CLARKSVILLE, TN – Dr. Catherine Haase, a professor at Austin Peay State University’s biology department, recently led her lab of graduate students northward to Winnipeg for the North American Society of Bat Research (NASBR) conference to present research and network with a who’s-who of bat experts, researchers, scientists and devotees.
“It’s a wonderful conference,” Haase said. “I’ve been to a lot of different conferences in my career, and I think this one is one of the only ones I have routinely gone back to every year because the presentations are really great. It’s also a wonderful conference for students. Everyone is very welcoming and warm, and they do a lot of student-centered activities to be sure students feel involved.”
Brandon Gulley and Leah Crowley presented at the conference. Gulley showcased his thesis on perceived predation impacts on bats in an oral presentation, while Leah presented her thesis on Texas bats evading white-nose syndrome in a poster presentation. Fellow graduate student Dakota Van Parys joined them.
Haase called the curling fundraiser that started the conference “so much fun.” “I had never been curling before, and I was very excited,” she said. “A lot of the bat researchers are from Canada, so they’re into those Canadian sports.”
The curling set a casual, welcoming tone for the conference. Teacher workshops explored how to integrate bat research into classrooms, and outreach workshops trained attendees to educate the public after a day of outstanding student presentations.
Gulley, a retired Army veteran who taught public speaking, had a new feeling as he presented to the room.
“It was intimidating,” he said. “By the time I reached the point I was teaching in the Army, I was an expert on everything at my level. But now, here I was standing in front of these professionals as an amateur, being introduced by Dr. Nancy Simmons [one of the curators of the American Museum of Natural History], whose book I was just reading. It’s a bit of a tough act to follow.”
Intimidation aside, Gulley welcomed the conversations in Winnipeg, which yielded discoveries for both the presenter and the attendee.
“Getting that feedback is so invaluable,” he continued. “There were great ideas that came from those discussions, from people coming up to me and asking questions.”
While in Winnipeg, Haase won election to the NASBR Board of Directors. She will do much more than participate actively as a board member. Haase will serve on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and chair the Auction and Sponsorship Committee, responsible for securing sponsorships for student awards and auction items, with proceeds funding travel for global experts to attend the North American convention.