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Join Ancestry.com in Southern California for Three Days of Family History

Crista Cowan — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:32:24 +0000

Just starting to build your family tree? Ready to take your research skills to the next level? Trying to break through some sticky brick walls? Then you won’t want to miss the

2013 Southern California Genealogy Jamboree

Produced by the Southern California Genealogical Society

June 7-9, 2013

Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport, Burbank, California

Don’t Miss Ancestry Day Las Vegas on May 11th

pvelazquez — Fri, 03 May 2013 17:12:57 +0000

Join Ancestry.com’s Barefoot Genealogist, Crista Cowan, for Ancestry Day Las Vegas on Saturday, May 11^th at the LVH Convention Center. Come for a full-day of education and a chance to win fantastic door prizes throughout the day. The grand prize is a World Deluxe Membership and an AncestryDNA kit. Take advantage of the few remaining spaces. Register Today!

Whether you are new to Ancestry.com or a long time user, Ancestry Day will help take your research to the next level. The day’s classes include:

Registration is only $25. Ancestry Day will be held in Ballroom A at the LVH Convention Center at 3000 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109

The Marriott Springhill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center is offering Ancestry Day guests the following special rate:

King Suite $124 per night
Book King Suite at SpringHill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center for $124 per night

Queen/Queen Suite $124 per night
Book Queen/Queen Suite at SpringHill Suites Las Vegas Convention Center for $124 per night

Ancestry Day: Las Vegas!

pvelazquez — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:19:42 +0000

Take your skills to the next level! Join us for Ancestry Day Las Vegas on May 11th, 2013 at the LVH Convention Center. Whether you have been using Ancestry.com for years or you are a brand new user, you won’t want to miss this event. Full day registration is only $25.

Here is a sneak peak of the presentations: Ancestry 101; Search Smarter: Tips & Tricks for finding your Ancestors; Getting the Most from Ancestry.com; and a Live Q&A Panel. In addition, all attendees will be able to check out the NGS Conference exhibit hall for free.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from Ancestry experts and network with fellow genealogists.

Space is limited. Register today!

RootsTech 2013 with Ancestry.com

pvelazquez — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 17:51:27 +0000

I have been to comic-cons and paranormal cons, but I think I was most excited for this: my first genealogy conference. On Friday March 21 I found myself in Utah at the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City — with Ancestry.com and 6,700 other people — for the third annual RootsTech conference.

Focusing on the use of the newest technology in genealogy, RootsTech had something for everyone. Whether you are just getting started or are experienced, the conference offered hands-on workshops and interactive presentations led by genealogy experts from across the country. The bustling exhibition hall — packed with booths run by genealogy-based vendors, all introducing their newest products — gave attendees the opportunity to browse and connect with other genealogy enthusiasts. Over all, RootsTech’s focus on the use of technology to research, organize, preserve and share one’s family history was a perfect mix of new verse old which attracted both the new and experienced genealogist.

Most of my time at RootsTech was spent at the Ancestry.com booth, where I got to meet many of the team members I have interacted with over the last year. Honored to even be asked to join the conference with them, I admit I felt a bit nervous about my presentation, which covered how my love of genealogy eventually drew me into the world of the paranormal. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve attended several events and conferences around the country, but this was different. Even though I have always seen the clear similarities between the paranormal and genealogy, I wondered if the genealogy world would.

The biggest challenge that comes with being involved in the paranormal is the possibility of being received as a crackpot. In all honesty, I blame a good part of my skepticism on the years spent researching my ancestors; genealogy is all about finding evidence through records and family documents in order to uncover your family’s past. I take the same approach with the paranormal; in my time in the field, I needed documented proof to rationally uncover or debunk the mysteries plaguing the locations we investigated.

While I shared my favorite locations to investigate at the Ancestry.com booth, I also explained the steps I took as a genealogist to research the location and the supposed ghost. I watched as expressions from the audience transformed from uncertainty to acceptance as they saw the connections I was drawing between unexplained and the explainable.

