Halloween Tea @ 3 collage- Waters lab went all out!:
Top left: "Doctor Vader" doing the force choke on his lab to keep them in line;
Bottom left: Some of the food and decorating;
Right: Nkrumah and Kaylee in lab appropriate costumes.
Social Events
2024 4-12 University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF) at Michigan State University
Dylan and Anna presenting their posters at the 2024 University Undergraduate Research
and Arts Forum.
2023 8-22 A Day at Berry Lake
Front row left to right: Aesha, Rhia, Kate
Back row left to right: Ted, Ritam, Vic
Left to right: Julie, Ted, Ritam, Rhia, Vic, and Kate.
2023 6-29 Mini Lab Reunion
We had a mini reunion since Ted and John came back for a fellow PhD student's defense.
Left to right: Rhia, Beth, John, Ted, Vic, and Ritam.
2023 ASM Microbe Conference
June 15-19, 2023
Houston, Texas
Ritam presenting his work at the ASM Microbe Conference.
Left image: Ritam posing with his poster.
Right image: Rtiam presenting his work during a Rapid Fire session.
Left image: Beth with her poster at the ASM Microbe Conference.
Right image: Maeve from the Crosson lab at Michigan State University presenting at
the conference.
2023 Michigan State University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF)
April 14, 2023 at the MSU Breslin Center
Collage of Anna at UURAF.
Left image: Anna explaining her work to an attendee.
Middle image: Vic and Anna posing at her poster.
Top right image: Anna with her parents (Evelyn and Brian.)
Bottom right image: left to right: Beth, Vic, Anna, Rhia, and Ritam.
Collage of Dylan at UURAF.
Top left photo: Vic and Dylan posing at his poster.
Top middle photo: Dylan explaining his work to an attendee.
Bottom left photo: left to right: Rhia, Ritam, Vic, Beth, and Dylan.
Right photo: Dylan with his family (Grandpa Joe and mom Heather.)
2023 Celebrating Ritam and Aesha's first wedding anniversary
at the Graduate Rock Bar in East Lansing
Front row: Aesha, Kate, Rhia;
Middle row: Beth, Ritam;
Back row: Jasper, Vic.
2022 Halloween Tea @ 3
More costumes from our Halloween Tea @ 3
2022 MSU Tailgate
September 24, 2022
Left: Grill-master Phil doing what he does best!
Right photos: Collage of tailgate attendees enjoying food and comradery.
2022 ASM Microbe Conference
June 9-13, 2022
Washington, D.C.
Some MSU representatives at the ASM Microbe conference.
Left to right: Beth Ottosen, Kati Ford, Doug Guzior, Brian Hsueh, Jasper Gomez.
Vic visiting with Natalia,
a previous post-doc from the lab
who now works at ACS in Washington, D.C.
Opening session at the ASM Microbe conference.
John Mekalanos of Harvard Medical School was honored with the
American Society for Microbiology Lifetime Achievement Award.
Right image: Beth presenting her work at the ASM Microbe conference.
Bottom image: Panorama of Beth with her title slide presenting her work
at the ASM Microbe conference.
2022 Celebrating Lucas's Ph.D. defense
Front row, left to right: John, Kate, baby Amara, Kay, Adair;
Middle row, left to right: Claudia, Rhia, Beth, Lucas, Jessica;
Back row, left to right: Vic, Jeff, Sarah, Elyse.
Lucas and Vic Collage
with baby Amara.
Left: Uncle Lucas with Amara;
Top right: Kate, holding Amara, with Grandma Kay;
Bottom right: Grandpa Jeff holding Amara.
Microbiology and Molecular Genetics* Retirement Reception
May 19, 2022
Eight MMG faculty members retiring from MSU posing with the department chair after the retirement ceremony.
* Microbiology and Molecular Genetics (MMG) is now the Department of Microbiology, Genetics, & Immunology (MGI).
Left to right: John Fyfe, Patrick Venta, George Garrity, Martha Mulks, Vic DiRita (department chair), Donna Koslowsky, John Merrill, Susan Conrad, and Michael Thomashow
Honorees and fellow faculty members
chatting during the reception.
Starting from the left: Martha Mulks, Linda Mansfield, John Merrill, Donna Koslowsky,
Vilma Yuzbasiyan-Gurkan, Sue Conrad, Peggy Petroff (standing), James Tiedje, Vic DiRita,
and Rich Lenski
2022 Michigan State University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF)
Dylan and Vic posing at Dylan's poster at UURAF.
Top photo: Dylan explaining his research to an attendee of UURAF.
Bottom photo: Overview of the poster session held on the floor of the
Breslin Center on the campus of Michigan State University.
