Registration Open for USU's 11th Annual Hansen Life Sciences Retreat

Registration is open for Utah State University’s 2021 Hansen Life Sciences Retreat, slated for Friday and Saturday, Oct. 8-9, at the Riverwoods Conference Center in Logan. Celebrating its 11th year, the annual gathering is open to all USU students, faculty and staff involved in the study of biological processes at the molecular level.

“Each fall, we invite scholars from all departments throughout campus, who are conducting study and research in the molecular life sciences, to pause their experiments, throw off their lab coats and join us to share ideas and approaches with one another,” says Sean Johnson, associate dean in the College of Science and associate professor in USU’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, which coordinates the conference. “This is a gathering to encourage collaborative efforts and celebrate each individual’s contributions in the larger research community.”

Featured speaker for the event is Grant Jensen, dean of Brigham Young University’s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and former director of the Caltech Cryo-EM Facility. He speaks during the Friday, Oct. 8 seminar session, from 4:30-7 p.m.

The retreat continues Saturday, Oct. 9, from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. with research presentations, a poster session and career networking.

Registration includes refreshments on Friday; breakfast and lunch on Saturday and a retreat T-shirt.

Cost to participate in the retreat is $20 per person. Participants should register by Sunday, September 26, 2021, and request their T-shirt size. An option to participate remotely via Zoom is included on the on-line registration form.

The gathering honors the memory of renowned biochemist R. Gaurth Hansen (1920-2002), a gifted scientist, teacher and administrator, who spent much of his career enriching Utah State University. A Cache Valley, Utah native, Hansen began his undergraduate studies at Utah State, before transferring to the University of Wisconsin, where he completed bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees.

Hansen joined USU's faculty as an academic vice president in 1968, and was soon promoted to provost. His efforts contributed to a twenty-fold increase in the university's research budget. In addition to his administrative and teaching endeavors, Hansen published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles in professional journals, and he received many prestigious national accolades. He was named USU Distinguished Professor Emeritus in 1985 and retired from Utah State in 1994.

The Hansen Retreat is supported by Lars Peter Hansen and Grace Tsiang.

For more information, contact the USU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at 435-797-0544.