At the end of the day, genealogical research and paranormal investigation revolve around exploring the dead, while also filling our need to keep the dead alive. The biggest difference between the two being, instead of investigating any old location or ghost, genealogy gives you the opportunity to investigate the ghosts of your own past.

As a genealogist, attending RootsTech with Ancesty.com was an amazing opportunity, and opened my eyes to just how much genealogy research has advanced in such a short amount of time. When I first started my research 21 years ago, the only options I had were phone calls and handwritten letters. I had to rely on family members in hopes of gaining new information and hints to help obtain records from vital statistic offices, historical societies, libraries and cemeteries. All of this took a lot of legwork, time and patience.

Even though you can still hit dead ends and roadblocks in your research, where knowledge of the old research techniques are definitely useful, today’s technology has made the entire process easier and faster. The ability to research, connect with others, organize and store your information has become incredibly streamlined.

Ancestry.com alone offers many helpful, user-friendly options for those just getting started in this research, and for those who have been at it for years. All of their products and services encourage and enable users to connect with other users in order to enhance their experience and further their research. While the service makes it possible to access over 11 billion records and over 40 million family trees from the comfort of your own home, the AncestryApp for iPhone, iPad and Android smartphones make it possible for you to research and build your family tree on the go. If you are looking for a better way to store, organize and share your information on your computer, there is FamilyTree Maker, which even gives you the ability to sync your tree with your online Ancestry.com tree.

Although I have utilized all of Ancestry.com’s services over the years, I am still amazed by the addition of DNA testing to enhance genealogy research. With one easy-to-take test, AncestryDNA has helped me discover my ethnicity, introduced me to several other members who I share a common ancestor with, and provided me the ability to collaborate with them.

That was another excellent part of RootsTech; it introduced people to these awesome services that they may not have known about. Moreover, for me personally, it was a joy to connect with a community I’ve been a part of since I was 11 years old. Genealogy is all about researching people, but it can sometimes feel like a solitary pursuit. I learned so much about the new innovations in the field, but also learned from the other people. Thanks to Ancestry.com, I really felt like I was a part of something truly bigger.

I look forward to attending more genealogy conferences in the future and can’t help but wonder what new discoveries are waiting just around the corner that will continue to advance our ability to dig deeper into our past. And look forward to more chances to be with my fellow researchers again. Despite all the conferences I’ve been to before, this one was my favorite.

By: Kris Williams

Twitter: KrisWilliams81

Discover Your Family Connections At RootsTech

Nick Cifuentes — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 07:01:17 +0000

RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch and sponsored by Ancestry.com, offers a unique opportunity to learn about the latest technology to start or accelerate your efforts to find, organize, preserve, and share your family’s connections, stories, and history.

What Does RootsTech Offer?

In addition to over 250 informative classes and hands-on workshops available for those from beginner to expert levels, RootsTech offers a number of fun, family history related activities:

Scan an old book or documents
Record a favorite family story
Print a large format copy of your family tree
Learn how to create a blog
Discover ways to organize and share our photos

Just Getting Started?

New for 2013, RootsTech has a special Getting Started track designed especially for those who are just beginning their family history journey. Partner a Getting Started pass with Story@Home and discover the art of storytelling in order to preserve and share your family stories.

Registration Options

Full Three Day Pass - $149 (Early Bird)
Access to everything RootsTech has to offer.

One Day Only Pass – $89
Full admission for just one day.

Student Three Day Pass – $39
Student ID required.

NEW! Story@Home+Getting Started Combo Pass – $79
Access to all the Story@Home and Getting Started classes, all three days of RootsTech

Getting Started 3-day Pass - $39 (Early Bird)
Beginner track with access to over 30 classes.

Getting Started One Day Only Pass – $19
A selection of fundamental classes to help you get started.

