MICB Lab Olympics brings students and faculty together

The Winter Olympic Games may be over on the international stage, but things were just heating up in Morgantown, as the School of Medicine’s Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology hosted its third annual MICB Lab Olympics. 

Participants competed in various events themed around MICB coursework and tools, including a PPE relay race, lab charades, pipette tip Skee ball and more. Teams are ranked based on their overall time and points earned by the end of the seven events. 

Spencer Dublin, a third-year PhD candidate in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis program and a member of the planning committee, enjoys planning social events for the department. 

“A little bit of friendly competition goes such a long way to help build that sense of belonging, especially for undergraduates and graduate students who may be a long way from home and on a huge campus for the first time,” Dublin said. “The event helps bring down the divide between students and faculty and helps to humanize people you may otherwise be too scared to interact with on a day-to-day basis.”  

Dr. Tracy Liu, assistant professor of Microbiology, Immunology and Cell Biology and the faculty coordinator for the MICB Lab Olympics, designed the event to create community among students and faculty. 

“Our goal is to bring the department together in a fun, engaging way that helps students build connections and feel part of a supportive community,” Liu said. 

To bring the MICB Lab Olympics to life, Liu, along with a student planning committee, created and tested the events, designed T-shirts and compiled food orders. 

Open to all faculty and students in the department, participants went home with not only wooden medals for winners but a feeling they’re where they belong. 

“I think the biggest gain from the Lab Olympics is the developed sense of camaraderie and socialization that our department gets from this event,” Dublin said. “We are a department that prides itself on our sense of community, collaboration, and communication; all that stems from events like the Lab Olympics.” 

For more information on the Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, visit medicine.wvu.edu/micro/.