|
Share this story:
On Thursday, May 1, more than 500 Johnson County Community College (JCCC) students participated in the 2025 STEM Poster Symposium. This annual event is a unique opportunity for community college students to conduct and present original research in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This year’s was JCCC’s largest ever STEM Symposium, with 330 posters/projects.
Individual students, small groups, and entire classes can submit a proposal to present at the STEM Poster Symposium each Spring semester. Some research projects are completed as an assignment within a STEM course at JCCC, an Honors project, or an independent study. Student work must have occurred under the supervision or guidance of a current JCCC faculty member.
JCCC Professor of Chemistry, Lori Slavin, is one of the co-organizers of this annual event. “The STEM Poster Symposium is a valuable event that allows students to showcase their research and projects in a professional, conference-style setting,” said Slavin. “It provides an excellent opportunity for students to gain experience in scientific communication and public speaking, while also encouraging collaboration between students and faculty.
Overall, the event fosters a vibrant exchange of ideas and serves as a celebration of our students’ achievements.”
In addition to collaborating with faculty to conduct research, the STEM Symposium provides students with an opportunity to build confidence in their presentation skills and in communicating STEM information. During this one-day event, students received feedback from judges who are experts in their fields. These students also have the opportunity to earn academic scholarships during the STEM Poster Symposium.
This year, four students were awarded $1,000 scholarships and 14 students received $500 scholarships. Scholarship winners were selected based on evaluation of their scholarship application, poster abstract, and presentation on the day of the Symposium.
All scholarships were made possible by the following companies and individuals: Ash Grove Cement, Huhtamaki, PGAV Architects, Shimadzu, AFCOM (Association for Computer Operations Management) Kansas City Chapter, Terry and Marlene Calaway, Digital Women Kansas City, KU Edwards Campus, McCownGordon Construction, Pearson, Pittsburgh State University, UMKC School of Science and Engineering, Dr. Mary Wisgirda, and SmartDog IT.
Students awarded $1,000 scholarships included:
Students awarded $500 scholarships were:
These students are able to use their scholarship funds for future classes at JCCC or at other institutions. To be eligible for a scholarship, the student must have been enrolled in a minimum of 5 credit hours (Spring 2025), have a minimum 3.0 GPA, participate as a presenter at the Symposium, and fill out an application.
Brenda Edmonds, JCCC Professor of Mathematics and the other co-organizer of the STEM Poster Symposium, said, “I love seeing so much pride from the students who have worked all semester on challenging projects and research. It is so rewarding to listen to them enthusiastically describe the work they’ve done. Sometimes students discover they want to pursue a career in science or math as a result of these projects – it’s a unique opportunity to engage with STEM topics they are passionate about.”
To learn more about JCCC’s opportunities for students studying science, technology, engineering, and math, visit jccc.edu/STEM.
© Post Publishing Inc 2010-2025
Website by Web Publisher PRO
