Institute for Genetic Genealogy Conference Next Month in San Diego

I4GG Speakers 2016

Please join us for a premiere Genetic Genealogy event, held in San Diego next month. The DNA Detectives brings back the Institute for Genetic Genealogy Conference (I4GG) for 2016, this time in San Diego, CA on October 22 and 23, with 14 experts presenting 21 genetic genealogy topics.

The presentations will cover all levels of experience, beginner, intermediate and advanced. Headlining the conference are leading genetic genealogy educators Blaine Bettinger and CeCe Moore (me), with special guest Schelly Talalay Dardashti of Tracing the Tribe. We are honored to be able to present the following additional speakers with expertise in a wide variety of areas in genetic genealogy: Carol Rolnick, Michelle Trostler, Kitty Cooper, Kathy Johnston, Leah Larkin, Barbara Rae Venter from DNAAdoption and Junel Davidsen, Kathleen Fernandes, Thomas Krahn from YSEQ, Afton Vechery from 23andMe and Janine Cloud from Family Tree DNA. 

This event will cover traditional genetic genealogy as well as genetic genealogy methodologies for unknown parentage, with two tracks to choose from each day. Attendees can choose from one of two presentations (in either track), running all day Saturday and Sunday. The tracks on Saturday will focus on 1) Traditional applications for Genetic Genealogy research and 2) Using DNA for unknown parentage/adoption search. Sunday will start out with an exciting keynote given by Blaine about the future of genetic genealogy. During the two tracks on Sunday experts will cover third party tools, endogamy, Jewish DNA, spreadsheets and triangulation, case studies and you will hear from two of the leading companies in the field.

We are very excited that Blaine will be presenting two brand new talks at this conference, Evaluating a Genealogical Conclusion Including DNA and DNA and the Aftermath of Uncovered Family Secrets. His wonderful new book "Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy" will be available for purchase on site. 

Both Family Tree DNA and MyHeritage will have an onsite presence at the event. 

Early registration has been extended until the end of the month (since I hadn't had time to blog about it until now). The cost is $169 for both days or $99 for one (videos will be included with the full two-day conference registration). There is still availability in our room block ($145 + tax until Oct. 4, subject to continued availability) at the Sheraton Mission Valley. 

Please go to http://i4gg.org/event-information/ to learn more and to register. Watch our awesome video below and at https://vimeo.com/181412550.


GENETIC GENEALOGY CONFERENCE i4gg 2016 SAN DIEGO OCT. 22 &23 from The DNA Detectives on Vimeo.

EVENT SCHEDULE

Saturday:

9:00 – 10:00 — Keynote: The Power of DNA, CeCe Moore

Track One

10:30 – 11:30 — Evaluating a Genealogical Conclusion including DNA, Blaine Bettinger

11:45 – 12:45 — Using the Tools at GEDmatch to Find Relatives, Kitty Cooper

2:00 – 3:00 — Getting Started with AncestryDNA, Michelle Trostler

3:15 – 4:15 — Digging Deeper with Autosomal DNA, CeCe Moore

4:30 – 5:30 — Searching for Our Most Distant (Paternal) Ancestors in Cameroon – Y Haplogroup A00, Thomas Krahn

Track Two

10:30 – 11:30 — Basics of Utilizing DNA in Unknown Parentage Search, CeCe Moore

11:45 – 12:45 — Mirror Trees Explained, Carol Rolnick

2:00 – 3:00 — How To Use the X chromosome in Family and Origins Searches, Kathy Johnston

3:15 – 4:15 — DNA and the Aftermath of Uncovered Family Secrets, Blaine Bettinger

4:30 – 5:30 — Cold Case Solved:  Autosomal DNA Analysis Reveals Lisa Jensen’s Real Identity, Barbara Rae -Venter

 Sunday:

9:00 – 10:00 — Keynote: The Science Fiction Future of Genetic Genealogy, Blaine Bettinger

10:15 – 11:15 — Exploring Ethnicity Estimates, CeCe Moore

Track One

11:45 – 12:45 — DNA Analytics: Using Databases and Spreadsheets to Find Family, Kathleen Fernandes

2:00 – 3:00 — Advanced Third Party Tools, Blaine Bettinger

3:15 – 4:15 — Genetic Genealogy Case Studies, CeCe Moore

4:30 – 5:30 — Ancestry discoveries with 23andMe , Afton Vechery

Track Two

11:45 – 12:45 — When Your Tree Is a Banyan: Coping with Endogamy in Genetic Genealogy, Leah LaPerle Larkin

2:00 – 3:00 — Tracing the Tribe with DNA, Schelly Talalay Dardashti

3:15 – 4:15 — Family Tree DNA, Strength in Numbers: Advancing Your Research Through Group Projects, Janine Cloud

4:30 – 5:30 — Practical Applications for mtDNA Testing, CeCe Moore

We hope to see you there!

