Reflections from the Undergraduate Research Symposium

This month, three of our undergraduate researchers, Lainey Kirshberger, Jorin Stockebrand, and Kirby Wilcox, presented their work at the Oklahoma State University Undergraduate Research Symposium. Each of them shared insights from the experience and what it meant for their development as researchers. Here’s what they had to say:
 
Lainey Kirshberger: This was my second time presenting at this symposium, so the process of preparing and presenting my poster was both familiar and a good reminder of what to expect from scientific meetings. I received some questions about future directions and applications during the symposium that allowed me to take a step back and look at my results through a different lens, providing me with perspectives that I would like to take into consideration when talking and writing about this research in the future. I think that being able to effectively present your research to a broader, non-field-specific audience is important for getting your findings into an actionable space, and this experience provides a space to practice breaking down technical research so that anyone who is interested can understand it.
 
Jorin Stockebrand: This was my first undergraduate symposium and my first time presenting my work. It was exciting to share my love of white oaks and their trichomes with people. It was also fun to explain why they can be important for the species as well. My favorite part was hearing the ideas from other about how to proceed with my research and how to improve. However the most beneficial part was learning how to present a scientific poster and be able to explain my ideas and processes to everyone. With all the practice leading up and all the questions I got from other people I am excited to continue my work with trichomes and do my best to expand the topic and our knowledge of it.

Kirby Wilcox: This was my first time sharing a research poster in a formal setting, and it turned out to be a valuable experience in more ways than I expected. One of the most rewarding parts was getting to speak with people who were genuinely interested in the same topics I’ve been working on for months. It gave me a new level of confidence in both the research itself and my ability to communicate it. I was able to explain my project to a range of people, from peers to faculty, and it really challenged me to think about why I had made certain choices in my methods and how I might build on the work moving forward. Getting feedback on both the science and the presentation was also incredibly helpful. It made me reflect not just on the technical aspects of the project, but also on how I could make the ideas more engaging and accessible. I'm excited to take what I learned and apply it to future work and future presentations. Overall, the experience reminded me that science isn't just about getting results, it's about sharing those results, learning from others, and always thinking ahead.