Ancestry Article—February 4, 2012
RootsTech has something for everyone, whether you are an avid genealogist, just getting started, or simply want to discover the latest technologies and solutions to better connect with your family. At RootsTech, come prepared to experience world-class content from speakers all over the country, an exciting exhibitor hall, and great keynote speakers.

Helpful links:

Midwest Genealogy Center Ancestry Day

Nick Cifuentes — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 07:01:07 +0000

Mid-Continent Public Library and the Midwest Genealogy Center invite you to Ancestry Day 2013! The event will be held at the Adams Pointe Conference Center in Blue Springs, Missouri on March 16th from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Featuring speakers from Ancestry.com and the Midwest Genealogy Center, this event is for all levels of genealogy research, from first-timers to family historians.

The Midwest Genealogy Center is one of the nation’s preeminent resources for family history, providing access to almost 750,000 on-site materials. Part of the Mid-Continent Public Library located in the Kansas City area, MGC features 52,000 square feet of space to house all the resources and technology genealogist need to research.

Ancestry Day will offer you a look at the best techniques for searching Ancestry.com and Ancestry Library Edition. You can connect with experts and other genealogy enthusiasts to help you in your research and inspire you to discover your history. Ancestry employees Lou Szucs, Anne Mitchell, and Cris Cooper will be available at the day-long workshop to help you get started or accelerate your efforts to find, organize, preserve, and share your family’s connections and history.

The genealogy excitement is not limited to this one day event. The staff of the Midwest Genealogy Center will be offering additional classes at their Independence location on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday of that weekend. MGC will be open for research, as well, during normal business hours. An added bonus to Ancestry Day registrants is a free reception at the Midwest Genealogy Center on Friday evening, allowing you the opportunity to meet Anne and Lou before the event.

Registration will open on January 2. Cost for the Ancestry Day event is $30 in advance and $35 at the door. The classes and research at the Midwest Genealogy Center are free.

Ancestry Day 2013 has something for everyone, whether you are an avid genealogist, just getting started, or simply want to connect with other genealogists. At Ancestry Day, come prepared to experience world-class content from Anne Mitchell and Lou Szucs.

The City by the Bay Welcomes the World’s Top Geneticists

Stephen Baloglu — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:43:40 +0000

San Francisco is home to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, Ghirardelli chocolate and touristy Fisherman’s Wharf. But this year, it’s also home to the largest human genetics conference and exposition in the world. This past week, the 2012 American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) annual meeting brought together some of the world’s top geneticists and over 6,000 attendees. And on that roster are our top AncestryDNA scientists, who are presenting and discussing some of their latest research and findings in the field of human genetics.

Earlier in the week, AncestryDNA™ helped kick off a segment of the conference at the Illumina Discovery Symposium. Our very own Dr. Jake Byrnes, one of our Population Geneticists, gave a talk on Using Genetic Analysis to Empower Genealogical Research. In other words, he gave the conference a run-down on how AncestryDNA works including the methodology we use to test ethnicity and matching to a room of genetic experts—without spilling the beans on our trade secrets, of course. The talk was well-received and the attendees excited about the technology behind our product.

Many other leading AncestryDNA scientists contributed to the conference as well, including Dr. Ken Chahine, Sr. VP and General Manager of AncestryDNA; Dr. Catherine Ball, VP Genomics and Bioinformatics; Dr. Dr. Scott Woodward; Dr. Keith Noto; Natalie Myres; Norman Angerhofer; Dr. Mathew Barber; Dr. Yong Wang; and Dr. Ross Curtis. Their input and presentations of abstracts will cover several relevant topics. Here’s a quick overview.

AncestryDNA Abstracts at ASHG 2012

Pushing the boundaries: Using Haplotypes to infer ancestral origins for recently admixed individuals

This research presents new ways to look at people around the world, and continually pushes our thinking on how we determine ethnicity and population boundaries—specifically in challenging regions like Central Europe—with better data, better algorithms and better analysis.

