Who we are
We are a diverse group of faculty and graduate students from Miami University (Ohio), doing research in species conservation, ecology, evolution, and genetics. Our studies are also diverse in terms of what organisms we work on. Some of us work with plants and fungi, trying to understand how fungi can help plants grow in different conditions. Others work with a variety of animals (grasshoppers, salamanders, snakes, wild mice, lizards), studying how and why these species adapt, evolve, and distribute around the world in different ways. Despite the many differences in what we do, something we have in common is our need to use data analysis tools, such as R and Python (common programming languages used in data analysis). Furthermore, we acknowledge two things: 1) people beginning their paths within biology may not know how real data is obtained and what tools are used to analyze it; 2) even when they have some knowledge, steep learning curves and lack of opportunities or access to practice with these tools make them feel unapproachable. With our workshop, we want to offer students a way to overcome these difficulties.
Funding: Dr. Tereza Jezkova was funded by the National Science Foundation to conduct her research (NSF award number 2144047). These funds included the development of the LAMBDA workshop.
Mission
We created the LAMBDA workshop to give students from different academic levels (High School, College Undergraduates and Graduates), and with an interest in the biological sciences, foundational knowledge and practical exposure to different data analysis tools. These tools are highly valued in industry and research settings, and are likely to be encountered many times in the pursuit of a career as a biologist.
Vision
Recent advances in computational power have increased the sizes and variety of datasets used in biological sciences; examples of these are genomic sequences and fine-scale geographic information (something we can call big data). Analyzing big data requires advanced bioinformatic skills, which not everyone has access to develop until later in their careers. We aim for a world where students from different backgrounds face as little barriers as possible in their recruitment and preparation for future careers in STEM that deal with big data.
Values
The LAMBDA workshop strives to be an inclusive place, where students and instructors from diverse backgrounds can share and learn together. We believe that the study of biology should be accessible to everyone, and we strive to bridge any lack of opportunities that students from different levels may encounter. We value curiosity, will to learn, and perseverance, as these three things tend to be more essential than raw talent in academic success. Furthermore, our workshop follows a Code of Conduct that both, instructors and students must uphold.