Jamboree 2017 Speaker Spotlight: Ross Curtis, PhD

Ross Curtis, Ph.D., joined the AncestryDNA team in January of 2012. He is a computational biologist specializing in genetics and visual analytics and loves applying his expertise to family history.

TH003 Beyond Ethnicity Results: How DNA Connects Us to Our Past  

Southern California Genealogical Society

48th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree

Genetic Genealogy 2017

www.genealogyjamboree.com

jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com

#SCGS2017 @scgsgenealogy.com

Jamboree 2017 Speaker Spotlight: Kristin Rand, PhD

Kristin Rand, Ph.D., joined the AncestryDNA team in November of 2015. She is an epidemiologist who specializes in understanding how genetics are associated with demographic patterns. Prior to joining AncestryDNA, Dr. Rand’s work focused on the contribution of genetic variation to multiple myeloma and prostate cancer risk in individuals of European and African ancestry, as well as providing insight into the genetic basis for the observed racial/ethnic disparity in incidence observed for both diseases. Dr. Rand holds a Ph.D. in Epidemiology from the University of Southern California.

SA029 How DNA Testing Works: The Science Behind Your DNA Results

Southern California Genealogical Society
48th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree
Genetic Genealogy 2017
www.genealogyjamboree.com
jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com
#SCGS2017 @scgsgenealogy.com

Jamboree 2016 Speaker Spotlight: Anna Swayne

Anna Swayne has ten years of experience in the DNA Genealogy world. Her focus is educating on the power of DNA and the story it can unlock for each of us.


Saturday, June 4, 2016  2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
SA029   Cracking the Case with DNA 
Want to use your DNA results to break down a brick wall in your family tree? In this class we will show you how to use DNA to solve mysteries in your family tree, step by step. Come with your own genealogical questions – we’ll do our best to answer them, and arm you with the tools and know-how to answer any future questions on your own. Level: All.

To register, visit our website

Southern California Genealogy Jamboree
Genetic Genealogy 2016
www.genealogyjamboree.com
jamboree@scgsgenealogy.com
818.843.7247

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Ross E. Curtis, PhD

Ross Curtis joined the AncestryDNA team in January of 2012. He is a computational biologist, specializing in genetics and visual analytics, and loves applying his expertise to family history and genealogy. Before AncestryDNA, Dr. Curtis focused on using visualization and statistics to discover genetic mutations that contribute to disease. Dr. Curtis received his B.S. from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. in Computational Biology from Carnegie Mellon University.

TH026 Thursday June 4, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

The Latest Innovations in DNA Technology and Science and What They Mean for You

Join us to go behind the scenes at AncestryDNA to learn about the science and revolutionary technology used to find your ancestors from your DNA. We will cover the strategy needed to analyze the evolving matching algorithms used for Autosomal DNA.

FR016 Friday June 5, 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.

Panel: What's New at Ancestry

Ancestry is continually innovating to make your family history more accessible, more enjoyable, and more accurate. Join Crista Cowan as she welcomes a panel of product managers from various areas of the Ancestry business to discuss new (and upcoming) features in AncestryDNA, Ancestry Trees, and Ancestry Content.

Jamboree 2015 - Meet the Speaker: Anna Swayne

Anna Swayne has eight years of experience in the DNA Genealogy world. At Ancestry.com she leads efforts in developing education around DNA, so everyone can maximize their experience with AncestryDNA. Before coming to Ancestry.com she was a teacher and personal DNA Consultant for SMGF/GeneTree. She enjoys teaching beginner and intermediate classes at national and local conferences on DNA and how it can answer ancestral questions or assist with genealogical roadblocks.

SU008 Sunday June 7, 8:30 - 9:30 a.m.
Finding New Ancestors with AncestryDNA
Feel like you're swimming through an endless stream of DNA matches without any direction? Come learn how AncestryDNA's latest innovations in matching and DNA Circles technology help you leverage your matches to validate your research and find new research leads.

Bargain Alert: DNA Testing. Have You Been Tested?

NOTE: This is not an endorsement of any DNA testing company. We encourage you to do your own research and choose the one(s) that best fit your needs.

All three of the following will be present at the Family History and DNA conference that is being held on June 6, 2013, in Burbank, California, in conjunction with the Southern California Genealogy Jamboree (June 7-9, 2013).

The DNA conference is limited to 350 attendees, and we are approaching 75 percent full. Register today - the Early Bird Registration deadline is April 30! And remember that SCGS members enjoy an even greater discount.

If you are interested in being tested, we wanted to let you know : 

Family Tree DNA has a sale that ends April 30. Sale prices start at:
$119.00    Y-DNA testing (paternal line)
$169.00    Family Finder testing – across all lines, both male and female
$189.00    Full mtDNA testing (maternal line)
For full information, see www.familytreedna.com

23andMe recently announced that their standard price is $99.00. Their information is available at www.23andme.com. Click on the “Ancestry” tab to see the specifics about their genealogy services.

AncestryDNA information can be found at www.dna.ancestry.com. Their standard pricing is also $99.00 for a full test.

Registration Update: "Family History and DNA" Conference - Burbank June 6, 2013

This is a quick note to let everyone know that interest is very strong for "Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013," and we are already 25 percent sold out. This is well ahead of the registration response that we typically see for Jamboree. If you plan to attend, in the words of my Iowa grandmother, "Don't let the grass grow under your feet." We will very likely sell out.

This is truly becoming an international event, with attendees from the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, and points beyond, as well as locations around the US. We are excited to see that family historians everywhere are embracing the concept of an independent day-long conference about genetic genealogy.

