On Nov. 13, seven Hamilton students and two faculty members went to Anaheim, California for the four-day Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS).
The Hamilton students in attendance included members of both the sophomore and junior class (Nwe Sar ’22, Kaela Makins ’21, Joel Adade ’22, Urbana Anam ’21, Konama Pokuaa ’21, Lea Barros ’22, and Donna Le ’21). Christian A. Johnson Excellence in Teaching Professor of Philosophy and Africana Studies Todd Franklin and Associate Professor of Chemistry & Chair of Biochemistry/Molecular Biology Professor Max Majireck accompanied these students to the conference as well.
ABRCMS provides an opportunity for over 2,500 underrepresented students from over 350 colleges to participate in poster and oral presentations for 12 different STEM disciplines. The conference aims to encourage minority students to pursue higher education in STEM by providing them with the tools they need to succeed. ABRCMS also makes an effort to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in particular.
During the conference, Hamilton students presented their research to their peers and developed various professional skills, learned about a number of different graduate school programs, and networked with academics by interacting with academia’s finest. Students in attendance enjoyed four days filled with activities ranging from visits to over 400 exhibit booths, speaker events, and different conversations with STEM peers and mentors.
Students presenting at the conference were also considered for awards. Hamilton College’s own Barros won an award for her work on the cell level dynamics of pathogens. Professor Franklin commented that seeing his colleagues comment on his students’ brilliance made him not only proud of their individual work but also very confident in the future of science.
Prior to the conference, Professor Franklin hosted on-campus workshops at Hamilton that analyzed the gap in academic achievement between students of color and other students in STEM. Professor Franklin believes it is important to consider this lack of minority presence in the field because “when STEM classrooms and laboratories are inclusive, the opportunities to ask different types of questions and imagine different types of approaches multiply and the potential for innovation and excellence grows exponentially!”
Le ’21 recalled that her “favorite part of the conference was being surrounded by so many scientists of color” because she “felt very encouraged and inspired to connect with [her] fellow peers that were just as passionate as [herself].”
Le observed that before her arrival, she “expected to see a lot of science.” However, the conference’s “inviting and stimulating experience that encouraged the interactions of individuals across various ranges of expertise and diverse concentrations” surprised her.
As for the future, the ABRCMS allowed the students to return to Hamilton with the motivation and drive to continue pursuing their goals in STEM during their undergraduate years at Hamilton and in their professional lives. In Le’s words, she “definitely learned a lot from being able to attend this conference” and “now [thinks] of opportunities beyond Hamilton.”
