DE PERE, Wis., Dec. 2, 2025 – Students from across Wisconsin and the nation will present their research at the Tiny Earth in Titletown symposium on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Lambeau Field Atrium. This event marks a milestone for Tiny Earth, serving as the largest symposium in its worldwide network of student researchers and attendees.

Tiny Earth brings together students, families, faculty and community members to highlight collaborative efforts to address the global public health challenge of antibiotic resistance. This community-based symposium is free and open to the public with registration encouraged.

Wisconsin students, including St. Norbert College, UW-Green Bay, NWTC, College of Menominee Nation, Green Bay West High School and more, join 16,000 other students from 300 other colleges and universities across 47 states and 30 countries, in some version of the Tiny Earth course. While uncovering new antibiotics is the end-goal, the discoveries made along the way are worth the effort.

The keynote speaker for the Tiny Earth event is Dr. Fred Appelbaum, a leading figure in hematologic malignancies, known for over 40 years of groundbreaking work. He published the first report showing that autologous transplantation could cure malignant lymphoma and has since advanced the fields of leukemia, immunotherapy and allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. With continuous NIH funding for four decades and over 700 scientific publications, his research has shaped modern cancer treatment worldwide.

At the beginning of the Tiny Earth course, students collect their own soil samples, isolate bacteria, conduct gene sequence analysis, and participate in research that has the potential to make a global impact. Most importantly, they realize they are part of something bigger than themselves.

"This research has reminded me of why I want to become a physician: to approach every patient with the same commitment to understanding and determination to find answers," said Haylie Dumoulin, human biology and psychology double major at UW-Green Bay.

Tiny Earth’s global network of educators teach a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), a form of active learning that offers a scalable way for all students to obtain research experience in college, thereby leveling the playing field and closing the gap for students from historically excluded communities. According to the World Health Organization, in the U.S., more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur each year. The course provides students with the opportunity for original thinking and scientific discovery of new antibiotics to address the world crisis of antibiotic resistance, thereby capturing the very aspects of science that inspire students to pursue STEM careers.

"I already see how this ties into my future, as a CNA, I see many of the infections we study in class," remarked Alexa Kallies, nursing major at NWTC. "Understanding what causes them and how they’re treated will help me so much when I become a nurse."

"While searching for new antibiotics in soil bacteria, students at Northeast Wisconsin colleges are practicing some of the most important workforce skills needed for science: lab skills, collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and dealing with failure," said Sarah Miller, Tiny Earth Executive Director. "Every science experiment requires all of those things, and Tiny Earth students practice them repeatedly.”

Please see the website for registration and program details, and be inspired by the next generation of scientists and healthcare professionals as they address the global health crisis of antibiotic resistance.

About St. Norbert College
St. Norbert College, located in De Pere, Wis., is the only Norbertine college in the world and a private Catholic liberal arts institution known for its personalized attention and commitment to educating the whole person. SNC is ranked by Niche as a top 5 college in Wisconsin for best campus, Catholic colleges, liberal arts colleges, student life and best food. St. Norbert College offers undergraduate degrees in the arts and sciences, business and health and human development, as well as two graduate programs. Part of the greater Green Bay community, the campus fosters intellectual, spiritual and personal growth. For more information, visit snc.edu.