Program Title:

AI for Biosafety Professionals: Working Smarter, Not Harder; Practical Tools to Streamline Training, Oversight, and Regulatory Compliance

When: August 12, 2026, 11:30AM to 4:30PM Eastern Time.

Attendance Fees:

1. BSAA Members: $285 – (Check your membership status: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hqYP-kyKmfmVKuhU6joKgdRi-yYjXvJ9/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=102091346785501510531&rtpof=true&sd=true

Note: You can also copy and paste the link address into your browser.     

2. BSAA Non-Members: $385

The Biosafety Administrators Association (BSAA) is a professional organization dedicated to fostering collaboration, professional growth, and ongoing education in biosafety research compliance across academia and industry. It serves as a central hub for knowledge-sharing and networking. Members focus on understanding regulations, maintaining compliant biosafety programs, and implementing efficient management practices. BSAA supports professionals at all career stages, providing the tools and expertise needed to navigate the complexities of biosafety administration effectively.

Meeting Objectives

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the way biosafety programs operate. The objective of this workshop is to help participants move beyond curiosity and discover practical ways AI can reduce administrative burden, improve program consistency, strengthen research oversight, and enhance educational and compliance activities.

Rather than focusing on technology for technology's sake, this highly interactive session will demonstrate practical, real-world applications that biosafety professionals can immediately incorporate into their own programs. Participants will leave with reusable AI prompts, practical implementation strategies, and proven techniques for improving productivity while maintaining the professional judgment, regulatory compliance, and human oversight that remain essential to effective biosafety programs.

The workshop is designed to encourage collaboration and the exchange of ideas among colleagues. Participants are encouraged to submit questions, examples, or challenges from their own biosafety programs prior to the workshop (wggreer@umich.edu). Throughout the session, attendees will have opportunities to discuss institutional practices, explore practical solutions, and share experiences that can benefit the broader research compliance community.

Meeting Description

This half-day virtual workshop is designed for Biosafety Administrators, Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) members, biosafety officers, research compliance professionals, and others responsible for supporting institutional biosafety programs.

Through a combination of live demonstrations, practical examples, and interactive discussion, participants will explore how artificial intelligence can be used to develop engaging researcher and IBC member training, create educational materials, pre-screen IBC protocols, summarize regulatory guidance, draft policies and standard operating procedures, improve program communications, and streamline routine administrative activities. The workshop will also demonstrate emerging technologies, including AI-generated media and immersive 360° training environments, that can significantly enhance institutional education and outreach.

In addition to practical applications, the program will examine the growing impact of generative AI on research, biosecurity, biological data governance, and institutional oversight, while discussing governance considerations, responsible implementation, and the appropriate role of human expertise in AI-assisted decision-making.

By the end of the workshop, participants will have a clear understanding of today's most valuable AI tools, practical techniques for integrating them into their biosafety programs, and the confidence to begin using AI immediately to strengthen program effectiveness and efficiency.

Agenda Summary

The tentative meeting schedule is as follows:

Program Support

Joining or renewing your membership with the BSAA provides valuable benefits, including exclusive program discounts and access to resources that enhance professional growth and organizational efficiency. Staying connected ensures continued opportunities to save on essential programs and services.

BSAA activities are funded through membership dues and event fees. We encourage you to join as a new member or renew your membership annually.

Membership is important!

Support the vital work of BSAA while unlocking exclusive benefits designed to enhance your professional growth. By becoming a member, you ensure our ability to continue providing top-tier professional development opportunities—not just for IBC administrators, but for anyone involved in their organization’s Institutional Biosafety Program.

As a member, you’ll enjoy free access to regular webinars throughout the year, discounted rates for online and in-person virtual meetings, and a host of resources to support your career and program management goals.

Don’t miss out please secure or renew your membership today at https://ibcadministrators.com/join

 Note: You can also copy and paste the link address into your browser.  

Join us in shaping the future of biosafety program compliance while reaping the rewards of BSAA membership!

