On Thursday, February 27th, the Kent State Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society (SAACS) hosted a workshop on “Effective Research Poster Presentations.” Sponsored by the local Akron Section of the American Chemical Society, the group saw over forty students in attendance from a variety of campus departments including Chemistry & Biochemistry, Biology, the Liquid Crystal Institute, Physics, Psychology and Geology. Many of the attendees perform research on campus and have not previously had the experience of presenting a poster.
Drs. Nicola Brasch, Elda Hegmann and Soumitra Basu led the interactive seminar, which focused on the importance of presenting research via poster session, poster design, oral communication and networking. Participants also had the opportunity to critique three poster examples previously produced by Kent State graduate students.
The workshop was largely motivated by the poster presentation opportunities available this Spring semester, including the 2nd Annual SAACS Honors Week Poster Session, hosted by both the Kent State and Stark State College chapters of SAACS on April 8th in the Main Library. Additionally, four Stark State students were in attendance and will be presenting posters at the joint session covering work completed during their participation in the KSU National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.
The workshop was part of the SAACS professional development series, which stems from the group’s goal to enhance such opportunities for its members as well as students in chemistry-related fields. The group began the series intending to organize a workshop of a different topic each semester; previously, they hosted a resume building workshop as well as a reference organizing workshop. Future workshops may include applying for funding and writing abstracts, but the group is always open to suggestions.
