Poster event displays biology students’ success

Nipissing’s fourth-year biology students recently got the chance to wow an audience with their research knowledge at the second annual Biology and Chemistry Poster Event, held Monday, April 23.

The students presented their fourth-year thesis posters to professors and the public during the evening event. There were 20 student posters on display, representing a wide swath of research interests, from environmental science and forest resources to genetics and predator-prey relationships.

“It’s important for students to build their skills and confidence by presenting their research. They’ve been working hard on these projects for months and many of them haven’t shared their work until today. It’s rewarding for them to be recognized for what they’ve accomplished,” said Dr. Reehan Mirza, assistant professor of biology. “Part of the goal with this event is to grow the students’ confidence and abilities so that they consider studying biology at the graduate level.”

“This project certainly helped me learn what academic research really means,” said Elisha Townshend, a fourth-year student whose research poster was titled Black Ash Stand Dynamics and Potential Habitat for Flooded Jellyskin in the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence Forest Region (Flooded Jellyskin is a threatened species of lichen). “I had done field work before but this project allowed me work through the entire process, from collecting and organizing data to analysis in order to arrive at conclusions and then present what I found.  It’s a lot of work but it is very rewarding.”

Townshend said she is seriously considering pursuing a master of environmental science degree at Nipissing next year.