PLSCI 4950 - Senior Seminar in Plant Sciences

Spring. 3 credits. Letter grades only (no audit).

Prerequisite: PLSCI 4900. Enrollment limited to: Plant Sciences majors. All others by permission of instructor only. Participation in end-of-semester symposium required.

M. Scanlon, C. Smart.

Students in the Plant Sciences major are required to complete a research experience, extramural internship or extension experience. It is critical for students to be able to explain their work to both scientific audiences and the general public. This course will walk students through the steps needed to produce a quality presentation for each audience, and students will practice giving these presentations. The presentations will be based on research or extension experiences the students have had as part of their Plant Sciences degree program. The course will culminate in an end-of-semester symposium in which students present their experience in a 10-minute talk.

Outcome 1: Employ different strategies and approaches in presenting scientific content to professional and lay audiences.

Outcome 2: Describe one’s personal research, internship, or extension experience as a coherent story.

Outcome 3: Demonstrate the steps necessary to prepare an engaging PowerPoint presentation.

Outcome 4: Engage an audience as part of an undergraduate symposium.