2022 MMG Undergraduate Research Showcase
Dylan presenting his first research poster
Dylan explaining his research to a showcase attendee.
2021 lab outing: fun at Berry Lake
DiRita lab at Berry Lake
Front row: Kate, Claudia, Beth, Rhia
Back row: Ritam, Lucas, Ted, Vic
Having fun on the lake: pontoon boat ride, kayaking, and paddle boarding. It was a
little windy, but everyone enjoyed themselves.
Left photo: Millie, the dog, enjoying a pontoon boat ride.
Top middle photo: Beth paddle boarding.
Bottom middle photo: Ritam kayaking.
Top right photo: Kassie paddle boarding.
Bottom right photo: Claudia paddle boarding.
Enjoying drinks and snacks around the campfire.
Top left photo: Ted with Berry Lake in the background.
Bottom left photo: Ted and Beth getting the fire going, while Lucas enjoys a cold
beverage and Tum sets up a camp chair in the background.
Middle photo: Lucas savoring a s'more.
Top right photo: Rhia by the lake.
Bottom right photo: Tum and Beth warming up by the fire.
Michigan State University 2021 Commencement
Ted and Vic at MSU commencement. (Photo courtesy of Ted Van Alst.)
2021 MSU MMG Ph.D. graduates and their mentors:
Front row: Alshae’ Logan-Jackson, Nkrumah Grant, Kyle Card, Ted Van Alst, Peggy Petroff,
Nhu Nguyen;
Back row: Rob Abramovitch, Rich Lenski, Sean Nguyen, Vic DiRita, Yann Dufour, Josh
Franklin.
Photo courtesy of Rob Abramovitch.
2021 celebrating Ted's Ph.D. defense
On laptop: JJ
Front row: Kassie, Lizzie, Ted, and Lucas
Middle row: Beth, Rhia, Ritam, and Julie
Back row: Josh, Vic, and Ed
Collage celebrating Ted
Top left image: Ted with his family- left to right: Kassie, Ed, Ted, Julie, and Lizzie
Bottom left image: Vic and Ted
Bottom middle image: Ted with cake
Right image: left to right: Ed, Ted, Julie, and Vic
2021 DiRita lab get-together post Covid-19 vaccinations
Now that we all are fully vaccinated, we decided to have a gathering in real life!
Left to right: Vic, Lucas, Ritam, Ted, Rhia, and Beth
2020 DiRita lab reunion via zoom
2020 Integrative Pharmacological Sciences Training Program (IPSTP) retreat
Lucas presenting his work at the IPSTP retreat at MSU
2019 MSU MMG Departmental Tailgate (hosted by MMG Post-Docs)
Collage of tailgate attendees enjoying food and comradery. (All 2019 tailgate photos
courtesy of Alessandra Hunt.)
2019 lab outing: a day at Berry Lake
Collage Figure Legend:
Top left: going for a boat ride
Top middle: Ritam kayaking
Top right: Ted, Ritam, Beth, and Lucas
Bottom left: Lucas kayaking
Bottom middle: enjoying the hot tub
Bottom right: Beth paddle boarding
Celebrating Natalia's time in the lab (2019)
Left to right standing in back: Lucas, Jab, Natalia, Ted, Beth
Left to right sitting on sofa: Vic, Sarah, Ritam
Left to right kneeling in front: Rhia and Sammy the dog
2018 Oktoberfest in Frankenmuth, Michigan
Left image: Melissa and Sarah playing a game of giant Connect Four
Right image: Posing in front of the giant beer steins
Left to right: Ritam, Kevin, Frankie, Rhia, Ted, Melissa, and Sarah
2018 lab outing: Berry Lake
Left image: Enjoying an evening boat ride:
Front row: Kate and Natalia;
Middle row: Vic and Ed;
Back row: Ted, Julie, and Lizzie
Right image: Ted, Rhia, and Natalia sitting in the lake
at Ted's family's house
MMG Post-Doc Association Tailgate: Group Photo (2018)
Friends and family of MMG Post-doc tailgate
Enjoying the MMG PDA tailgate (2018)
ASM Microbe Conference in Atlanta, GA (2018)
DiRita lab representatives at ASM Microbe Conference in Atlanta, GA (2018);
Image to the right: Natalia with Vic at her poster;
Bottom left image: Ritam with Vic at his poster;
Bottom right image: Lucas with Vic at his poster
Conference attendees relaxing at an informal dinner after ASM conference (2018);
Left to right: Lucas, Laura, Natalia, and Ritam
Midwest Vibrio Summit at Indiana University (2018)
DiRita lab representatives at the
Midwest Vibrio Summit at Indiana University (2018);
Left image: Ted presenting a talk about how
