled
Diverse Careers Workshop - Leveraging your PhD: Careers in and out of Academia (Jun 20 - PM)
Organizer: Jennifer Spillane
This active and participatory workshop will guide graduate students and postdocs in exploring and planning their careers after graduate school or postdoctoral training. Through presentations and small group activities, you will learn about the many potential career avenues open to those trained in evolutionary biology and ecology. You’ll also learn the basics of building a professional network, how to identify the transferable skills you developed during your training, and have the opportunity to ask questions of biology PhDs who hold non-tenure-track jobs.
Join us after the workshop for an informal networking event!
(Pre-registration required).
This active and participatory workshop will guide graduate students and postdocs in exploring and planning their careers after graduate school or postdoctoral training. Through presentations and small group activities, you will learn about the many potential career avenues open to those trained in evolutionary biology and ecology. You’ll also learn the basics of building a professional network, how to identify the transferable skills you developed during your training, and have the opportunity to ask questions of biology PhDs who hold non-tenure-track jobs.
Join us after the workshop for an informal networking event!
(Pre-registration required).
Storytelling workshop (Jun 20 - PM)
Organizer: Martha Burford Reiskind
Martha has worked with Story Collier for the last several years, telling her own personal story through one of their sponsored events, and participating in two Storytelling workshops and one story coach training. She has hosted several Storytelling events at her university, NC State.
The Storytelling Workshop is an interactive, hands-on experience designed to help participants develop their personal stories in a compelling and structured way. This 2.5-hour session will guide attendees through the core elements of storytelling, providing tools and techniques for crafting a narrative that engages and resonates with an audience.
Target Audience: Conference attendees looking to improve their personal storytelling skills.
Martha has worked with Story Collier for the last several years, telling her own personal story through one of their sponsored events, and participating in two Storytelling workshops and one story coach training. She has hosted several Storytelling events at her university, NC State.
The Storytelling Workshop is an interactive, hands-on experience designed to help participants develop their personal stories in a compelling and structured way. This 2.5-hour session will guide attendees through the core elements of storytelling, providing tools and techniques for crafting a narrative that engages and resonates with an audience.
Target Audience: Conference attendees looking to improve their personal storytelling skills.
Mid-career lunch workshop: Avoiding Bias when writing Promotion Letters (Jun 21 - LunchTime)
The SSE Diversity Committee will host this lunchtime workshop. This session will provide training and resources for mid-career to established-researchers to help potential letter writers recognize and mitigate systemic biases that disproportionately affect women and faculty from underrepresented backgrounds.
The workshop will feature an expert moderator alongside a panel of experienced faculty members from the tri-societies. Attendees will engage in hands-on activities to identify biased language and discuss strategies for more equitable evaluations when writing promotion letters. Participants will also receive curated resources on best practices. This initiative is in direct response to the 2021 Climate Survey, where “Strengthening the Pipeline” was identified as one of four key opportunities for improvement in diversity and inclusion. Therefore, we will also send a follow-up survey to assess the workshop’s impact and explore future initiatives to further Strengthen the Pipeline.
By fostering awareness and providing concrete tools for reducing bias in promotion evaluations, this initiative aims to support mid-career faculty and strengthen the academic pipeline for all.
The workshop will feature an expert moderator alongside a panel of experienced faculty members from the tri-societies. Attendees will engage in hands-on activities to identify biased language and discuss strategies for more equitable evaluations when writing promotion letters. Participants will also receive curated resources on best practices. This initiative is in direct response to the 2021 Climate Survey, where “Strengthening the Pipeline” was identified as one of four key opportunities for improvement in diversity and inclusion. Therefore, we will also send a follow-up survey to assess the workshop’s impact and explore future initiatives to further Strengthen the Pipeline.
By fostering awareness and providing concrete tools for reducing bias in promotion evaluations, this initiative aims to support mid-career faculty and strengthen the academic pipeline for all.
NSF Big-Ideas Listening Session (Jun 22 - Lunchtime) - Cancelled
NSF/BIO/DEB information session (Jun 23 - Lunchtime) - Cancelled
Genomic History Inference Strategies Tournament workshop (Jun 23 - Lunchtime)
GHIST is an annual forum for the community to test approaches for inferring evolutionary history from genomic data. Each year, the GHIST organizers release simulated population genomic data sets and host a competition to infer various aspects of the processes that generated those data. From the competitors’ solutions, the community will learn what approaches perform well or poorly in particular circumstances. In this workshop, participants will be guided through their first submission to the completion. In particular, they will use dadi-cli to analyze data from the simplest demographic history inference task and submit their results.
No prior knowledge is required. Please bring a laptop to participate.
Cost: Free
Max Capacity: 50
Preregister during registration, but the workshop is open to any conference attendee if space is available.
To learn more about GHIST, visit http://ghi.st .
