CU-Lock Haven students present research at the 46th Mid-Atlantic Mycological Conference

Students from Commonwealth University-Lock Haven attended the 46th Mid-Atlantic States Mycological Conference (MASMC), held at North Carolina A&T and hosted by Dr. Oman. The annual meeting brought together students, faculty and professional mycologists for research presentations, workshops and field-based learning centered on fungi and fungal biology.

MASMC has a long tradition of serving as an important early professional venue for new graduate students, especially master’s and doctoral students giving their first research talks and presenting initial findings. In recent years, Dr. Barrie E. Overton has expanded that opportunity to CU-Lock Haven undergraduates. For about five years, he has taken undergraduate researchers to MASMC to present their work alongside graduate students and professional scientists. Lock Haven students submit juried abstracts, and their abstracts have been selected for oral presentations every year.

This year, students participated in a pre-conference workshop on mushroom cultivation, where they learned practical techniques and inoculated shiitake logs. The workshop connected classroom mycology with hands-on cultivation skills, giving students a direct view of how fungal biology, agriculture and applied research intersect.

The Lock Haven student group included Kara Grosso, a graduate student from Mansfield; Liz Culp, a second year student from Williamsport; Jarred Black, a second year student from Woodland; and Emily Winton, a third year student from Ottsville. Winton served as the senior research student in Overton’s lab, having worked with him for more than three years. In the lab, she earned the nickname “the boss” because she became the bridge between Overton and new student researchers, helping train incoming students on lab policies, procedures and expectations.

Their collaborative work led to three presentations at MASMC and three presentations at the CU-LH Celebration of Scholarship, highlighting the strength of undergraduate research mentoring, peer training, and sustained student involvement in the CU-LH mycology program.