The Department of Biology hosted the annual meeting of the South Central Branch of the American Society for Microbiology on November 1 and 2, 2019. More than 180 microbiology faculty, students, and exhibitors from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas attended the event featuring 114 oral and poster scientific presentations, a keynote speaker, an educational session, and a reception. Two UM graduate students, Eric Weingarten and Maya Kaup, won first place awards in the student competition. Alumnus Dr. Jonas King, now at Mississippi State University, won the outstanding Assistant Professor in the South Central Branch Award.