No prior knowledge is required. Please bring a laptop to participate.
Cost: Free
Max Capacity: 50
Preregister during registration, but the workshop is open to any conference attendee if space is available.
To learn more about GHIST, visit http://ghi.st .
Workshop: Public Policy Session (Jun 23 - lunchtime)
Organizers: SSE Public Policy Committee
Description: Join us for an engaging and interactive Public Policy Workshop where participants will learn how to contact their elected officials, discuss strategies for communicating science to policymakers, and explore key topics in science advocacy. This workshop is designed to empower scientists at all career stages to make their voices heard to policy makers at all levels.
Additional details:
If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact SSE Public Policy Committee Chair Dr. Matthew Rubin at [email protected]
Description: Join us for an engaging and interactive Public Policy Workshop where participants will learn how to contact their elected officials, discuss strategies for communicating science to policymakers, and explore key topics in science advocacy. This workshop is designed to empower scientists at all career stages to make their voices heard to policy makers at all levels.
Additional details:
- Cost: $10.00
- Lunch is provided.
- Max capacity: 50
- Pre-registration is required. Sign up during meeting registration.
If you have any questions about this workshop, please contact SSE Public Policy Committee Chair Dr. Matthew Rubin at [email protected]
In-Person Mixers, Networking & Special Events
International Mixer (JUn 20 - Eve)
The international mixer is an opportunity for members from outside the US to connect, share experiences, and socialize. In this mixer we will have breakout rooms designed for 1) folks that are looking for tips and advice on how to pursue an academic career in the US, 2) folks looking to study evolution internationally (US-based attendees are welcome!), and 3) folks looking to connect with other International evolutionary biologists in and outside the USA. We are looking forward to hearing dozens of different accents!
FLying Solo Coffee Mixer (JUn 21 - AM)
The SSE Graduate Student Advisory Council is organizing a coffee break for people who are attending the Evolution meeting without their lab group or advisor. The event is intended to provide networking for people who are "flying solo" at this year's meeting. You can indicate your interest in participating during main conference registration.
LGBTQIA+ Coffee Mixer (JUn 21 - PM)
Join us for a casual coffee-mixer for LGBTQIA+ evolutionary biologists and their allies! This is an opportunity to meet folks in the field, network across career stages, and discuss issues that the LGBTQIA+ community faces in evolutionary biology (and academia more broadly), as well as advice and success stories. All are welcome!
AmphibiaWeb Mixer (June 21 - Eve)
AmphibiaWeb (amphibiaweb.org) will host a meet-up for all amphibian enthusiasts (and their friends), with a special invitation to our new and old contributors. Come meet the AmphibiaWeb team, win amphibian-themed prizes, learn more about AmphibiaWeb, and play some games to connect with other amphibian enthusiasts. Space will be made available for the first 60 people to arrive.
Science in Solidarity: Responding to a shifting landscape of funding, DEI, and the future (Jun 21 - Eve)
Organizers: Joint DEI Committees of ASN/SSB/SSE
This event is a chance for the science community to come together to discuss changes from the current United States government’s executive orders and federal funding cuts that are attacking DEI and science. Prompts for discussion in small groups will focus on ideas for strategies to counter authoritarian and anti-science movements, explore alternative funding sources, further diversity, equity, and inclusion, and persist as individuals and collectively. Our goal is to create solidarity and actionable plans so that our members can move forward despite these challenging times.
Pre-registration NOT required.
This event is a chance for the science community to come together to discuss changes from the current United States government’s executive orders and federal funding cuts that are attacking DEI and science. Prompts for discussion in small groups will focus on ideas for strategies to counter authoritarian and anti-science movements, explore alternative funding sources, further diversity, equity, and inclusion, and persist as individuals and collectively. Our goal is to create solidarity and actionable plans so that our members can move forward despite these challenging times.
Pre-registration NOT required.
Black at Evolution Lunch Networking (Jun 21 - LunchTime)
Join the Black at Evolution networking lunch to get to know other black researchers in Evolutionary Biology across all career stages. African Americans are estimated to comprise less than 1% of evolutionary biologists. This can make it difficult for researchers at different career stages to find peers or mentors who share their racial identity. Through this NEW networking lunch, we hope to connect black scholars across career stages to increase connectedness for trainees, early career researchers, and established PIs.
Interested participants will be contacted in advance of the conference for follow up/interests. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Jordan Lewis ([email protected])
Interested participants will be contacted in advance of the conference for follow up/interests. If you have any questions about this event, please contact Jordan Lewis ([email protected])
PUI Mixer (JUn 22 - AM)
Networking mixer for attendees from Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUI's).