As a reminder, the "Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013" conference will be held on Thursday, June 6, 2013, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Hotel, 2500 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, California. The event is co-sponsored by the Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG).

Featured speakers include Dr. Spencer Wells, Explorer in Residence at the National Geographic, and lunch speaker Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr.  Please note that lunch requires an additional payment. To clarify, lunch is for registered attendees only. Registrants may invite a guest (e.g. spouse), as long as space is available.  I wish we could accommodate everyone at this fabulous luncheon; however, we haven't yet found a way to stretch the walls of the Convention Center.

Plan to stay for Jamboree, which starts on Friday, June 7. Friday morning's sessions are JamboFREE, and Friday afternoon features a DNA panel as well as an African American DNA session. Of course, we encourage you to stay for the entire weekend.

The Early-bird Conference Registration costs (before 30 April 2013) are listed below. Registration costs increase by $25 between 1 May and 24 May. Walk-in registration, if space is available, is $225 for everyone.

• SCGS Members - $175 on or before 30 April 2013
• SCGS Non-Members - $195 on or before 30 April 2013
• $20 luncheon for registrants
• $60 luncheon for registrant's +1 (a guest) if space is available 
• Lunch is not open to the public. Lunch is intended for registered attendees of the "Family History and DNA" conference and a guest. 

Important Links:

• Jamboree Website (www.genealogyjamboree.com)
• DNA Day Webpage, including speaker bios
• DNA Day Schedule
• DNA Day Online Registration 
• Mail-in Registration Form
• DNA Day Tri-fold Brochure
• DNA Day 8.5"x11" Poster 
• Jamboree Online Registration 
• (click the appropriate status - nonmember or current/new SCGS member)
• SCGS Membership 
• SCGS Website

(Edited to clarify luncheon guests must be "Family History and DNA" conference registered attendee or their guest)

Spencer Wells, PhD and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PhD to Speak at Conference in Burbank, CA

It’s rare that a new type of event is introduced to the genealogical community. The Southern California Genealogical Society and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy are proud to announce such an event.

“Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013” is a one-day conference designed to fully explore the application of genetic genealogy in researching family history. It will be held Thursday, June 6, 2013, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport, Burbank, California. Registrations are open now and an early-bird registration discount is in place through April 30.

“We are so excited that this new conference will break new ground in genetic genealogy gatherings,” said SCGS president Alice Fairhurst, who helped to found the society’s DNA interest group and has been actively applying DNA in her own genealogy research. “Family History and DNA” differs from other DNA events in several ways.

First, speakers are among the most highly respected and knowledgeable professionals in the DNA and genetic genealogy universe.

The opening session will be conducted by Spencer Wells, PhD, an Explorer-in-Residence with the National Geographic Society. He leads The Genographic Project, which is collecting and analyzing hundreds of thousands of DNA samples from people around the world. Dr. Wells’ presentation is “The Genographic Project and the Rise of Citizen Science.”

Genetics has revolutionized our understanding of human history. Advances in genetic technology have allowed ever deeper insights into the human story. Now whole-genome sequences and large-scale arrays of genetic markers are providing a richer view of our shared past, revealing details that remained hidden using other genetic tools. Since 2005, the Genographic Project has used the latest genetic technology to expand our knowledge of the human story, and its pioneering use of DNA testing to engage and involve the public in the research effort has helped to create a new breed of "citizen scientist." Geno 2.0 expands the scope for citizen science, harnessing the power of the crowd to discover new details of human population history.
 

The luncheon speaker will be Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PhD, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard University. Dr. Gates is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer and film maker. His programs for PBS, including Finding Your Roots, African American Lives, Faces of America and Oprah’s Roots, explored family histories of a number of individuals through the use of DNA. (Please note that the luncheon requires an additional fee of $20 for paid registrants of the Thursday DNA conference, and $60 for spouses or guests of those registrants.)

Other speakers include Judy G. Russell, JD, CG; Richard Hill; Emily D. Aulicino; Katherine Hope Borges; CeCe Moore; Tim Janzen, MD; Blaine Bettinger, JD; and Debbie Parker Wayne, CG. We are grateful for the enthusiastic support show by all our speakers, especially Dr. Well and Dr. Gates, through their participation in this conference.

Second, “Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013” is produced by independent groups, not for-profit DNA organizations. The Southern California Genealogical Society (SCGS) and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) have joined forces to offer this inaugural DNA event. While it is independent of financial support by any of the commercial DNA companies, the event will provide equal access to Family Tree DNA, 23andMe, and AncestryDNA. 

CeCe Moore, speaker, conference co-chair and Southern California Regional Coordinator for ISOGG explained, “I've dreamed of a genetic genealogy conference sponsored by ISOGG for a long time, and I am thrilled to be working in cooperation with SCGS on this inaugural event. Holding the conference in conjunction with the Genealogy Jamboree helps us reach many family historians who would otherwise not be able to attend.”

Finally, the event’s three session tracks are organized by the level of experience using genetic genealogy, and not based on the attendee’s knowledge of family history. Sessions include beginner basics, use of DNA in finding adoptee families, famous DNA, autosomal DNA, mitochondrial DNA, analyzing results and other topics. The final hour of the day will be a resource hour, with small-group discussions and supplier assistance.

Complete information about “Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013” and the Southern California Genealogical Society’s 44th Annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree can be found on the Jamboree website, http://www.genealogyjamboree.com.

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The Southern California Genealogical Society is located in Burbank, California. It sponsors the annual Southern California Genealogy Jamboree, which will be held June 7 through 9, 2013, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank, Burbank, California. The pre-event is the inaugural “Family History and DNA: Genetic Genealogy in 2013” conference.