Save the Date for the First 2022 DGS Seminar

Using DNA Strategically: Tools to Identify Ancestors
Featuring Diahan Southard
Saturday, 23 April 2022

Growing up with the budding genetic genealogy industry led Diahan Southard to found Your DNA Guide, where she provides personalized, interactive experiences to help people “ask their DNA” about their family history. She lectures around the world and is known for her fun, upbeat energy, and a gift for making complex DNA concepts understandable.

Your DNA Guide founder Diahan Southard has been working in the genetic genealogy industry since its infancy. Both before and after earning a degree in microbiology from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation, a prominent pioneer in creating a correlated genetic and genealogical database.

Diahan is the author of Your DNA Guide – The Book, the ultimate step-by-step guide, do-it-yourself DNA manual, and several quick reference guides. She is a contributor or past contributor to Family Tree Magazine, Genealogy Today, The Genealogy Guys Podcast, and Lisa Louise Cooke’s Genealogy Gems Podcast.

Diahan’s presentations for the day will be the following sessions.

• The Combined Power of YDNA and Autosomal DNA: A Case Study. This case study integrating YDNA and autosomal DNA testing can teach you how to navigate your own DNA—and the possible clash between our expectations for DNA testing and the reality of our experience.

• Your DNA Match List: Overcome the “overwhelm by organizing them.” Organizing your DNA matches into genetic networks puts matches onto branches of your tree and prepares you to find missing ancestors. Learn how!

• No Tree? No Problem! One of the most frustrating things about genetic genealogy is to recognize that you have a good DNA match that just might be able to help you break down your brick wall, only to realize they haven’t posted any family tree information. Come learn some best practices for identifying your best DNA matches, as well as super-sleuthing skills to help you track down the family tree for that all-important DNA match.

• 3 Key Intermediate DNA Strategies. While every person’s situation is unique, these ABCs are more advanced, key strategies you can use to help investigate your match list to identify a particular match or break down a genealogy brick wall. The strategies include “Ask the Wife” (dividing genetic networks), “Bottoms Up” (working from the bottom of your match list), and “Cousin Categories” (determining which kinds of cousins might answer your question).

So save the date and join fellow genealogists for a day filled with tips, tricks, and information for doing your DNA research.