March 1, 2022
Shawnee State University biology student, Megan Long, presented her own research at last year’s Celebration of Scholarship (COS) conference on treating acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells with matcha green tea (MGT). With the help of her mentor and on-hands research, she found the experience helpful in expanding her presentation and research skills as she collected data and kept accurate records of her results.
“I spent the entire semester gathering data by treating the leukemia cells with MGT and measuring cell death and protein expression,” she said. “Journals were kept in the lab to document everything that was done. After collecting the data, I used my journal to put the presentation together.”
Throughout the research process, faculty mentors provide advice and act as guides as students prepare for the conference. Long found her mentor, Dr. Jennifer Napper, vital in providing feedback and assistance with reviewing and critiquing the presentation.
“Dr. Napper was very helpful throughout the entire process,” said Long. “I sent her drafts of the abstract and presentation, and she gave me helpful feedback. She also prompted me to expand my thoughts and ideas.”
Looking back on her involvement with last year’s conference, Long enjoyed her experience with her research partner.
“The experience gave me an opportunity to build my presentation skills and share something I enjoyed studying with classmates,” she said. “My research partner, Alena Bruening, and I would have such fun practicing our mic setup. Celebration of Scholarship gave us a break to reflect on the work we had done and enjoy the results.”
For students considering participating in this year’s conference, Long encourages them to submit their research.
“Celebration of Scholarship is an excellent opportunity to build presentation and communication skills,” said Long. “You get to talk about something you spend time working on and enjoy doing. The environment at the conference is supportive and encouraging, everyone would love to hear you present on what you’ve been working on.”
SSU’s COS conference brings together undergraduate and graduate programs from different colleges across campus to deliver academic presentations showcasing their personal academic research. Work presented at the conference relates to student’s research in their field, creative work in visual and performing arts, community service, and study abroad. This year’s COS conference will be held the week of Apr. 4 in a hybrid format.
To learn more about the upcoming Shawnee State University Celebration of Scholarship Conference, visit shawnee.edu/cos.