Using Y-chromosomes Haplotypes to improve inferred ancestral origins in European populations

In a nutshell, this abstract illustrates how predictions of geographic ethnicity for European populations using autosomal genotypes can be improved by incorporating Y-chromosome information. In fact, using Y-haplogroup distributions to redraw regional boundaries within Europe improved ethnicity predictions by up to 9%.

Genetic evidence of multiple non-Asian migrations into the new world.

An analysis of the Sorenson Molecular Genealogy Foundation (SMGF) Y-chromosome and mtDNA databases resulted in evidence for multiple migrations from the Iberian Peninsula into the New World (Mexico, Central and South America); specifically, two groups were identified—Basque males who share ancestry within the last 2000 years and a Jewish group in Mexico, which fled persecution during the Inquisition.

In summary, it was a great week. The AncestryDNA team is excited to be a part of the American Society of Human Genetics and would like to thank all of those who participated in the conference and shared their work in the field—there was a lot of exciting research and information on display. We look forward to continuing to innovate and break new ground for the use of genetics in the exciting world of family history. If you’d like to learn more about ASHG, you can click here.

AncestryDNA at the 2012 Consumer Genetics Conference

Crista Cowan — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:43:42 +0000

The 4^th annual Consumer Genetics Conference in Boston, Massachusetts is a gathering of hundreds of thought leaders, scientists and entrepreneurs with a shared interest in the field of genetics. Our own Dr. Ken Chahine, Senior Vice President and General Manager of AncestryDNA, was invited to give a keynote presentation on the AncestryDNA product, how it works, and what its latest innovations mean for the future of genetics.

Let’s take a look at a few of the key messages from Ken’s presentation:

Genetic ethnicity discovered

Most of what people know about their ethnicity is based on their family trees. “Where was Grandma from? Spain? Okay, I’m Spanish.” But your AncestryDNA genetic ethnicity results can paint a deeper picture, one that connects you with the migrations and histories of the regions of the world over the past 500 to 2,000 years. For example, many customers from Southern Europe are surprised to see results indicating a small amount of North African heritage. But against the historical backdrop of Moorish influence on the Iberian Peninsula in the Middle Ages, it makes perfect sense. People did a lot of migrating, invading, and colonizing throughout history, which makes the job of predicting ethnicity challenging, but always interesting. The same is true for people of the British Isles who find they have a surprisingly high percentage of Scandinavian ethnicity compared to the birth locations of people in their family tree ‑ it is probably reflecting a deeper ancestry.

DNA member matching

Researching family history is not just always about finding ancestors, but sometimes living relatives as well. AncestryDNA matching has delivered over a half million 1^st-4^th cousin relationships to our members. A simple, yet powerful interface allows users to easily review potential DNA matches and quickly access public member trees to verify the connection. In addition, over 100,000 shared ancestors have been found between AncestryDNA users. Hints to shared ancestors do the work for you to find the link in your family tree on Ancestry.com and our simple interface shows exactly where this new ancestor fits.

Confident connections made through DNA

Matching confidence at AncestryDNA is built on a groundbreaking analysis performed by the AncestryDNA geneticists, partnered with the experts from the Sorenson Molecular Genomics Foundation team. This analysis, performed in the lab, is seen on your very own web browser, translated as “confidence” levels provided in your AncestryDNA results. So, when you get a 4^th cousin DNA match that shows as 96% confident, know that information is based on a highly scientific analysis to help you take action with your DNA results.

What’s new for 2013

AncestryDNA believes that our customers have the right to their own genetic data. It is your DNA, after all. So we’re working to provide access to your raw DNA data in early 2013, which includes related security enhancements to ensure its safety during every step of the process. Moving forward, we plan to add even more tools and improvements for our customers, and any new features will be available to all AncestryDNA members.

We’d like to thank the organizers and attendees of the Consumer Genetics Conference 2012. We plan to continue to be a part of the genetics landscape moving forward and will be at more events, including the American Society of Human Genetics in San Francisco, where we will present some amazing new discoveries that our scientists have been working on.

