MCC Honors Students Present at 12th Annual Research Conference

Middlesex Community College hosted its 12th annual Commonwealth Honors Program (CHP) Research Conference on Wednesday, May 3. The event allowed Middlesex honors students to present their research on subjects of their choosing in-person for the first time since the pandemic.

Jenn Laing, an MCC Liberal Arts and Sciences major from Maynard, found the experience positive and uplifting. Using a unique approach toward showcasing her research by trying to present a story, Laing practiced her speech’s delivery and created visually appealing presentation slides. She called the experience “an honor to be recognized and celebrated for the hard work that went into my research.”

“Many of my friends were presenters as well, so the environment was very supportive and welcoming,” Laing said. “The faculty, judges and staff were incredibly attentive. I appreciated the intimate size of the panels. It was great to learn from my peers and feel listened to.”

When it came to presenting her research, Mayza Gordon, an MCC Elementary Education major from Burlington, felt nervous because being a full-time student and nanny limited her time to work on the project. To push through her presentation, Gordon remembered the hard work she put in. Ultimately, she believed that the experience was valuable.

“We get to share our research project with others who might be interested in it or have never heard of the topic I chose,” Gordon said. “A student in the same class watched me and realized that she did not know about her cultural background. It was gratifying to see that I shared a new piece of information with someone who did not know anything about her inheritance.”

Students individually presented their research in a classroom. Each student had a few minutes to share slides and talk about their topics. In the end, the presenters answered questions from their audience.

After participating in the honors program, Stephen Lanich, an MCC Biology Transfer major from Andover, became more confident in his abilities and believed that his knowledge base expanded. “The professors involved took more interest in the students and the level of class discussion was higher than other classes I have taken,” Lanich said.

Although he was new to presenting his work in front of people, Lanich accepted the challenge. He appreciated the exposure because it gave him more experience and a greater chance to be successful going forward. According to Lanich, experiences like the honors research conference are helpful because they “give students the opportunities to participate in deeper learning.”

Binnur Ercem, MCC’s Professor of Sociology & Cultural Anthropology and Director of the CHP, recognized CHP’s ability to create unity amongst honors students. "The Commonwealth Honors Program's annual research conference is an opportunity for our community to come together to celebrate our students' intellectual curiosity, academic achievements, determination, perseverance, hard work and love of learning,” she said.