Preparation for Research Day begins well before the big day comes. Dr. Kimberly Williams knows all too well about the process. Williams, an assistant professor in the Environmental and Health Sciences Department, is a veteran mentor for Research Day who has helped her mentees prepare year-round. She will serve as a research mentor to multiple students presenting: Keoni Webb, C’2025, health science; Nia Pickett, C’2025, health science; Kaitlin Jackson, C’2025, health science; Ramya Cook, C’2026, biology; Ra’Leeya Owens, C’2026, chemistry; and Amaya Anderson, C’2027, health science. Williams has mentored each of these students for a year or more.
“Each student has been involved in intensive research projects that have explored how the hormone estrogen may regulate neuroinflammatory processes during insult with microbial particles such as HIV. The students and I have focused on improving transferrable skills in the lab, such as learning laboratory techniques, analyzing data, interpreting scientific literature, and effectively conveying their findings through presentations,” Williams said. “My trainees have presented their work at weekly lab meetings this year to perfect their scientific presentation skills and handle complex questions that they may receive during Research Day. Through their training, I have seen increased confidence and knowledge of the subject matter, and I am excited for each of them to share what they have been working on in the KSW Brainiacs lab.”
Research Day will be held on Friday, April 25. All majors are welcome to attend. Organizers strongly encourage student researchers to actively engage in Research Day because of its multifaceted benefits. This event facilitates meaningful connections with peers, faculty, and mentors and positions students as advocates for undergraduate research. Research Day plays an important role in advancing research and collaboration. Mentors help to nurture talent.
“As a scientist, my mission and passion is to train the next generation of black female scientists. One key responsibility of scientists is to effectively convey their findings to their community,” Williams said. “As young scientists, Research Day is one of the moments where they are able to reflect on their growth as students and showcase what they are contributing to their field. Being a mentor for Research Day allows me to cultivate an interest in research, build critical thinkers, and celebrate their achievements as scholars.”
Dr. Peter Chen, a professor of chemistry and biochemistry, has also mentored several mentees with their projects this year. He is mentoring Trinity Smith, C’2025, on how to prepare her poster presentation. He advises her to think about her audience and prepare and practice presenting several different versions of her presentation. Smith has participated in Research Day for the last two years. Over time, Chen has worked with Trinity to overcome challenges in her project and use that opportunity to grow as a young scientist.
“One challenge (she faces) is that the background needed to understand her research project is advanced and highly technical. To help her learn how to explain such a difficult project to a very wide audience, I have invited her to present numerous times this past year at our research group meetings, at both national and international conferences, and to collaborators, visiting researchers, and students who are interested in joining our research group,” Chen said. “Research Day provides an outstanding learning opportunity for both mentees and mentors. It helps students develop the organization and communication skills they will need to become actively participating professionals in their field, and it can help them feel more like members of their discipline as they work towards becoming future leaders in their field.”
Sydney Dixon, C’2025, plans to present her research project titled “Spelman Innovation: An Exploration In Brand Design.” Dixon, an interactive media major, conducted research to help give Spelman Innovation Lab a brand identity using visual design principles.
She helped create design assets and templates for social media and email purposes that support the branding. The research included choosing a color scheme that reflected the Spelman College community, the creativity existing in the area, typography, and its relation to accessibility. She used a logo that enhanced Spelman Innovation with a visual symbol representing a limitless portal of innovation.
“Through research, we followed the iterative design process, which is a cycle of steps when approaching design. Starting with planning, followed by the initial design, evaluating and gaining feedback, and finally, using the feedback to refine the design,” Dixon said. “Based on the brand guidelines, we created a comprehensive set of graphic design templates that support the Spelman Innovation brand personality by maintaining a cohesive and consistent look and feel. We created these assets using Adobe Express for social media, email banners, research posters, student resumes, and other related needs.”
Dixon partnered with Haniyah Hakim, C’2025, to develop an abstract that summarized their research focus and outlined the overall process behind the project. They also revisited the design assets they created and reflected on the research findings to curate and present their work in a cohesive and meaningful way. Professor Jaycee Holmes, co-director of the Innovation Lab, served as their mentor. It will be Dixon’s first time participating in Research Day. Throughout the year, she worked hard and faced challenges along the way.
“One of the main challenges I encountered while preparing for Research Day was finding a creative and effective way to present design work within the traditional poster presentation format,” Dixon said. “Unlike scientific research, design relies heavily on visual storytelling and aesthetic communication, which can be difficult to translate into a static layout. This process pushed me to think critically about how to showcase design concepts in a way that is both engaging and informative while still aligning with the expectations of an academic setting.”
Participants can pre-register for Research Day by Tuesday, April 22, for a chance to win giveaways such as a Ninja Blender, desktop CD player, custom yoga mat, LuluLemon pouch, Stanley Tumbler, vintage Bluetooth/vinyl record player, and LuluLemon key chain. Join organizers for giveaways during the midday session in Camille Olivia Hanks Cosby, Ed.D. Academic Center at 11:30 a.m. and during the poster session. Participants must be present to claim your prize. Mark your calendars for Research Day now! Stay connected! Follow @spelmanresearch on Instagram.