Videos of the event will be offered for sale at a future date. 

Videos from the I4GG Conference Are Now Available

The videos are now available from the Institute for Genetic Genealogy's 2014 International Genetic Genealogy Conference held last month in Washington D.C. The links have been emailed to all attendees and are available for sale to those of you who were not able to attend the event. Access to the videos may be purchased here.  

We are offering the entire package of 27 presentations for $50 and individual videos for $4. We have kept the cost low so as many people can benefit from the wonderfully educational presentations that were given there as possible. We are continuing as a not-for-profit effort and the proceeds from the sales will be shared with the speakers and used to cover remaining expenses from the conference. 

We used professional video and audio equipment in the main auditorium, so the videos that were shot in the Aiton Auditorium are of higher quality than the videos that were shot in the Ohio Room. All presentations were videotaped except those of Spencer Well and Angie Bush. We did videotape Jim Bartlett's presentation, but unfortunately the video card that held that presentation was faulty and we were unable to recover the recording. Fortunately, much of the material that Jim covered in his presentation was also included in his portion of the Family Tree DNA workshop video, so if you are interested in seeing his excellent presentation on autosomal DNA, then please see that video. (Note: The videos can be watched in HD by adjusting the settings on YouTube, which improves the quality.)
 
We would appreciate it if the community members would not share the links to the videos with others who did not attend the conference or purchase access because doing so will deprive the speakers of additional revenue from the sale of the videos that they would otherwise be receiving. If those who did not attend the conference ask you for more information about how to gain access to the videos, please refer them to the Institute for Genetic Genealogy website.
 
Tim and I are still discussing options for the next Institute for Genetic Genealogy Conference. We would like to hold the next conference within the next one to two years on the West Coast. We will post more information to the community as soon as we have solidified the date and location of the next conference.  

We are grateful to the speakers and to all of you who helped contribute to the success of this year's conference.

Below is a list of the presentations available for viewing.

Aiton Auditorium (higher quality videos):

Ancestry.com Workshop by Anna Swayne B.S. – Getting the Most from AncestryDNA – (Beginner)

23andMe Workshop by Joanna Mountain Ph.D. and Christine Moschella – Exploring All of 23andMe’s Genealogy Features – (Intermediate)

Family Tree DNA Workshop – Exploring All Family Tree DNA Products by Maurice Gleeson (Y chromosome overview), Jim Bartlett (Family Finder/autosomal DNA), CeCe Moore (mitochondrial DNA overview), and Janine Cloud (other features) – (Intermediate)

Blaine Bettinger Ph.D., J.D. – Using Free Third-Party Tools to Analyze Your Autosomal DNA – (Intermediate)

Rebekah Canada B.S. – Wanderlust – The Story of the Origins and Travels of mtDNA Haplogroup H through History and Scientific Literature – (Intermediate)

Julie Granka Ph.D. – AncestryDNA matching: large-scale findings and technology breakthroughs – (Intermediate)

William E. Howard III, Ph.D. – Using Correlation Techniques on Y-Chromosome Haplotypes to Determine TMRCAs, Date STR Marker Strings, Surname Groups, Haplogroups and SNPs – (Advanced)

Tim Janzen M.D. – Using Chromosome Mapping to Help Trace Your Family Tree – (Advanced)

Razib Kahn B.S. – Tearing the Seamless Fabric, Ancestry as a Jigsaw Puzzle – (Intermediate)

Thomas Krahn Dipl.-Ing. – I’ve Received My Y Chromosome Sequencing Results – What Now? – (Advanced)

CeCe Moore – The Four Types of DNA Used in Genetic Genealogy – (Beginner/Intermediate)

Joanna Mountain Ph.D. – 23andMe Features – (Intermediate)
Ugo Perego Ph.D. – Native American Ancestry through DNA Analysis – (Intermediate)

Judy Russell J.D. – After the Courthouse Burns: Lighting Research Fires with DNA – (Intermediate)

Larry Vick M.S. – Using Y-DNA to Reconstruct a Patrilineal Tree – (Beginner)


Ohio Room (lower quality videos):

Terry Barton M.B.A. – Surname Project Administration – (Intermediate)

Shannon Christmas M.A. – Identity by Descent: Using DNA to Extend the African-American Pedigree – (Intermediate)

