In celebration of the successful completion of another semester, the QuEST program hosted its Fall Celebration at the Boardroom, Board Game Cafe, on the afternoon of December 8, 2023. The event not only reflected on the achievements of the past months but also looked forward to a new direction for the program and its participants.

During the celebration, Melissa Pespeni and Jill Preston announced two significant updates to the QuEST community. The program will change its name to Biological Data Science (BilDS), aiming to expand its reach to all graduate students interested in applying data science to better understand biological processes from global to molecular scales. The event also welcomed new leadership team members, Yolanda Chen and Joaquin Nunez, who will guide the BilDS community towards innovative learning experiences.

QuEST T-shirts in a new, collectively chosen color of Dark Olive were distributed, enhancing the sense of unity. Trainees from various cohorts had the opportunity to mingle and connect in the Boardroom's engaging atmosphere. It was great to build connections, noticing our similarities and differences by playing games like Herd Mentality, Wavelength, and Codenames. There was lots of laughter over our dripping grilled cheese sandwiches![MP1] 

Looking ahead, the program is dedicated to further enriching the academic and professional experiences of its trainees, promising an exciting future.

BilDS (formerly QuEST) trainees pictured above:  Brittany Verrico, Dan Munteanu, George Ni, Thomas O'leary, Aura Alonso-Rodriguez, Ericka Griggs, Anna Schmidt, Csenge Petak, Emily Dombrowski, Nora Heaphy, Maura Muldoon, Gwen Ellis, Ilaria Coero Borga, Reed Scott.

BilDS (formerly QuEST) leadership Team: Jill Preston, Melissa Pespeni, Joaquin Nunez, Lola Chen