The semester is beginning to wrap up and with it our year-long thesis research.

On Friday, Bates had it’s annual Mount David Summit, an afternoon of presentations on research in the sciences, social sciences, and art. All five members of the Williams lab presented at the Summit through posters or talks. The temperatures reached a new high for the year, around 65ºF! Spring was in the air accompanied by a sense of new beginnings. These presentations were the first in a series of thesis conclusions. Most of our bench research has ended and we are all busy polishing up our written theses before finally binding and submitting them this coming Friday. As I was making my presentation and practicing it for my non-science friends, I realized how much we’ve all done this past year and how much I’ve learned. I realized I could fluently explain complicated concepts to people with a very limited background in science. Although a long and at times painstaking process, my (semi) independent thesis research has taught me how to think critically, search for answers or supporting evidence in journal articles, question my assumptions, challenge my understanding of biochemical processes, and so much more. The thesis process has made me a life-long learner, and I’ve enjoyed the struggle.