August 01, 2013 –
Timothy Vu
This year’s SURF-IT Fellows have spent five weeks peering into microscopes, writing computer code, analyzing data and synthesizing chemical compounds. For some, this has been their first foray into applied research.
This week the seven undergraduates marked a new milestone – the halfway point of the summer research program – by doing something that was probably new to most of them. They presented their preliminary results to an audience of their peers and CALIT2 staff.
After recapping their initial results in individual five-minute PowerPoint presentations, each student answered audience questions. With poise and confidence they responded to: “Can you explain that section better?” “What does that slide depict?” “What do you mean by [insert term]?”
Perhaps more nerve-wracking, however, was having their performances critiqued by those in attendance. The constructive criticism was aimed at preparing the students for their final research presentations at the end of the SURF-IT program.
“We are one big family,” program co-director Said Shokair told them before the critiques began. “Can you feel the love?” he asked, inspiring nervous laughter.
Students were assessed on both their oral delivery and their PowerPoint slides. “Modulate your voice better. Project. Try not to use a monotone,” Shokair told one. Added Stu Ross, program co-director, “You know this topic better than anybody else in the room; it should have almost the same presentation as if you’re telling an old family story.”
From left: Helena Do, Sandy Pham, Payum Noshiravan.
Other suggestions included:
• Avoid acronyms. “We’re all from different disciplines so make sure you define acronyms if you’re going to use them.”
• Don’t get entangled in detailed scientific explanations. Describe in simple terms what is being depicted. “You don’t want to get bogged down in every molecule or reaction but you can tell us the reason you want to get from here to there.”
• Title slides should contain the project name, mentor name, group or lab name and name of your institution. Slides should be enhanced with design elements.
• Don’t assume the audience knows what you know. Background information is important. Spell out the project’s goals and applications.
• Pace your delivery. Don’t talk too fast and avoid casual colloquialisms, including “like” and “you know.”
• Step out from behind the podium. Keep hands out of pockets.
• Don’t read verbatim from the slide. “Practice until you can describe what you want to say in a really concise way using the fewest number of words.”
From left: Gary Chang, Eddie Vargas, Taylor Kisor-Smith.
When the last presentation concluded a palpable sense of relief was evident. “You all did very well,” Ross assured the student researchers. “You covered the topics and stayed on time and answered questions well. Those are all very good signs.”
Final research presentations are scheduled August 29; the public is invited to attend.
— Anna Lynn Spitzer
