CLEVELAND, Miss. — Three Delta State University students and two faculty members recently represented the university at the 2026 Beta Beta Beta National Convention, where they presented research and participated in professional development activities alongside students and educators from across the country.
The conference, held May 27-31 in Tallahassee, Florida, brought together representatives from approximately 60 colleges and universities affiliated with Beta Beta Beta, commonly known as TriBeta, a national honor society for students in the biological sciences.
Delta State’s Beta Delta chapter, established in 1950, was represented by faculty advisers Dr. William Katembe and Dr. Nina Baghai-Riding, along with students Sara Davis, Kent Humphries and Peyton Bevan.
Davis, a junior environmental science major from Amory, presented research in the Ecology, Environmental and Organismal Biology Division. Her poster, titled “The Delta State University Herbarium, an Active Repository of Over 17,500 Plant Specimens,” was co-authored by Baghai-Riding. Davis also received a $300 travel grant from TriBeta to attend the conference.
In the Molecular and Microbiology Division, Humphries, of Fulton, presented research on the biosynthetic enzyme tetralberberine oxidase. The project was co-authored by Dr. Chris Jurenson.
Bevan, a senior biology major from Jasper, Alabama, presented research focused on improving the detection of sarcospan in adipocyte cells. The project was co-authored by Dr. Severine Groh. Bevan is also the incoming president of Delta State’s TriBeta chapter.
In addition to mentoring student research, Katembe and Baghai-Riding served as judges during the conference. Katembe evaluated presentations in the Molecular and Microbiology Division, while Baghai-Riding judged presentations in the Ecology, Environmental and Organismal Biology Division.
Conference attendees participated in oral and poster presentations, exhibits, networking opportunities and the organization’s annual awards banquet. The event also featured a keynote address by Gregory Erickson of Florida State University titled “Ice Dinosaurs from the Alaskan Arctic.”
The convention concluded with student business meetings and the announcement of the 2028 TriBeta National Convention.
TriBeta promotes scholarship, undergraduate research and a greater appreciation for the biological sciences among college students nationwide.
