[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/geo_poster08.jpg” caption=”Poster day gave students the opportunity to discuss their research with their peers. Photo by Susan Bubak.”]Earlier this month, the School of Geography & Earth Sciences in the Faculty of Science held its second annual poster day for master's and PhD students.

“The idea [behind the event] is for students to show other students what they've been doing and discuss their research with each other,” said Alan Dickin, professor in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences. “It's great practice for presenting at meetings.”

Awards were given for the best posters presented by a PhD student and master's student for both the physical sciences and human geography sides of the School. The winners were decided by a panel of faculty and external judges.

The winners for the physical sciences included PhD student Kelsey Norlund and MSc student Sarah Beatty. The winners for human geography were PhD student Rhonda Donovan and MA student Michelle Love. The winners of the competition received iPods.

Norlund just started her PhD seven months ago. She presented research from her undergraduate honours thesis and NSERC-supported summer research she completed under the supervision of Lesley Warren and Luc Bernier.

“My poster is entitled Thiosulfate oxidation by Acidithiobacillus spp. under varying O2 and Fe(III) conditions, and it focuses on the microbial processing of a specific sulfur compound, thiosulfate, that is important in mining environments and has significant implications for our understanding of acid mine drainage,” Norlund explained. “It's always nice to be recognized for doing good work, and it's also fantastic to be able to share something that you're excited about with other people, and to learn about what they are excited about.”

Beatty added, “It was great to participate in Poster Day and win the best MSc. poster among so many impressive submissions. I think putting ideas and information together for the purpose of communicating to others is a crucial step in developing personal insight into research. In addition to developing my presentation skills, participating in Poster Day allowed me to gain a better understanding of essential topics for my MSc. work. Poster Day is an example of how communication in science is just as important as lab or field work.”

Allyson Brady is a PhD student in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences, and although she presented a poster, she did not participate in the competition. Instead, she helped to judge.

“Poster day was a great success and it really gave grad students and faculty an opportunity to interact and discover the wide range of research being conducted,” said Brady. “I particularly enjoyed participating as a judge this year; it was wonderful to see the high quality research being carried out by my friends and colleagues. All of the posters were very impressive and it was definitely a difficult choice.”

“It's as important for grad students to learn how to talk about their research, as it is to conduct research,” said Lesley Warren, professor in the School of Geography & Earth Sciences.