Science Conference Makes Splash on Social Media
Last weekend, Principia College hosted the 2016 St. Louis Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation (SLEEC) Retreat, with Principia science faculty and about a dozen students welcoming over 170 research scientists from area institutions. (Participants came from Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis University, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, University of Missouri, Maryville University, National Great Rivers Research and Education Center, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Saint Louis Zoo.)
The conference was the sixth annual meeting of this group and the second time Principia has hosted the event. Dr. Ruth Shaw, from the University of Minnesota, delivered the keynote address, an overview of her research into the adaptive process in wild plant populations, particularly purple cornflower and partridge pea. Among other presenters, Principia’s Dr. Scott Eckert (C'79) and Dr. Greg Bruland (C'97) shared the recent evolution of undergraduate research at Principia, including all four biology faculty members’ engagement with student researchers. Bruland emphasized that studies show the importance of undergraduate research opportunities in recruiting and retaining students—and in success in graduate school and the job market.
Biology majors sophomore Ian Armesy (pictured above), junior Bess Bookout, and senior Taylor Bookout were among the undergraduate researchers presenting posters. For Bess, who conducted research with biology professor Dr. Chrissy McAllister (C'93) this past summer, the opportunity underscored the collaborative relationships Principia’s department maintains with leading scientists. “It was amazing to be able to talk with some of the researchers about my project, including one of the world's experts on plant diversity,” she says. “They were very supportive of my beginnings as a research ecologist. It was a great networking opportunity, and I even handed out some of my business cards during the event.”
From Poster Sessions to Social Media
Students conducted an official “takeover” of Principia’s social media platforms, posting updates on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. “A couple of participating researchers jumped on board, and the use of #SLEEC2016 took off,” Dr. McAllister says. “For example, Dr. Danielle Lee from Southern Illinois Edwardsville began live tweeting and retweeting our @PrinCollege posts. Lee specializes in the use of social media in informal science education, is a TED Fellow, and has 18,300 followers on Twitter, so our students’ #SLEEC2016 posts spread far and wide.”
To develop social media content, students scanned printed abstracts in conference literature and also synthesized material from talks and lunchtime field trips to view snake habitats and Amur honeysuckle on the campus bluffs. “The ability to provide professional, substantive social media content—especially on the fly—is a skill that graduate schools and potential employers value,” McAllister notes. “Attendees raved about the campus, our students, and the conference itself. The research community in the Greater St. Louis area is a friendly, collaborative, and supportive group. And these individuals are terrific contacts for graduate study and careers.”
This collaborative spirit continues as Principia students follow up with conference attendees for assistance in designing senior capstone research projects. And a professor from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville will bring a mammalogy class to Principia during spring semester so that students from the two institutions can work together to survey small mammal diversity on campus.
Learn more about biology and environmental studies at Principia.