Karin Corbeil B.S., Diane Harman Hoog M.B.A., and Rob Warthen M.S. – Not Just for Adoptees – Methods and Tools for Working with Autosomal DNA from the Team at DNAGedcom.com – (Intermediate)

Katherine Hope Borges – International Society of Genetic Genealogy (ISOGG) – (Beginner)

William Hurst B.S. – Mitochondrial DNA Focusing on Haplogroup K – (Intermediate)

Kathy Johnston M.D. – From X Segments to Success Stories: The Use of the X Chromosome in Genetic Genealogy – (Advanced)

Maurice Gleeson M.D. – An Irish Approach to Autosomal DNA Matches – (Intermediate)

Greg Magoon Ph.D. – ‘Next-gen’ Y chromosome Sequencing – (Advanced)

Doug McDonald Ph.D. – Understanding Autosomal Biogeographical Ancestry Results – (Advanced)

David Pike Ph.D. – The Use of Phasing in Genetic Genealogy – (Advanced)

Bonnie Schrack B.A. – Y chromosome Haplogroups A and B – (Intermediate)

Debbie Parker Wayne CG – Mitochondrial DNA: Tools and Techniques for Genealogy – (Beginner)

Upcoming Genetic Genealogy Educational Opportunities

My partner in the DNA Detectives, Angie Bush, and I are often asked about educational opportunities for those wanting to understand how to use DNA in their genealogical research, including how to find missing biological family and/or how to become a professional genetic genealogist. There are several upcoming events that one or both of us will be speaking at, and we wanted to let you know about them. Come and visit us and learn more about using DNA in your research and business!

1.  North San Diego County Genealogy Society's Fall Seminar will feature four presentations focused on DNA given by Kathleen Cooper, Jean Moss, Michelle Trostler and me. If you are local to Carlsbad, CA, please join us! (Tim Janzen will also be speaking at our NSDCGS DNA Interest Group meeting in Carlsbad on Oct. 16th.)

2.  October 17th-19th is The Genealogy Event in New York City with a Special DNA Day held on Sunday. Angie and I will both be speaking at the DNA Day, as will our colleague Blaine Bettinger and Bennett Greenspan from Family Tree DNA. This should be a fun and exciting event, and we would love to see you there.

3.  On November 1st, the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists will be holding their annual fall conference in Provo, Utah. There will be a day-long track at this conference covering all aspects of DNA testing for genealogical research taught by Angie and Paul Woodbury. If you are in Utah or nearby, this will be an excellent series of lectures that you should strongly consider attending.

4.  From November 29th to December 6th, Angie will be on a cruise sponsored by Heritage Books teaching about genetic genealogy. Craig Scott, Cyndi Ingle, Mark Lowe, and Bill Litchman will also be joining her lecturing on subjects in their areas of expertise. There will be many opportunities for individual consultation and/or small meetings with Angie about your genetic genealogy questions. This is a unique opportunity you don’t want to miss!

**If you are a project administrator, please don't miss registration for the Family Tree DNA conference to be held in Houston, Oct. 10-12. (I will be speaking there as well, but on mitochondrial DNA which is unusual for me.) Registration ends soon and must be done through your GAP sign-in. 

Early 2015 events that we will both be speaking at include:

•  The Association of Professional Genealogists Professional Management Conference held January 8th and 9th in Salt Lake City, Utah. Early bird registration ends November 15th, so register now for best pricing!

•  The FGS and RootsTech Conferences held February 11th-14th in Salt Lake City. Early bird pricing ends September 15th!

•  The Advanced Genetic Genealogy Course sponsored by the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy held March 26-28 in Dallas, Texas. This course is specifically designed to address unknown parentage/adoption cases. Seating is limited, so don’t wait to sign-up! Register here. 

Announcing the 2014 Institute for Genetic Genealogy Conference

The Institute for Genetic Genealogy is pleased to announce the 2014 International Genetic Genealogy Conference, which will be held August 15-17 in Washington, DC at the National 4-H Conference Center. This conference has been planned in order to address the great need for genetic genealogy education.

An outstanding group of genetic genealogists and population geneticists have agreed to speak at the conference, including representatives from all of the major genetic genealogy companies. Dr. Spencer Wells, who heads the National Geographic Genographic Project, will be the keynote speaker. 

The main portion of the conference will be held on August 16 and 17 with a packed schedule of presentations from morning until night for those who want to learn as much as possible during this unique opportunity. Saturday will run from 8:30 am until 9:15 pm and Sunday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm. Additionally, Family Tree DNA will hold a workshop in the evening of August 15. (Other genetic genealogy companies have also been offered the opportunity to present workshops on August 15 during the afternoon.) 

