iGEM from Afar: What it’s Like to be a Remote Judge
By Chris Turlo of the iGEM Judging Committee
This post features images and social media posts by by Chris and other iGEM 2022 Judges about the remote judge experience.
Why did I become a judge and why have I done it remotely?
When I first heard about iGEM in 2021, I was looking for a way to help mentor and communicate with younger scientists about their research. At the time, I was working as a research technician, and a colleague of mine was mentoring an iGEM team. He told me about his experiences at the Jamboree as a student, and how the Jamboree was an overwhelmingly positive space to learn about how synthetic biology was being used in various research areas. Though it was uncertain as to whether the Jamboree would be virtual or not because of COVID-19, I wanted to get involved. I applied and was accepted to serve as a judge.
My first year as a judge was the second year the Jamboree was held in a completely virtual format. Teams submitted video entries for review, and we were able to meet and interact with the teams through Zoom rooms to discuss their projects. During these Zoom sessions, it was uplifting to see what the teams were able to accomplish despite the challenges of limited in-lab time under COVID-19 restrictions. The teams described how they were still able to collaborate and mentor one another through events they organized online, and through their teamwork and grit were able to showcase some really innovative work. There was a sense of community between the teams, with them all focused on improving each other’s projects, and contributing to global efforts to encourage the communication of science and technology to younger students, the public, and people across the world through means of translation.
Judging Committee member Patrick Wu enjoyed the Jamboree from afar in 2022. Remote and in-person judges stay connected and share their experiences via the private Judging Slack group (pictured).
As a new judge, it was heartening to see that this sense of community extended to the group of judges, and I was able to look to more senior judges for advice, and felt that my contributions were heard during discussions about the team’s work. My experience as a remote judge made me want to come back to serve as a judge the following year. Though I had wanted to attend the Jamboree in person, I had recently made a major life decision to enroll in a Ph.D. program, and could not leave to be present in Paris. Luckily for me, the Jamboree was maintaining a hybrid format to accommodate judges and teams that could not be present in person, and I was able to be a part of the fun for a second year in a row.
My Experience Judging In a Hybrid Format
My second year as a judge, 2022, was the first year iGEM implemented the hybrid judging format, with judges present both in person at the Jamboree and virtually over Zoom. The judging process starts right before the Wiki Freeze in early October, where judges attend an online training session to get familiarized with how judging occurs, changes from year to year, and reminders as to what makes a good judge. Once I received my judging assignments, I paced myself to get most of the judging done before the Jamboree. I evaluated one wiki a night, coming up with questions to ask the teams during their judging session. Then, the night before the judging sessions, I would review the team wikis one more time to get a brief refresher of their work and finalize anything additional that I wanted to ask the teams.
At the Jamboree, I joined the team sessions virtually via a live, recorded Zoom that was broadcast to the room with the in-person judges and teams. During the judging session, a group of five judges and I listened to the teams present their work and participated in a question and answer session to learn more about the work the teams did. After three teams presented their work, my fellow judges and I met through a video chat using the iGEM Slack’s Huddle feature and discussed aspects of the presentations and team projects. Then, once the judging session was complete, I reviewed my notes, compiled written feedback for the teams I evaluated, and scored them through the online ballot.
On the final day of the Jamboree, I watched the livestream to see which teams were awarded medals, and watched in anticipation of the top iGEM teams that were vying for the BioBrick trophy. These teams then gave short presentations of their work. I cast a final vote for the project I thought was the most impactful and watched as the results unfolded.
Can’t Make it to Paris? Judging Remotely is a Great Option!
In 2022, approximately 30% of judges and 50% of teams presented their work remotely, and each year we are improving the ability to accommodate teams and judges who can’t attend the Jamboree in person.
I chose to judge remotely because I could not take the time off to travel. Fortunately, the time commitment of judging remotely was fairly easy to incorporate into my schedule. With multiple training sessions available at different points in the day, judges from any time zone have the opportunity to learn what has changed from year to year. After being assigned teams to evaluate, I was able to read through and assess team wikis at times when it was convenient for me, with the only additional time obligation being attending the hour and a half live judging session and the brief discussion on Slack Huddle afterward. I was able to integrate this work around my coursework and experimental needs, and found that it served as a nice reprieve to think about the projects being done by the student teams. Judging served as a great reminder as to why I want to further my career in academia: to help mentor the next batch of younger researchers.
Everyone has their own reason for judging remotely. Some people have difficulties getting a visa, or lack the time off or funds to make the trip. Some have commitments at home, work, or school that prevent a trip from being made, but that shouldn’t keep you from participating as a judge in iGEM. For these reasons and more, iGEM continues to facilitate and value remote participation of judges. Judging remotely has given me the opportunity to learn more about how synthetic biology could be used to approach problems, and that perspective has allowed me to problem-solve biological questions in my own research.
How do I sign up?
Whether you choose to judge in person or virtually, the iGEM competition is a great way to interact with students who are excited to share their research projects with the world. Signing up to judge the competition is quick, with an easy to fill out form that asks you about your background in science and engineering and why you want to be a part of iGEM. You can fill out the form here: https://competition.igem.org/judging/judges
I’m excited to be a part of iGEM for another year whether from Paris or online, and I cannot wait to see what’s in store for this year’s Jamboree!
Apply to Judge at iGEM 2023!
