The 2015-16 school year has officially started and Gusties have returned with a multitude of summer stories. For those who have conducted research in the past three months, the Fall Research Symposium provides a unique venue for Gusties to share what they have discovered.

The Fall Research Symposium is one of two research showcases for Gusties. At the Symposium, two students will perform a twenty minute speech. Which students perform the speech are decided by the faculty based on abstracts students supply about their research. Other students will present posters on their research.

“The poster sessions provide a great opportunity for researchers and students to interact,” Senior Emilie Benson, a chemistry and physics double major, said. “Poster sessions are very interactive, and you can tailor it to the person you’re talking to.”

For the Symposium’s poster presentation, Benson has three different explanations prepared for high school students, peers, and graduate students or professors. Rather than speaking to a broad audience, Benson wants to talk specifically to each individual’s understanding about material science.

This past summer, she studied material science at the University of Minnesota, where she was able to present her findings. She has also presented research at Cornell University.

According to Assistant Professor of Chemistry Steve Miller, summer research provides Gusties the opportunity to work with cutting edge research in major research labs. Miller also said that “summer research is usually a lot more impactful; usually it’s like a ten-week, full time job.”

Sophomore Biology major Brian Hastings had similar comments about the research he conducted on campus.

“Even though it’s in a small subsection [of science], we’re making new discoveries at Gustavus,” Hastings said.

“Students should attend the Symposium to see what Gustavus students are capable of.”

—Steve Miller

Hastings conducted research about the aging cycle of female fruit flies, specifically how aging effects reproduction. This type of research has never been done before and his group wrote a paper on their findings.

In addition to academic learning, research also helps students learn about themselves.

“It’s like being in the wild. I learned a lot about how to push through on a project and think on your feet. You’re at the forefront of the scientific endeavor,” Hastings said.

Students who want to participate in the Symposium are not limited to those who researched on campus.

Senior Morgan Timm, a biochemistry and French double major, completed her research at the University of Iowa. While she was there, Timm delivered a poster presentation about her work.

“You learn a lot about the research process and the many frustrations that come with it,” Timm said. “It’s really cool to get to use all of the equipment you read about in textbooks.”

At one point over the summer, Timm was able to use an instrument she discussed in a research report for class from the previous semester.

The lessons these students have learned is invaluable and has left them with a lot to share when asked the infamous question, “What did you do this summer?”

“Students should attend the Symposium to see what Gustavus students are capable of,” Miller said. “It’s in a sense, some of our best students who are doing some the best research out there.”

Regardless of what the research is, students who attend will learn a lot from the Gusties who have gone before them. The Fall Research Symposium will take place at 6 p.m. on Sept. 24 in Nobel Hall.