Students and faculty from Delta State University recently participated in the 2026 TriBeta National Convention in Tallahassee, Florida. The university was represented by (L to R) Peyton Bevan, Sara Davis, Kent Humphries, Dr. Nina Baghai-Riding, and Dr. William Katembe.CLEVELAND, Miss. — Students and faculty from Delta State University’s Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences recently presented research and participated in the 2026 Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta) National Convention, held May 27-31 in Tallahassee, Florida.
Delta State joined approximately 60 institutions from across the nation at the conference, which brought together members of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society to share research, attend professional development sessions and engage with peers in the biological sciences. Delta State’s “Beta Delta” chapter, established in 1950, was represented by five attendees, including faculty advisors Dr. William Katembe and Dr. Nina Baghai-Riding, along with three biology and environmental science students.
Sara Davis (R) presented research in the Ecology, Environmental and Organismal Biology Division. Dr. Nina Baghai-Riding (L) advises the DSU chapter of TriBeta.
Sara 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.
Two Delta State biology students presented research in the Molecular and Microbiology Division. Kent Humphries of Fulton presented “Structural Studies of the Biosynthetic Enzyme Tetralberberine Oxidase,” co-authored with Dr. Chris Jurenson. Peyton Bevan of Jasper, Alabama, a pre-med biology senior and incoming TriBeta chapter president, presented “Optimizing Detection of Sarcospan in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes: Preliminary Evaluation of Antibody Performance and Membrane Protein Solubilization,” co-authored by Dr. Severine Groh.
Kent Humphries of Fulton presented “Structural Studies of the Biosynthetic Enzyme Tetralberberine Oxidase.”
In addition to mentoring student research, Katembe and Baghai-Riding served as conference judges in their respective disciplines. Katembe judged presentations in the Molecular and Microbiology Division, while Baghai-Riding evaluated presentations in the Ecology, Environmental and Organismal Biology Division.
Conference participants attended oral and poster presentations, exhibits, the Silent Auction and the Recognition and Awards Banquet. The meeting also featured a keynote presentation by Dr. Gregory Erickson of Florida State University titled “Ice Dinosaurs from the Alaskan Arctic.”
The conference concluded with student business meetings and the announcement of the 2028 TriBeta National Convention. Students and faculty are already making plans to participate in the next gathering.
Peyton Bevan presented “Optimizing Detection of Sarcospan in 3T3-L1 Adipocytes: Preliminary Evaluation of Antibody Performance and Membrane Protein Solubilization.”
Beta Beta Beta, commonly known as TriBeta, is a national honor society for students of the biological sciences. The organization is dedicated to improving the understanding and appreciation of biological study, encouraging scientific research and promoting scholarship among undergraduate students. For more information about the Division of Mathematics and Sciences at Delta State University please visit their website at https://www.deltastate.edu/nursing-health-sciences/mathematics-sciences/.
