Each spring, students from colleges and universities across the state gather for one big event: Oklahoma Research Day. This statewide conference has been happening for 26 years and celebrates student and faculty research from all kinds of disciplines.
Oklahoma Research Day is a chance for students to share their projects, ideas and discoveries with others who are curious about learning. Students from across Oklahoma present their work through poster presentations and talk with attendees about their research. It is also a great opportunity for students and faculty to connect, ask questions and exchange ideas.
What is a poster presentation?
Poster presentations are one of the most common ways students and researchers share their work. Instead of giving a formal speech, presenters create a large poster that explains their project. During the presentation session, people walk around the room, stop at posters that interest them and talk with the presenters about their research.
How were the OCCC students chosen?
The students who attended Oklahoma Research Day this year were selected during Scholar’s Day at OCCC last November. The Scholar’s Day Planning Committee chose the top 10 posters based on the quality of the research and presentation.
A few of those students were unable to attend the statewide conference, but several OCCC students still made the trip to represent the college.
Where was it held?
This year’s Oklahoma Research Day took place at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. To make it there on time, the OCCC group had to leave campus at 5:30 a.m. It was an early start, but worth it for a full day of research and presentations.
The host university rotates each year, so next year’s event may be a little closer to home.
What happens at Oklahoma Research Day?
The event begins with welcome speeches and a keynote speaker. One of the most passionate welcome speeches this year came from Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., who spoke about the importance of education and scholarship.
The keynote speaker was Dr. Raven Baxter, also known as “Raven the Science Maven.” A scientist and science communicator, Baxter shared her journey in the scientific world and encouraged students to pursue their curiosity and use their voices in science.
After the opening session, the day moves into two poster presentation sessions with lunch in between. During these sessions, hundreds of students from across the state stand by their posters, explain their projects and answer questions from attendees.
Congratulations to the OCCC students who participated:
- Holly Afendras: “Empowering Future Practitioners: A Peer Review Resource for the OTA Curriculum”
- Fernanda Binda: “Social Media Addiction as a Behavioral Addiction”
- Bobie Johnson: “The Redshift Wrangler: Analyzing Distant Galaxies”
- Tristen McClellan: “Triggering Change: A Call for Firearms Reform”
- Luke Sewell: “Neuro2Neuro: A Zero-Code Solution for Deep Neural Networks”
- Madison Upton: “Till Dying Do Us Part: Social Death and Methods of Prevention”
For OCCC students, Oklahoma Research Day provides an exciting opportunity to represent the college, share their work and see what students at other institutions are researching. Anyone interested in obtaining additional information about undergraduate research, Scholar’s Day or Oklahoma Research Day should contact OCCC Professor of English Gena Ford at [email protected].