Yesterday’s Graduate Student Research Poster Session was the biggest and best session we’ve had yet. Congratulations to all of the students who presented, and a big thanks to everyone who attended. An even bigger thank you goes to Regina and our graduate assistants who made the event so very special for everyone.
If you’ve considered presenting at a poster session but have yet to do so, you should seriously consider it the next time an opportunity presents itself. Especially if you’re in the humanities or in education. These poster sessions aren’t just for the sciences any more. Out of the 35 presenters, 16 represented our Communication, English, History, and Urban Planning programs.
These events are a lot of fun to attend. Although, I must admit the formulas that shroud the math posters, and the Latin scrawled across the top of the science are quite intimidating to me – a humble humanities major. My trepidation quickly recedes the moment I ask a student to help me understand their research. Very much like the conversation I had with Sybil Nelson and her research on the dynamics of nearly circular vortex filaments. She made complex math seem like a very natural occurrence, which is exactly what it is. Sybil summed up her research nicely with an example of the air a dolphin blows, and the ripples it sends through the water. I’m still in awe of her research.
It was the same with Bryan Danson and his research on Black Sea Bass (Centropristis striata) and their reproductive productivity on artificial and natural reefs. He was the first on the East coast to question the differences of the reproduction of sea bass, and his findings have opened the doors for much more research.
Then there was research on pop culture, such as Emily Simmons’ comparative study of romance after 9/11. She analyzed the components that made the Twilight novels a beloved series with all generations and compared them with early Harlequin romance novels. You may want to keep an eye out for future research done by Emily. It just might include reasons why Harry Potter was such a success.
I learned about many more research projects including Clubwomen and Literacy in the American South, Homophily in the Context of a Web 20 on Online Social Networking Sites, the Immaculate Conception School, and the Rise of the “Nature Class” in the Lowcountry. Everyone did an incredible job; we are very proud of all of our graduate students.
Votes will be cast and announced on Monday. If you’re interested in learning more about presenting, or about any of the research presented yesterday, please let me know. Some pictures of the event are on our Facebook page, too.
