Lessons Learned from Conducting Research

 Andreo Alonzo Puno, Verrazzano Class of 2022, completed major in Biology 

For my capstone in my senior year I was able to conduct research with Dr. Esposito of the Biology Department. My topic was about concussions in football, which I found to be very insightful and interesting. I was able to select a topic of my own to research online and I learned a lot from my research.
Reading through various articles continued to draw me in and made me more interested in the topic I was researching. My mentor specifically suggested a sports related topic for me because she knew that I have an interest in sports and that would help me focus on the topic.
Through this capstone I was also able to experience doing research on my own, not because it was assigned to me for a class. In conducting my own research, I felt like I cared more about how I displayed and explained my topic.
Using a PowerPoint slide to make a poster board presentation was a new skill I learned when completing my capstone. Although creating the poster board itself was a difficult task, I am sure it will come in handy in the future.
I presented my research at the Undergraduate Research Conference. Even though it was nerve wracking to present in front of people, I think it was a helpful and good experience for me. Being able to present and share something I worked hard on was an accomplishment to me, and showcasing my project allowed people to see how much passion I put into the research.
Completing my capstone was a learning experience for me. Through producing a capstone topic, performing research, creating a poster board on PowerPoint and PowerPoint slides, and finally presenting my work at the Undergraduate Research Conference was a great way for me to put an exclamation point on my senior year in CSI. I am grateful for my mentor Dr. Esposito for giving me the opportunity to work with her and for all her guidance throughout my capstone project and research.