Students Present Undergraduate Research at National Conference

Steph Powers (left) and Jawana Albayati (right) present research at Entomology Society of America national conference in Portland, Ore. in November 2025.

December 02, 2025

Anoka-Ramsey students Jawana Albayati and Steph Powers joined scientists from across the country to present their research at the annual Entomology Society of America national conference in Portland, Ore., where more than three thousand scientists from all over the country gathered for presentations and discussions of cutting edge research about insects.

The pair was part of a ten-person cohort of undergraduate student researchers participating in a National Science Foundation-funded mentorship program from the Biological Collections in Ecology and Evolution Network (BCEENET). This competitive and application-based program helps students build professional connections and gain experience presenting at scientific conferences.

Through the mentorship program, Albayati and Powers prepared to present findings from research they carried out as part of a Course Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) in their Biology course at ARCC. Because they are embedded in the curriculum, CUREs remove traditional barriers to undergraduate research and foster the growth of a more diverse community of scientists.

For Powers, the conference experience highlighted new skills and strengths.

“I previously hadn’t pictured myself presenting any research I took part in at a conference,” Powers said. “I can easily say it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my academic career.”

Read more about the ways Anoka-Ramsey faculty and students are bringing CUREs to life in classrooms.