ASN Grad Mixer (JUn 22 - Lunchtime)
Latines in Evolution Mixer (JUn 22 - PM)
Neurodivergent Mixer (June 23 - AM)
Networking mixer for neurodivergent people and their allies to develop a sense of community. Members of the SSE diversity committee will be present and open to receiving feedback regarding the meeting to help improve accessibility at future Evolution conferences. Snacks/tea/coffee will be provided.
Postdoc Networking Lunch (Jun 23 - Lunchtime)
The SSE Graduate Student Advisory Council is organizing small group networking lunches to facilitate interactions among postdocs. Those who indicate interest below will be contacted in late May to fill out a survey about their research interests in order to set up groups. Groups will be responsible for finding their own lunch venues.
Student-Faculty Networking Lunch (Jun 23 - Lunchtime)
The SSE Graduate Student Advisory Council is organizing small group networking lunches to facilitate interactions between students and faculty. You can indicate your interest in participating during main conference registration, and we will send out surveys to match students with faculty in late May. Groups will be responsible for finding their own lunch venues and will be capped at 5 students per faculty member, so student attendance may be limited to a first-come, first-serve basis once the surveys go out.
John Edmonstone Coffee Social for BIPOC scientists and allies (Jun 23 - PM)
This event is named after John Edmonstone, who was born into slavery in British Guiana and eventually taught and influenced a young Charles Darwin. Edmonstone's life highlights that people of color have been present--if invisible--in the development of evolutionary biology from the beginning. This mixer is an opportunity for people of color and their allies across all career stages in evolutionary biology to interact. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet, discuss their work, share experiences, establish mentor-mentee connections, and build on constructive ways to make evolutionary biology a more inclusive community.
Disabilities Mixer (Jun 23 - PM)
Interested in meeting fellow evolutionary biologists with disabilities/chronic illnesses/Deaf folks and interested allies? Want to discuss increasing the inclusion and representation of disabled/chronically ill/Deaf students and staff in our diverse field? This is an informal chance to meet others interested in these topics, share experiences of disability in evolutionary biology, and hopefully increase our inclusion around issues of disability as a community. Anyone at any career stage and level of ability (including allies) are welcome to come join.
UDE Coffee Social (June 24 - AM)
Social for UDE Program participants.
Postdoc Fellowship Lunch (Jun 24 - Lunchtime)
Are you a late-stage graduate student or postdoc thinking about applying for postdoc fellowships (for example, NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, NIH F32, Fulbright Scholarship, Marie Curie Fellowship, etc.) or a postdoc interested in sharing your experience with the application process? The SSE Graduate Student Advisory Committee (GSAC) will be coordinating lunches between interested postdocs and graduate students. Groups will meet for lunch at a restaurant of their choice near the convention center (note that cost will be covered by attendees). Please reach out to Shirley Zhang ([email protected]) with any questions.
LGBTQIA+ Networking Lunch (Jun 24 - Lunchtime)
We invite LGBTQIA+ identified individuals to join us for a small-group lunch. This is a unique opportunity to network with other LGBTQIA+ individuals, advise across career stages, and bond over shared experiences. Each group will be small (4-5 individuals) and will contain a diversity of folks, including across career stages. Lunch will take place off conference campus, with each group deciding on a venue. Please note that each participant is responsible for covering the costs of their own meal.
Fieldwork Mixer (Jun 24 - PM)
The SSE Graduate Student Advisory Council has organized a fieldwork mixer for people attending Evolution 2025. The event is intended to provide networking for people performing or who plan to perform fieldwork to share experiences, advice, and initiatives. Let's gather together to share our tales from the field and advocate for more equitable, inclusive, and diverse field research experiences.
Editorial Meetings, Council Meetings & Member Forums
council & Committee meetings
Society Councils
Open to council members only.
Joint Council (ASN/SSB/SSE)
Open to Joint council members only.
Open to council members only.
- ASN entrance meeting - June 20, 2025 (1:00 - 5:00 pm)
- ASN exit meeting - June 24, 2025 (12:35 pm - 2:25 pm)
- SSB entrance meeting - June 20, 2025 (1:00 - 5:00 pm)
- SSB exit meeting - June 24, 2025 (12:35 pm - 2:25 pm)
- SSE entrance meeting - June 20, 2025 (1:00 - 5:00 pm)
- SSE exit meeting - June 24, 2025 (12:35 pm - 2:25 pm)
Joint Council (ASN/SSB/SSE)
Open to Joint council members only.
- Entrance meeting - June 20, 2025 (8:30 am - 1:00 pm)
- Exit meeting - June 23, 2025 (12:30 pm - 2:25 pm)
editorial board meetings
Evolution Letters - cancelled
Systematic Biology - June 21, 2025 (12:30 - 1:30 pm)
The American Naturalist - June 22, 2025 (12:30 - 1:30 pm)
Evolution - June 22, 2025 (12:30 - 1:30 pm)
Systematic Biology - June 21, 2025 (12:30 - 1:30 pm)
The American Naturalist - June 22, 2025 (12:30 - 1:30 pm)
Evolution - June 22, 2025 (12:30 - 1:30 pm)
Society Member Meetings/Forums
Open to all members of the respective societies.
