Summit of Excellence Speaker Highlight: Katherine Willson

In celebration of UGA's 50th anniversary, the "Getting Started with Genealogy Research" track is FREE and open to the public. We invite you to join us, as our instructors: Crista Cowan (a.k.a. The Barefoot Genealogist), Jana Greenhalgh, Cheri Hudson Passey, and Katherine R. Willson provide foundational instruction to get you off to a great start!

Turn contemplation into action! Katherine R Willson's passion for teaching will give you tools and practical advice for an engaging genealogical journey. 

Katherine will present the following at the Summit of Excellence held virtually, September 15-18, 2021:

Beginning Your Genealogical Journey

Build your family tree as you discover how to gather basic information, fill in common charts, locate public records, and navigate Internet resources. Overcome obstacles and avoid common pitfalls with these resources that will guide you towards excellence in your research. Full session description here.

Records, Rules, and Repositories

Learn where to locate genealogical documents for your ancestors and his/her family members, as well as the methods for analyzing those records. Our discussion will include records such as birth, marriage, and death records; census forms; military draft registration forms; and passenger lists. Full session description here.

Learn more about Katherine Willson and all of our amazing speakers here.

View the full schedule for the UGA Summit of Excellence here.

Join Us in September!

The 2021 UGA Summit of Excellence celebrates UGA's 50th year. This exciting virtual conference, held September 15-18, 2021, is a four-day event with multiple tracks offering a premier educational opportunity at an extremely reasonable price. Each track features a different record set or research area such as legal records, methodology, technology, or DNA. 

Learn more about the Summit of Excellence or register to attend. Questions may be directed to the registrar: registrar@ugagenealogy.org.

Summit of Excellence Speaker Highlight: Paul Milner

Confounded by the loss of vital Irish family history records? Discover how Irish land records can fill the gaps, especially if your ancestor didn't own land. Irish land records reveal more than meets the eye and exceed the scope of American land research. 

Befuddled by hometown locations in Scotland? Let our UK native, Paul Milner, shed light on the value of maps and gazetteers to ensure you have arrived in the right place at the right time.

Paul will present the following at the Summit of Excellence held virtually, September 15-18, 2021:

Irish Land Records

Understand Ireland’s land records and their importance to researchers, from the 17th through 20th century. Learn what has survived in originals and transcripts, their strengths, weaknesses, and how to access the originals and supporting indexes.

Full session description here.

Finding the Correct Place: Maps and Gazetteers for Scottish Research

Learn the important history of map-making and see examples of many different types of maps available, many now online, and how they can be used to assist in your Scottish research. Plus, learn about the different gazetteers that will assist in finding the correct location. Full session description here.

Learn more about Paul Milner and all of our amazing speakers here.

View the full schedule for the UGA Summit of Excellence here.

Join Us in September!

The 2021 UGA Summit of Excellence celebrates UGA's 50th year. This exciting virtual conference, held September 15-18, 2021, is a four-day event with multiple tracks offering a premier educational opportunity at an extremely reasonable price. Each track features a different record set or research area such as legal records, methodology, technology, or DNA. 

Learn more about the Summit of Excellence or register to attend. Questions may be directed to the registrar: registrar@ugagenealogy.org.

Summit of Excellence Speaker Highlight: Paul Woodbury

Join the witty Paul Woodbury as he explains the advantages and power of DNA testing to break down research brick walls such as adoption, unknown parentage, and misattributed parentage.

Paul will present the following at the Summit of Excellence held virtually, September 15-18, 2021:

DNA Testing Plans

Even after taking a DNA test, have you struggled to make progress on a persistent brick wall? Consider inviting others to test to help you answer your research questions. Learn how to leverage multiple types of DNA tests, prioritize DNA testing candidates, and harness the power of DNA to break down your research challenges. Full session description here.

Into the Unknown: Methodologies for Adoption, Unknown Parentage, and Misattributed Parentage

Genetic genealogy methodologies are ideal not only for overcoming challenging historic brick walls but also for overcoming more recent obstacles in your family history. In this session, learn about some of the key methodologies, approaches, and considerations for exploring cases of adoption, unknown parentage, and misattributed parentage. Full session description here.

Learn more about Paul Woodbury and all of our amazing speakers here.

View the full schedule for the UGA Summit of Excellence here.

Join Us in September!

The 2021 UGA Summit of Excellence celebrates UGA's 50th year. This exciting virtual conference, held September 15-18, 2021, is a four-day event with multiple tracks offering a premier educational opportunity at an extremely reasonable price. Each track features a different record set or research area such as legal records, methodology, technology, or DNA. 

Learn more about the Summit of Excellence or register to attend. Questions may be directed to the registrar: registrar@ugagenealogy.org.

Summit of Excellence Speaker Highlight: David McDonald

Do you need to find a birth, marriage, or death date? Are you unable to locate a civil registration record? Discover how Christian denominational church records can help fill the gap.

David will present the following at the Summit of Excellence held virtually, September 15-18, 2021:

Church Records for Genealogical Researchers

Genealogists use records to supply the data on which our family research is built. Church records, across denominational lines, often provide extensive direct and indirect information on the families we research. We'll examine the records researchers should pursue. Full session description here.

Learn more about David McDonald and all of our amazing speakers here.

View the full schedule for the UGA Summit of Excellence here.

Join Us in September!

The 2021 UGA Summit of Excellence celebrates UGA's 50th year. This exciting virtual conference, held September 15-18, 2021, is a four-day event with multiple tracks offering a premier educational opportunity at an extremely reasonable price. Each track features a different record set or research area such as legal records, methodology, technology, or DNA. 

Learn more about the Summit of Excellence or register to attend. Questions may be directed to the registrar: registrar@ugagenealogy.org.

FREE "Getting Started" Day at the Summit of Excellence

New to genealogy and family history research? Or perhaps it has been a while and you want to make sure you've covered the basics? 

This FREE day hosted by the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA), features presentations to get you off on the right foot. All presentations are delivered virtually via Zoom.

Track Presentations

The following sessions are included on Wednesday, September 15th:

Genealogy 101 with Crista Cowen: Brand new to family history? Join Crista Cowan as she guides you through the steps to getting started with building a family tree and shares some basic genealogy standards. 

Beginning Your Genealogical Journey with Katherine Willson: Build your family tree as you discover how to gather basic information, fill in common charts, locate public records, and navigate Internet resources. Overcome obstacles and avoid common pitfalls with these resources that will guide you towards excellence in your research.

Location, Location, Location! Surveying the Places Your Ancestors Lived with Jana Greenhalgh: This class will teach the importance and process of gathering geographical context to aid in our genealogy research.  techniques.

Records, Rules, and Repositories with Katherine Willson: Learn where to locate genealogical documents for your ancestors and his/her family members, as well as the methods for analyzing those records. Our discussion will include records such as birth, marriage, and death records; census forms; military draft registration forms; and passenger lists.

Beginning Strategies for Searching Online Records and Resources with Cheri Passey: Learn the best methods for searching online records. From how to get more out of your research results to locating record collections, discover strategies for searching online records and resources.

The full schedule of all presentations and links to presenter biographies may be found here. 

Join Us!

The 2021 UGA Summit of Excellence celebrates UGA's 50th year. This exciting virtual conference, held September 15-18, 2021, is a four-day event with multiple tracks offering a premier educational opportunity at an extremely reasonable price. Each track features a different record set or research area such as legal records, methodology, technology, or DNA. The "Getting Started" Track on Wednesday is completely FREE, but registration is required.

Learn more about the Summit of Excellence or register to attend. Questions may be directed to the registrar: registrar@ugagenealogy.org.