Wednesday, April 8, 2026
1:00 pm – 6:00 pm Registration
Location: Bluebonnet Foyer Vendor Setup
1:00 pm – 8:00 pm Student Bowl Competition
Location: Bluebonnet A
Thursday, April 9, 2026
7:00 am – 4:00 pm Registration
8:00 am – 5:00 pm Exhibits
8:00 am – 9:00 am Opening of Exhibits and Breakfast for Hotel Guests in Lobby/Restaurant
Location: Bluebonnet BC Poster Presentation and Judging
Location: Bluebonnet A “Diagnostic Role of the Clinical Laboratory in Hematologic Malignancies” Lubna Siddiqui, MSHS, MSc, MLS(ASCP)CM
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Location: Bluebonnet BC “Addressing Challenges in Specimen Collection"
LaShanta Brice, DCLS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM
Location: Bluebonnet A Student Bowl Finale
Duncan Samo, MLS(ASCP)
10:00 am – 10:30 am Visit with Vendors
Location: Bluebonnet Foyer
10:30 am – 11:30 am Opening Keynote
Location: Bluebonnet BC "Telling your Story!”
Rodney E. Rohde, PhD, MS, SM/SV/MBcm, FACSc, Global Fellow
11:30 am – 1:00 pm Visit with Vendors and Lunch Break
11:30 am – 1:00 pm Student Forum Meeting (Box Lunches Provided for Students)
Location: Bluebonnet BC
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Location: Bluebonnet BC “The ABC’s of the Alphabet Soup: Labeling yourself for Laboratory Success”
Miles Tompkins, MLT(ASCP)CM,PBTCM,QLSCM,AHI(AMT)
Location: Bluebonnet A “Saved by the Lab: The Enduring Role of Routine Coagulation Testing in Patient Care”
LaShanta Brice, DCLS, MLS(ASCP)CMSHCM
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Location: Bluebonnet BC “Alternative Career Paths for Laboratory Professionals”
Brittany J. Bell, MBA, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM, MB(ASCP)CM
Location: Bluebonnet A “Common Misconceptions about Abnormal Laboratory Values”
Russell Wendt, DCLS, DrPH, CC(NRCC), MLS(ASCP)CM
3:15 pm – 4:15 pm
Location: Bluebonnet BC “HLA Basics for Beginners: Foundations for Transplant and Transfusion Support”
Kelley M.K. Hitchman, MS, PhD, F(ACHI)
Tiffany Wafford, PhD, MSTM, MLS(ASCP)CM, SBB
Location: Bluebonnet A “The Good, the Bad, and the Cockamamie… Case Investigations in Clinical Chemistry”
Brian Postek, Ph.D MLS(ASCP)SC
4:15 pm – 4:30 pm Break in Foyer – Get your Lab Olympics team ready, all can participate
4:30 pm – 6:30 pm Lab Olympics
Location: Bluebonnet A
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm TACLS Reception
Location: Bluebonnet BC Hors d’oeuvres, Cash Bar and Entertainment
Friday, April 10, 2026
8:00 am – 12:00 pm Registration
8:00 am - 9:00 am Breakfast for Hotel Guests in Lobby/Restaurant
Location: Foyer
8:00 am – 12:00 pm Exhibits
9:00 am – 10:00 am
Location: Bluebonnet BC “Culturing the Right Candidate: How to Grow Your Laboratory Team with a Successful Interview”
Miles Tompkins, MLT(ASCP)CM,PBTCM,QLSCM,AHI(AMT)
Location: Bluebonnet A “Rabies: A New Look at an Old Foe”
Rodney E. Rohde, PhD, MS, SM/SV/MBCM, FACSc, Global Fellow
10:00 am – 10:30 am Break in Foyer
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Location: Bluebonnet BC “Using Molecular Tests the Right Way: A Guide for Clinicians and Laboratory Professionals”
Celesta Gibbs M.S., MB(ASCP)CM
Kelissa Huse M.S., MB(ASCP)CM
Location: Bluebonnet A “Tales from the Scope: Surprising Hematology and Body Fluid Cases”
Heather Parks, MS, MLS (ASCP)CM
David Coura, MLS (ASCP)CM
Brianna Espino, MS, MLS (ASCP)CM
Coyle Kunz, MLS(ASCP)
11:30 am – 1:15 pm
Location: Bluebonnet BC Award Presentation and Annual Board meeting w/ Box Lunches Provided (All are invited to attend)
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Location: Bluebonnet BC “Navigating Complex Immunohematology Cases”
Beverly Ruiz, MS, MLS(ASCP)CM
Location: Bluebonnet A “Invisible Engines of Care: Optimizing Night Shift Labs for Performance & People”
Charles McDonald, MBA, MLS/ Laboratory Supervisor
TACLS is approved as a provider of continuing education programs in the clinical laboratory sciences by the ASCLS P.A.C.E. ® Credit Program.