More details about the conference and registration information can be found at the website. The registration fee for the conference is $85 and will be limited to 800 total attendees. Meals and lodging will be available at the conference center but must be purchased at least one month in advance. The preliminary conference schedule can be found here and descriptions of the presentations and biographical background about the speakers can be found here.

Tim Janzen (with the assistance of his wife Rachel Janzen) and I have been planning and making preparations for this conference for the past six months. Angie Bush, Charmaine Riley Holley and Paul Woodbury have also provided valuable assistance, including distributing conference flyers at RootsTech and running the Institute for Genetic Genealogy's booth there. 
 
We are grateful to all of the speakers who are willing to share their knowledge with the genetic genealogy community. A complete list of the speakers and their presentations is as follows:

1.  Ancestry.com representative - Ancestry.com DNA products

2.  Jim Bartlett - Getting the Most of Your Autosomal DNA Matches and Triangulation, an Essential Tool to Sort out Your Matches and Map Your DNA

3.  Terry Barton - Surname Project Administration

4.  Dr. Blaine Bettinger - Using Free Third-party Tools to Analyze Your Autosomal DNA

5.  Angie Bush - DNA Case Studies

6.  Rebekah Canada - Mitochondrial DNA Haplogroup H

7.  Shannon Christmas - Identity by Descent: Using DNA to Extend the African-American Pedigree

8.  Karin Corbeil, Diane Harman-Hoog, and Rob Warthen - Not Just for Adoptees: Methods and Tools for Working with Autosomal DNA Results from the Team at DNAGedcom

9.  Family Tree DNA representative - FTDNA Products

10.  Dr. Maurice Gleeson - An Irish Approach to Autosomal DNA Matches

11.  Katherine Hope-Borges - ISOGG

12.  Bill Hurst - Mitochondrial DNA Focusing on Haplogroup K

13.  Dr. Tim Janzen - Using Chromosome Mapping to Help Trace Your Family Tree

14.  Dr. Kathy Johnston - From X Segments to Success Stories: The Use of the X Chromosome in Genetic Genealogy

15.  Thomas Krahn - I've Received my Y Chromosome Sequencing Results - What Now?

16.  Dr. Doug McDonald - Understanding Autosomal Biogeographical Ancestry Results

17.  23andMe representative - 23andMe Features

18.  CeCe Moore - The Four Types of DNA Used in Genetic Genealogy

19.  Dr.  Ken Nordtvedt - Y Haplogroup I — Very Early Europeans?

20.  Dr. Ugo Perego - Native American Ancestry Through DNA Analysis

21.  Dr. David Pike - The Use of Phasing in Genetic Genealogy

22.  Bonnie Schrack - Y chromosome Haplogroups A and B

23.  Larry Vick - Using Y-DNA to Reconstruct a Patrilineal Tree

24.  Debbie Parker Wayne - Mitochondrial DNA: Tools and Techniques for Genealogy

25.  Dr. Spencer Wells - the Genographic Project

26.  Dr. Jim Wilson - BritainsDNA's Chromo2 test and Y chromosome research


We hope to see you there for this wonderful educational opportunity!

Kelly Wheaton's Beginners' Guide to Genetic Genealogy

Genetic genealogist Kelly Wheaton has been hard at work on a beginner's guide to genetic genealogy for the last couple of weeks. She was inspired to share her extensive knowledge by a thread on the ISOGG DNA Newbie mailing list asking (begging!) for easier to understand resources. Since my readers are always clamoring for more educational resources as well, I am very happy to be able to introduce it to you all.

Kelly doesn't draw a lot of attention to herself, but she has been a long-time contributor to the DNA Newbie list and a frequent poster on the 23andMe forums. She has always generously shared her knowledge through these forums and on her website. I consider her to be a very valuable asset to our community. I'm sure you will agree after reading her new guide.

Kelly Wheaton

The guide has received unanimously good reviews from those of us who have read it. One of the nice things about it is that it breaks the instruction into easily digestible pieces, by keeping each lesson short and concise. There are thirteen lessons so far and Kelly says that she will continue to add to it. As she was writing, Kelly had the foresight to share it with "newbies" to receive feedback and make sure that it is understandable for the beginner. This has resulted in a very easy-to-understand resource. Kelly is continuing to accept suggestions for improvements and additions.

You can find this wonderful guide here. Thank you Kelly for all of your hard work and valuable contributions to our community.

Debbie Kennett has just created a page on the ISOGG Wiki with links to beginners' guides here. Right now it only has Kelly's guide and my series for Geni.com. Please add to it if you find basic resources which are helpful to you and, while you are there, look around. The Wiki is a great resource in itself!