Preregistration not required. Lunch not included.
Preregistration not required. Lunch not included.
- SSE Members Open Forum - June 21, 2025 (1:30 - 2:25 pm)
- ASN Members Open Forum - June 21, 2025 (1:30 - 2:25 pm)
- SSB Members Open Forum - June 21, 2025 (1:30 - 2:25 pm)
Virtual Workshops & Networking Opportunities
Workshop: Navigating Scientific Publishing - International Focus (May 28 - Times 11 AM & 9 PM EDT)
Organizers: Mike Dawson, Leticia Ochoa-Ochoa, André Liz
Length of workshop: 3.5 - 4 hours
Description: Current changes in scientific publishing are among the most radical in >350 years and the range of publishing options expanding. Publisher-owned journals often dominate and increasing Article Processing Charges and surging Open Access threaten to leave authors and institutions with few affordable options. These changes particularly penalize early career researchers who are more dependent on high profile – typically more expensive – journals for establishing careers. This online workshop will discuss strategies for navigating the increasingly complicated publishing landscape, and for being successful. Activities will seek opportunities for input on these and other options from participating researchers about their concerns and how they would like scientific publishing to evolve to better support them in the future.
Length of workshop: 3.5 - 4 hours
Description: Current changes in scientific publishing are among the most radical in >350 years and the range of publishing options expanding. Publisher-owned journals often dominate and increasing Article Processing Charges and surging Open Access threaten to leave authors and institutions with few affordable options. These changes particularly penalize early career researchers who are more dependent on high profile – typically more expensive – journals for establishing careers. This online workshop will discuss strategies for navigating the increasingly complicated publishing landscape, and for being successful. Activities will seek opportunities for input on these and other options from participating researchers about their concerns and how they would like scientific publishing to evolve to better support them in the future.
NEW! NSF BIO/DEB Information Session (May 28 - 2:30 - 4 pm EDT)
Workshop: Diverse Careers Workshop (May 28 - 10 am EDT)
Organizer: Jennifer Spillane
Description: If you think you might be interested in a career outside of academia, but aren’t entirely sure where to start, join us! In this participatory workshop, we’ll be exploring the huge variety of careers open to you after graduate school and help you narrow down your career options so that you can be sure they reflect your interests, skills, and values.
Description: If you think you might be interested in a career outside of academia, but aren’t entirely sure where to start, join us! In this participatory workshop, we’ll be exploring the huge variety of careers open to you after graduate school and help you narrow down your career options so that you can be sure they reflect your interests, skills, and values.
Virtual Networking
As an updated version of the previous virtual networking lunches, SSE GSAC is organizing a One-Month Virtual Networking Program throughout the Virtual Evolution 2025 meeting. This event is designed to foster meaningful connections between mentors and participants in a flexible, online setting. Over the course of the month, participants may nominate yourself as mentors/mentees to build mentorship, or only connect with peers. All participants will be able to indicate your own interests while in the program. There is NO time commitment requirement for mentors. Mentors may indicate their own preferences to engage with mentees, offering guidance to attend the meeting, advice, and career insights tailored to individual goals. The sessions will be hosted on MentorCity, allowing for seamless interaction. Whether you're participating virtually or in-person, this event provides a valuable opportunity to expand your professional network, share expertise, and build lasting connections with fellow industry leaders and peers. Attendees: Please check your email for a link to sign up (sent 29-Apr-2025).
NEW! Workshop: Decoding the Scientific Publishing Landscape: Navigating Journals, Open Access, and Ethical Choices (9-10 am EDT)
In an evolving publishing world, researchers face a range of options and considerations that can impact the visibility, accessibility, and influence of their work. This seminar will explore critical aspects of scientific publishing, with a focus on choosing between for-profit and not-for-profit journals, and understanding Open Access models—including gold, green, and hybrid options. We’ll discuss how these models affect the reach, accessibility, and citation potential of published research, as well as the financial considerations researchers often face when choosing between different publishing options, including how funding flows within the research ecosystem. Attendees will learn how to assess journal quality and ethics, evaluating factors like impact factor and editorial policies. We’ll also cover the role of preprints in the publishing timeline, the benefits of alternative metrics (like altmetrics and article-level metrics), and how to make decisions that align with individual research goals. Designed for researchers at any career stage, this workshop will provide practical insights into making informed, impactful publishing choices.
External events
If you are hosting an event in Athens that is related to the conference, but not officially connected, you can ask for it to be listed here (e.g. a workshop happening in town before or after the conference). Contact [email protected] with any questions.