Three Days, Three Free Classes

Juliana Smith — Wed, 23 May 2012 20:21:01 +0000

I hope you’ll join me and several of my Ancestry.com colleagues for three days of free online classes.

Ancestry.com Searches: A Behind the Scenes Look, presented by John Bacus
Wednesday, 23 May 2012, 8 PM ET

Learn how search at Ancestry.com works AND get an inside view of tricks you’ll need to take full advantage of its power. John Bacus, Ancestry.com Search Product Manager, walks you through the tech side and presents you with plenty of tips, advice and even a few workarounds—all of which will help you make your next search at Ancestry.com more effective, productive, and better than ever.

John is a Principal Product Manager at Ancestry.com, where he is responsible for the core search features of the site, such as search forms and search results. Prior to his time at Ancestry.com, he held search-related product management roles at AltaVista and eBay. John’s interest in genealogy was first piqued with the family history his grandparents put together when he was a child, and has enjoyed validating and building upon the research they did with two curious minds, some spare time, and a motor home.
Click here to register.

Common Surnames: Finding Your Smith, presented by Juliana Smith
Thursday, 24 May 2012, 3 PM ET
Despite his common moniker, your ancestor was unique. Get the tools and tips you need to find your ancestors with common surnames in this free one-hour class with Juliana Smith. In this class you’ll learn how to craft the best search on Ancestry.com, and how to save your findings in a way that makes it easy to pick your family out of the crowd.

Juliana has been working for Ancestry.com for just shy of 14 years and began her family history journey trolling through microfilms at the tender age of 11 with her mother. She is a certificate holder in the Boston University Genealogical Research program, and wrote the “Computers and Technology” chapter of The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy. Her favorite part of family history is discovering the stories in the records of her ancestors.
Click here to register.

Forward thinking: Tracing the children of your ancestors. And their children… presented by Crista Cowan
Friday, 25 May 2012, 1 PM ET
Are you stuck in your march back through time identifying ancestors? Turn around. Revitalize your research. Rekindle your desire to continue with some success. Descendancy research utilizes much of the same methodology as ancestral research but can lead to a whole new way of looking at your genealogy. Often it can lead to discovery of cousins who have missing pieces of the puzzle needed to complete your picture of common ancestors.

Crista Cowan has been doing genealogy since she was a child and has been an Ancestry.com employee since 2004. Known as the Barefoot Genealogist, Crista brings her passion for family history into her presentations and provides common sense solutions for the challenges we face in the search for our ancestors.
Click here to register.

All events will be archived, and if you register, you’ll get an email from us alerting you when the archived version becomes available to view at your convenience.

Have You Attended A Genealogy Conference Lately?

Crista Cowan — Thu, 10 May 2012 22:12:26 +0000

We are nearing the end of the second day of a four day genealogy conference. That’s four days of classes from some of the best and the brightest educators in the genealogy community. Four days in an exhibit hall with dozens of genealogy companies, organizations and societies all talking about their latest and greatest content, products, and services. Four days meeting our members, talking to you, listening to your research challenges, and helping you break through your brick walls. Four days with hundreds and hundreds of people who “get it.”

In the last two days I have learned new things. I have been reminded of genealogy basics. I have been challenged by a dozen or more people in a great round of Stump the Genealogist!

We have given away free subscriptions and free DNA kits in anticipation-filled drawings. We have helped hundreds of people learn how to search smarter, how to discover what records exist online, and how to analyze the records they’ve already found to help them move their research along.

I LOVE genealogy conferences!

I have have been live tweeting some of the goings on here in Cincinnati this week. Go catch up on those tweets and then follow along for the next two days.

If you would like to join us at a genealogy conference or event, take a look at our 2012 schedule to see where we will be for the rest of the year. I would love to meet you, hear your genealogy stories, and help you with your most intriguing research challenge.

Have you attended a genealogy conference lately?