The annual EEB holiday party was a smashing success where colleagues, family and friends celebrated the year together. Well over 150 people attended the party at the Museum of Natural History as T-Rex, the mastodon and prehistoric whales overlooked the festive scene.

Partygoers shared delicious dishes, played a trivia game, decorated cookies, got artsy and craftsy, and grooved to the deep funk and soul beats of Third Coast Kings. There was fierce competition for the ugly hat and sweater contest. EEB graduate student Rachel Cable won the ugly hat contest donning a teddy bear/reindeer Santa hat (pictured right) with Tommy Jenkinson as runner-up. Another EEB graduate student, Mauricio Santos Vega’s red teddy bear sweater won the popular vote for ugly sweater with co-winner Asa Massatti Lipschutz (Rob Massatti’s infant son).

Winners of the EEB photographer at large contest were announced as follows: first place: Jason Dobkowski, second: Alison Gould, third: Marcella Baiz, honorable mentions: Cody Thompson, Marcelo Sturaro, Anat Belasen, and Isabella Oleksy. (Read more about the photos and winners in previous EEB web news.)

Professor Deborah Goldberg is always one of the first to dance.The following brainy team made up of EEB graduate students and their spouses and boyfriends captured first place in the trivia game: Gyuri Barabas, Leslie Decker, Cindee Giffen, Anneka Jankowiak, David Hietala, Clayton Kingdon, Clara Shaw, Lisa Walsh, Andrew Wood (pictured below).  

Special thanks to the social committee for all their efforts to put together such a great evening: Sonja Botes, Mark Brahce, Anna Cihak, Dr. Laura Eidietis, and Jeff Shi. Thanks also goes to Jason Dobkowski  for creating his nearly famous trivia game,  Cindy Carl, and everyone who helped set up and clean up.

View more photos. Photo credit: Dale Austin.