Here, I am pictured with my poster at the conference. Thanks to my research professor, Dr. Coridan, for helping me make my poster and the Coridan lab group for their contributions and guidance.

Author: Anna Johnson | Major: Chemistry | Semester: Summer 2023

Anna Johnson is an Honors Chemistry Major from Lenexa, Kansas. She recently received an Honors College Travel Grant to present her research at the American Chemical Society Fall 2023 Meeting in San Francisco, California. Her project involves the formation and characterization of electrodes to be used in chemical systems that can efficiently convert solar energy to chemical fuel.

I started working on my research project in the Coridan Lab in the summer of 2022. In my work, I structure electrodes for maximum absorption of light in order to be used in chemical systems to convert sunlight to fuel. After receiving funding from both SURF and the Honors College Travel Grant, I traveled to San Francisco to present a poster covering my project. I attended the American Chemical Society Fall 2023 Meeting, and there were thousands of attendees from all over the United States and several other countries.

My first presentation was in a large exhibition hall with 60 other posters all related to renewable energy chemistry and chemical fuels. I stood by my poster while other conference attendees passed by. The sheer number of people and the overwhelming size of the Moscone Center were daunting, but I began to overcome this fear as soon as someone asked me about my project. I received several probing questions from industrial chemists, undergraduate students, and professors, and I gained confidence in being able to discuss my research with others in the field. I knew the answers to most questions posed, but there were a few where I was stumped and could only respond with, “That’s a good question. I don’t have an answer to that, but you’ve given me something helpful to ponder.” It was uncomfortable in the moment to not know the answer to someone’s question, but it offered me an opportunity to learn more about what the individual suggested and even approach my research from a novel perspective.

My poster was also selected to be part of an evening poster exhibition with posters covering every branch of chemistry. I was part of the 10 other posters covering renewable energy and chemical fuels. There were more attendees during this presentation, and in addition to questions, I received a lot of positive feedback on my work as well as encouragement to continue my project.

I met several undergraduate students studying chemistry as well as chemists in industry and academia, and we had conversations about our different research projects. Knowledge was spread, and I learned about topics in chemistry I had no prior knowledge of. It was helpful to talk to chemists at different stages of education and life, and it made the experience all the more enjoyable and impactful.

Attending this conference and presenting my research project will help me prepare for defending an Honors Thesis in the upcoming spring semester. I became more confident in my ability to present my project, and I learned how to field and answer questions, which will prove invaluable tools for the near future and beyond. It was an enriching experience, and the encounters I had will impact my future research endeavors.