Guest Speaker

Tyler Greer currently serves as an Advanced Education Technology Specialist at Penn State University, where he has worked for the past nine years, including seven years with Teaching and Learning with Technology (TLT). With a background in New Media and Fine Arts, Tyler has extensive experience integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), Extended Reality (XR), and other emerging technologies to create immersive and engaging learning experiences. In addition to his design work, he regularly leads workshops that help faculty, staff, and students explore innovative tools and apply them to their own teaching, training, and creative projects. Tyler’s expertise in AI-driven resources and technology (i.e., enhanced training methods) positions him to offer valuable insights into new training approaches to improve overall learner information retention.

Standing BSAA Faculty

Bill Greer, Assistant Vice President for Research, University of Michigan: Bill graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in 1985 with a degree in Microbiology. He oversees research compliance programs for animal care and use, biosafety, lab safety, controlled substances, and autonomous systems. Over his 35+ year career, Bill has held roles including Associate Director for Research Compliance, IACUC Vice-Chair, and Biosafety Committee Chair at Penn State, as well as production manager and safety director at Intervet (formerly Tri Bio Laboratories).

In 2005, Bill organized the first Research Administrators Best Practice Meeting, creating a platform for research oversight professionals to discuss programmatic concerns. He continues to facilitate at least five annual Best Practice Meetings focused on biosafety and animal care and use programs. In 2010, he chaired the founding committee of the IACUC Administrators Association (IAA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and serves as its president and board chair.

Since 2007, Bill has been an ad hoc consultant to the AAALAC Council, conducting institutional program reviews and assessments. He also served on the Council of Certified Professional IACUC Administrators (CCPIA). As an educator, Bill regularly lectures at conferences including PRIM&R, AALAS, BTAA, and C3, and facilitates IBC and IACUC Best Practice Meetings, continuing to support the IBC and IACUC administrative communities.

Jonah Lee, BS, MS, PhD, Senior Associate Director, University of Michigan

Dr. Lee brings experience and a proven track record in the biomedical sciences and academic research administration to provide thought leadership, program oversight, and process optimization with specific attention to researcher/user-experience coordination across the Animal Care & Use Program.

In collaboration with other U-M research administrative departments and academic department leadership, Dr. Lee is charged with the strategic development of research engagement infrastructure and resource support. Dr. Lee has an extensive background in the life sciences, where his research focus involves stem cell biology and regenerative medicine in aging skeletal muscle. Along with his postdoctoral research at the Center for Muscle Biology at the University of Kentucky, and his work at U-M, his animal research experience includes considerable diversity in both small and large animal models across multi-departmental, federally funded research projects. 

Andrew Maksymowych, Ph.D., Associate Director, Biosafety Programs

Andrew has been at the University of Pennsylvania since 2006.  He is Penn’s Associate Director for Biological Safety Programs, Penn’s Institutional Biosafety Officer, IBC Administrator, and the Institutional Contact for Dual Use Research.  He sits on the Vice Provost’s for Research, Human Research Advisory Committee, the Human Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee, and the Cadaver and Body Parts Oversight Committee.  Andrew obtained his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Villanova University, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Bryn Mawr College.  He has more than 20 years of teaching and 35 years of research experience.  A major portion of which included oversight of research safety and compliance programs.  Prior to his journey at Penn, he held a faculty appointment at Thomas Jefferson University where his research focused on the analysis of structure-function relationships in proteins, including protein toxins that poison the human nervous system.  Most recently, the mechanism of action of botulinum neurotoxins.  Andrew attended his first Best Practice Meeting in 2015 and has since been continually involved with Biosafety Administrator’s Association.

Raymond F. Scheetz, MS, RBP

Ray is currently the Institutional Biosafety Officer and a Compliance Manager at The Penn State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Pa, located in the Research Quality Assurance office a division of the College of Medicine Office of Research Affairs.  He is responsible for the oversight of all Biosafety compliance aspects within the College of Medicine, providing ancillary reviews of IACUC and IRB protocols, biosafety training and required annual lab surveys, administration liaison for research lab activities and emergencies, and operation of the equipment and asset management plan. He is a member of the College of Medicine Institutional Biosafety Committee, Research Mission team and COVID 19 Ramp up Research task force.  Ray also serves as a Biosafety consultant for CBS (Clinical Biosafety Services)/Shield Consulting.  Formally the Lab Manager in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Penn State College of Medicine for 25 years.  Responsibilities included the Management of the BL3 facility located within the Department.