Research Week 2025 shines spotlight on MC’s discovery enterprise

Research Week activities give MC students an opportunity to gain experience presenting their work and practicing their disciplines.

Talented undergraduate and graduate students from a broad spectrum of disciplines at Mississippi College will showcase their research conducted under the mentorship of MC’s exceptional faculty during Research Week 2025 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, April 22, 23 and 25.

Christian Pinnen, MC professor of history and political science and Research Week organizer, said the event fosters collaboration in research across campus, celebrates the academic achievements of MC students and inspires the next generation of scholars to advance the work of their peers.

“A culture of research is really hard to create,” Pinnen said. “Here we have a friendly environment where many of the students’ friends can come and listen to their ideas in a setting that’s not particularly unnerving. It lets the students practice their communication skills. Giving a public presentation of knowledge they have gained is something they will use in whatever careers they choose to pursue after graduation.

“By encouraging students to showcase the work they have done at MC, it will foster conversations among other students in individual classrooms and across campus that will lead to them wanting to participate in research.”

Case in point: Carson Jones. The senior general biology major from Madison had previously participated in Research Week at MC. He hopes to gain more experience this year by presenting his honors thesis on the distribution of salamanders in Mississippi.

“Participating in Research Week helps give me experience communicating in an academic setting,” Jones said. “I was able to present at the STEAM Symposium last spring and wanted to get more experience presenting my research before I go to graduate school.

“I am excited to present again this year and get feedback on my project. I look forward to talking to a variety of people about the research I’ve been doing for the past two years.”

Rachel Duncan values the support she has received from others while presenting her research during the event. Last year, the senior English literature and history major from Pensacola, Florida, had casually mentioned to her professors that she would be participating in Research Week last year.

“When the time came for me to present, I looked out into the audience to see that almost all of my professors had shown up to support me,” Duncan said. “That amount of support from faculty is something that makes MC so special.

“To have the opportunity to present my research before a group of people who have constantly been supporting, motivating and pushing me to be better was the biggest blessing.”

This year, she will present her senior capstone project on the ethical and medical implications of disease, particularly within Victorian marriages.

“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share the research I’ve done about a topic I’m passionate about,” Duncan said. “Research Week gives me the opportunity to show off the work I’ve spent an entire semester developing. It also keeps me motivated to represent myself, my professors and my academic department well.”

David Magers, professor of chemistry, said Research Week activities encourage more students and professors at MC to become involved in research.

“Through research, students acquire a better understanding of their discipline,” Magers said. “They see how information from different classes is connected and they learn how to synthesize and analyze knowledge. Through research, students gain experience in actually practicing their discipline, which yields a better understanding of their chosen field.”

He said the Graduate School and the Academic Research Council have jointly hosted the Graduate Research Forum for 24 years. The forum will kick off Research Week on Tuesday, April 22, when MC graduate students will present research posters during the afternoon, and select students will discuss their projects during a symposium, that evening.

“Having the Graduate Research Forum as part of Research Week just makes sense, because we are trying to showcase all of the student research occurring on campus,” Magers said.

On April 23, more than 90 undergraduates from numerous disciplines, including history, math, chemistry and biochemistry, nursing, social work, biology, psychology, English and philosophy, modern languages and the Honors College will give paper and poster presentations in Anderson Hall in the B.C. Rogers Student Center.

“We’re showcasing what we departments across all disciplines do, how we approach our work, and what seniors are capable of doing after their four years at MC,” Pinnen said. “The benefit of a liberal arts institution like MC is that our students can share their research with one another and not be confined to the classroom context.”

On April 25, senior students in MC’s Department of Electrical Engineering will conclude Reesearch Week activities by demonstrating their final semester research project at 1:30 p.m. in room 306 of the Hederman Science Building.

Pinnen highlighted that Research Week demonstrates to attendees that some of the most dynamic collegiate research projects are being done at Mississippi College.

All Research Week events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit mc.edu/academics/research-week.