Charlie McCormick stands next to her poster presentation at the Society for Research in Nicotine and Tobacco Conference in New Orleans, March 13, 2025

Author: Charlotte McCormick | Major: Public Health | Semester: Spring 2025

Hi guys! My name is Charlotte McCormick, but you can call me Charlie! I am a Senior Honors Public Health Major with a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences and Medical Humanities. I am currently researching nicotine and tobacco with the Health Equity and Addiction Lab on campus. My niche of interest is policy loopholes and how they could be exploited to harm youth and young adults.

For my poster presentation, I was fortunate to travel to the Society for Research in Nicotine and Tobacco’s annual conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. Returning to such a prestigious conference for the second time is such an honor. I am so thankful to the Honors College for letting me return to the conference to share my research.

Going on this trip provided me not only an opportunity to showcase my contributions but also a chance to learn from and connect with a community of passionate professionals dedicated to advancing our understanding of nicotine and tobacco use. When I attended last year, I was amazed at the accessibility of keynote speakers and esteemed colleagues, the last names you spent months citing are now with you in line at the hotel Starbucks. This year offered an even deeper level of engagement (or nerding out). Having the opportunity to network with experts in my field and discuss their research in person was incredibly enriching and validating.

All the feedback myself and my research partners Paula and Abbie received was super positive. Most of the professionals were impressed that we had made it to SRNT as undergrads. As a returnee, some of them even remembered my research from the year prior and were excited to see what I was up to. Turns out its hard to forget a bright red University of Arkansas poster!

I had many opportunities to network, and it was genuinely very exciting to find the professionals in my field so accessible. I was able to connect with many researchers whose work I have long admired and cited throughout my undergraduate research. It was inspiring to have conversations with these individuals, moving beyond simply reading their publications to discussing their research and mine in person. After leaving SRNT, I had a plethora of future research directions and topics, in addition to ideas for potential collaborations!

In addition to meeting many big names in my field, I also had the pleasure of traveling there with my fellow undergraduate researchers in the lab. Being able to watch my lab partners present our research and grow more confident with each word was wonderful! When you believe in your research you believe in yourself and watching members of my lab believe in their own academic contributions was inspiring. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of a community of academics who are not only brilliant but also genuinely supportive!

I had the opportunity to present my research poster on the first day of the conference. This project was particularly meaningful to me as it represented the culmination of my undergraduate work in my honors thesis – essentially my “research baby.” Presenting my thesis at such a prestigious venue was an honor.

First things first: bring a water bottle! Seriously, you’ll be doing so much talking your throat will feel like you just sprinted the Razorback Greenway by the end of the day. Secondly, don’t hesitate to ask questions during sessions or at poster presentations, I promise the researchers look forward to them! We have great value and ideas to contribute academic discussions, regardless of if we are undergraduate. You do belong and are welcome in academic spaces.

I am a 4+1 student here at the University, meaning that I will graduate with a bachelor’s this May and my Master of Public Health in May 2026! I will continue working in the Health Equity and Addictions Lab throughout my graduate career!