Vibrio cholerae interacts with mucin
(image courtesy of Chris Waters);
Right image: Lucas presenting his poster about
TcpH domains that inhibit TcpP proteolysis
2018 Michigan State University Undergraduate Research and Arts Forum (UURAF)
DiRita lab undergraduates presenting their posters at MSU UURAF (2018)
left to right: Ben, Alyssa, Joe
DiRita lab Christmas (2017)
Back row (on the stairs): Alyssa, Natalia, Rhia, Joe
Front row: Ted, Cameron, Philip, Vic, Shaun, Ritam, Nils
2017 MSU MMG tailgate
DiRita lab at the MSU MMG tailgate;
Back row: Lucas, Vic, JJ, Nils, Ted
Front row: Joe, Natalia, Rhia, Shaun
Grill-master Phil cooking chicken wings for the MSU MMG tailgate
Matt and Josh playing washer toss at the MSU MMG tailgate while Phil officiates
2017 Michigan ASM Fall meeting
MSU representatives at Michigan ASM Fall meeting (2017);
Included are members of the DiRita, Dufour, Hammer, and Kroos labs of Michigan State
University
ASM Microbe Conference in New Orleans (2017)
Collage of Vic and Ted at ASM Microbe Conference in New Orleans (2017)
Celebrating with Melissa (2017);
front row to back: Ritam, Melissa;
Natalia, Joe;
Rhia, Kate, Lucas;
Vic, Ted
Science Festival at Michigan State University (2017)
Left image: (left to right) Jeff, Ben, Laura, Geoff getting everything set up for
their demonstrations
Right image: Presenters demonstrating various topics to the public
MSU UURAF (2017)
Left image: Shaun at his poster for MSU UURAF (2017)
Right image: Ben at his poster for MSU
UURAF (2017)
Mi-ASM Conference (2017)
DiRita Lab at Mi-ASM (2017);
back row: Vic, Ted, Shaun, Lucas;
front row: Ritam, Natalia, Rhia, Joe
Left image: Ritam at his poster at Mi-ASM (2017)
Right image: Joe at his poster at Mi-ASM (2017)
DiRita Lab Christmas (2016);
back row: Vic, Shaun, Ted, Ben;
middle row: Lucas, Natalia, Cole, Melissa, Rhia, Ritam, Alicia;
front row (sitting): Joe, Alex, Marisa
Joint University of Michigan-Michigan State University Microbiology Retreat (2016)
Left image: Representatives from the DiRita lab at the joint microbiology retreat;
left to right: Vic, Ted, Natalia, Rhia
Right image: Posing at Gull Lake before leaving the joint microbiology retreat;
left to right: Pallavi (Manning lab), Rhia (DiRita lab), Alessandra (Waters lab),
Natalia (DiRita lab), Phil (Hammer lab)
DiRita and Waters labs group photo at MMPC (2016);
back row (left to right): Ted, Michael, Geoff, Nico;
front row (left to right): Rhia, Natalia, Dulce
MMG Post-Doc Association Tailgate (2016)
Left image: Group Photo of tailgate attendees
Right image: Grill-master Phil at the tailgate
Jessica's Ph.D. defense celebration (2016)
Left image: Jessica and Vic after Jessica's defense
Right photo: The gang celebrating with Jessica;
back row (left to right): Jeff, Ted, Vic, Drew, Wei Ping, Joe, Cole;
front row (left to right): Jessica, Jyl, Rhia, Natalia
JJ's going away lunch at Meat Southern BBQ and Carnivore Cuisine (2016)
JJ attempted the "Ultimate Carnivore Food Challenge": eat the "Boss Logg" and Made-to-order Mac-N-Cheese in 45 minutes. If finished, you get the meal for free, a free t-shirt, a beer on the house, and your picture on the wall of fame. Twenty four minutes into the challenge and JJ is giving up. He couldn't pack it all away. Alas, next time, JJ, next time!
Left image: The "Boss Logg" at the start of the challenge.
Right image: The remnants of JJ's "Boss Logg" and Mac-N-Cheese.
Lea's going away party (2016);
left to right: Natalia, Rhia, Ted, Lea, Marisa, Shaun
Lab group photo at Morgan and Marisa's graduation lunch (2016);
back row (left to right): Ted, Vic, JJ, Shaun;
front row (left to right): Natalia, Rhia, Morgan, Marisa, Alex
Lab group photo (2016);
back row (left to right): JJ, Vic, Ted;
front row (left to right): Lea, Natalia, Morgan, Marisa, Rhia
Lab group photo at MiASM (2015);
back row (left to right): Rhia, Patrick, JJ, Vic;
front row (left to right): Marisa, Jessica, Morgan