Presenting a paper or poster at a conference at ElevateHer Summit (JH)

      On September 19th, I got the opportunity to present co-authored research at the ElevateHer Summit. Some strengths of the activity were that it allowed Black women in STEM to be together in one space and share the advancements and conduct research in their fields. This activity allowed me to be surrounded by like-minded peers and public professionals who are in the STEM fields. I enjoyed that this event allowed us to network as well as hear about the multiple things that others are doing in the STEM field. Some weaknesses of the event were that the gallery walk/ research presentation time was fairly short. As a presenter, I would have loved to walk around and look at the other presenters' work, along with presenting my research. Another weakness of this event was that, within the gallery walk, it was mainly work conducted by those interested in public health. While public health is very important to the STEM fields, I would have loved to see research conducted in technology, mathematics, engineering, and more. This event could have been improved by having this event at an on-campus location. Due to the conference being off-campus, I believe that student engagement was lost, and not all Spelman Students were able to gain from this event. In the future, I would also improve communication about event logistics to participants. 

     This activity connects with other experiences or knowledge that I have gained since I presented at many conferences before. By presenting at conferences, I am able to share the work that I have completed over the duration of my research topic. I understand that by completing and presenting my research at various conferences, I am able to address problems that have been left as gaps in the literature. Through each experience, I utilize my public speaking abilities as well as presentation etiquette skills to deliver a thorough, concise, and condensed summary of the work I have completed. 

    This activity influenced me to continue to engage in experiences regarding my interest in women and reproductive health. I am inspired to be a public health changemaker and address multiple disparities in my community. To build on this experience, I will continue to work with my mentor to expand on the experiences and challenges that Black women face in STEM fields. I will continue to do my own independent research regarding Black women and their experiences in STEM to promote health equity and change. In fact, my participation in this research conference allowed me to share my findings on how gendered racism and discrimination affect the stress and depression levels of Black women pursuing STEM degrees at both HBCUs and PWIs. 

       - By Jayda Harris