Are you ready to dive deeper into DNA?

Using DNA for genealogy can help you break down long-standing family history research brick walls.

At the FGS National Conference in Pittsburgh, we have two special four-hour DNA workshops. The DNA workshops will help you dive deeper into using DNA for your genealogy research. Both DNA workshops are sponsored by Ancestry ProGenealogists and require pre-registration in to attend.

Connecting the DNA Dots

by Blaine Bettinger PhD, JD, Angie Bush MS, Diahan Southard

“Connecting the DNA Dots” is a beginner-to-intermediate level workshop. It will help participants maximize the use of their DNA test results to answer genealogical questions. There will be discussion of types of DNA tests available and examples of genealogical questions they may help to answer.

Participants will also learn how to review and evaluate their own results, join appropriate surname or haplogroup projects, and upload their data to other testing services and websites. Lastly, participants will determine other family members to test and how those tests may benefit their genealogical research.

“Connecting the DNA Dots” will be held on Friday, September 1, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Tickets are $60.

Using Genetics and Genealogy to Smash Through Brick Walls

by Blaine Bettinger PhD, JD, Angie Bush MS

“Using Genetics and Genealogy to Smash Through Brick Walls” is for genealogists with intermediate-to-advanced DNA experience. This is a four-hour, hands-on workshop designed to help participants maximize the use of various third-party tools and websites for autosomal DNA.

We will discuss the in-depth use of spreadsheets for organization, the tools available at DNAGedcom (ADSA, GWorks), Tier 1 tools available on GEDMatch, and Kitty Cooper’s Chromosome Mapper. Workshop participants should have accounts with GEDMatch and DNA GEDcom and have multiple sets of autosomal raw data to work with. Each participant should come to class with a research goal in mind.

Pre-requisites for “Using Genetics and Genealogy to Smash Through Brick Walls”

Since this is an advanced workshop, pre-requisites are required. If you do not meet all of the pre-requisites, you won’t get the most from this workshop and should not register.

• Must bring a laptop to the workshop. (This cannot be an iPad or tablet.)
• Must have a minimum of three close, known family members tested, with access to their resultsT
• The raw data for these tests must be uploaded to GEDmatch.
• For visual mapping, these three family members should be siblings.
• For segment mapping, these close family members should be cousins. Ideally, attendees will have a mix of cousins and siblings tested so they can do both types of mapping, but one or the other is acceptable. 
• Must have the DNAGedcom Client (http://dnagedcom.com/doc/welcome-to-the-dnagedcom-client) installed and working on your computer.
• The DNAGedcom Client works primarily with AncestryDNA tests.
• Attendees should have at least one test at AncestryDNA. 
• Must have a basic knowledge of spreadsheets (e.g., Excel). 

“Using Genetics and Genealogy to Smash Through Brick Walls” will be on Saturday, September 2. Tickets for this workshop are $60. Advance registration is required. 

Workshop Registration

Advance registration is required for both DNA workshops. You can register for workshops when registering for the FGS 2017 conference. 

If you have already registered for the conference and received a confirmation email, then you can use this form to add registration for either DNA workshop to your schedule.

These DNA workshops will likely fill quickly.  Don't delay!

About the Instructors

Blaine Bettinger, PhD (Biochemistry), JD, is an intellectual property attorney by day and a genetic genealogist by night. He authors the long-running blog The Genetic Genealogist.

Angie Bush, MS (Biotechnology), is a professional genetic genealogist with Ancestry ProGenealogists and director of Region 1 for NGS.

Diahan Southard, with 15 years in the genetic genealogy industry, instructs at all levels of interest. She has a passion for genetic genealogy and a gift for making the technical understandable.