Biospec Group Meeting Scheduler

A modern, beautiful web application for organizing and managing group meeting presentation schedules. Built with React, Node.js, and Express.

Features

• 🔐 Secure Access: Password-protected access with customizable passcode
• 📅 Automatic Scheduling: Generates random presentation schedules every two weeks
• 📧 Email Automation: Automatic reminders sent every Friday
• 🔄 Smart Rescheduling: Automatically adjusts dates when meetings are skipped or rescheduled
• 👥 Presenter Management: Swap presenters between different meeting dates
• 📱 Responsive Design: Beautiful, modern UI that works on all devices
• 🎨 Vivid Color Palette: Modern design with smooth animations and gradients

How It Works

1. Initial Setup: Generates a random presentation schedule starting from September 8th, 2025
2. Weekly Automation: Every Friday at 9 AM, the system:
   • Checks if there's a meeting the following Monday
   • Sends appropriate reminders to group members
   • Manages schedule updates and new round generation
3. Schedule Management: Users can swap presenters, skip meetings, and change dates
4. Smart Rescheduling: Automatically maintains two-week intervals when dates are changed

Technology Stack

• Frontend: React 18, TypeScript, CSS3 with modern animations
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Email: Email service with SendGrid
• Scheduling: Node-cron for automated tasks
• Styling: Custom CSS with glassmorphism effects and gradients

Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 16+
• npm or yarn
• Gmail account (for email functionality)

Setup

1. Clone the repository

   git clone <your-repo-url>
   cd meeting_scheduler

2. Install dependencies

   npm run install-all

3. Configure environment variables

   cp env.example .env

   Edit .env file with your email credentials:

   EMAIL_USER=your-email@gmail.com
   EMAIL_PASS=your-app-password

4. Generate Gmail App Password

   • Go to Google Account Settings
   • Generate an app password for "Mail"
   • Use this password in your .env file

5. Start the application

   npm run dev

   This will start both the backend server (port 3001) and React frontend (port 3000).

Usage

Access the Application

1. Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost:3000
2. Enter the passcode: BiospecParty
3. View and manage your presentation schedule

Available Actions

• View Schedule: See all upcoming presentations with dates and presenters
• Swap Presenters: Exchange presenters between different meeting dates
• Skip Meeting: Remove a meeting and automatically adjust subsequent dates
• Change Date: Modify a meeting date and automatically adjust the schedule

Email Automation

The system automatically sends emails every Friday:

• Meeting Reminders: Sent to all group members when a meeting is scheduled
• Presentation Reminders: Sent to upcoming presenters after a meeting occurs
• Schedule Updates: Notifications when new rounds are generated

Configuration

Group Members

Edit the groupMembers array in server/index.js to add or remove members:

let groupMembers = [
  { name: "Dr. Sarah Johnson", email: "sarah.johnson@biospec.edu" },
  { name: "Prof. Michael Chen", email: "m.chen@biospec.edu" },
  // Add more members...
];

Meeting Schedule

• Frequency: Every two weeks on Monday
• Start Date: September 8th, 2025 (configurable)
• Presenters: 2 per meeting
• Auto-generation: New rounds created when <1/3 of members haven't presented

Passcode

Change the PASSCODE constant in server/index.js:

const PASSCODE = "YourNewPasscode";

Deployment

GitHub (Recommended for Private Repos)

1. Create a private GitHub repository
2. Push your code:

   git add .
   git commit -m "Initial commit"
   git push origin main

Vercel Deployment

1. Install Vercel CLI:

   npm i -g vercel

2. Deploy:

   vercel

3. Set environment variables in Vercel dashboard

Environment Variables for Production

• EMAIL_USER: Your Gmail address
• EMAIL_PASS: Your Gmail app password
• PORT: Server port (optional, defaults to 3001)

Security Considerations

• Private Repository: Keep the repository private due to hardcoded passcode
• Environment Variables: Never commit .env files
• Email Security: Use app passwords, not regular passwords
• Access Control: Consider implementing additional authentication for production

Customization

UI Colors and Styling

Edit client/src/index.css to customize:

• Color schemes
• Animations
• Typography
• Layout spacing

Email Templates

Modify email content in server/index.js:

• Meeting reminders
• Presentation notifications
• Schedule updates

Meeting Rules

Adjust scheduling logic in server/index.js:

• Meeting frequency
• Presenter count
• Round generation rules

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

1. Email not sending: Check Gmail app password and 2FA settings
2. Port conflicts: Change PORT in .env file
3. Build errors: Ensure Node.js version is 16+
4. CORS issues: Check server configuration

Logs

Check server console for:

• Schedule generation logs
• Email sending status
• API request logs

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Make your changes
4. Test thoroughly
5. Submit a pull request

License

MIT License - see LICENSE file for details

Support

For issues and questions:

1. Check the troubleshooting section
2. Review server logs
3. Create a GitHub issue with detailed information

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Built with ❤️ for the Biospec Group