At Macalester, capstone presentations are a chance for students to share something significant that they have learned in their major and celebrate their academic accomplishment in community. Students enrolled in spring semester biology courses will be required to attend your capstone presentation. In addition, you will be able to invite all of your people – friends, mentors, anyone who’s supported you during your time at Mac – to attend and celebrate your work!
How do I choose a topic for my capstone presentation?
You may present on any biological topic that has been compelling to you during your time at Mac! Typically, students focus on one of the following:
A paper or grant proposal you’ve written in an upper-level course
Original research you did during the summer or as part of a course
Knowledge you gained during an internship or shadowing experience
Examples of Mac Bio courses with appropriate capstone projects:
Any "Research In" course in Biology (including Research in Biochemistry)
BIOL-302: Invertebrate Animal Diversity - museum research project
BIOL/CHEM-352: Biochemistry 2 - mutagenesis project
BIOL/CHEM-354: Chemical Biology - grant proposal
BIOL-369: Developmental Biology - grant proposal or experimental research project
BIOL/ENVI-380: Animal Behavior or BIOL/ENVI-485: Wildife Conservation - Inspire Projects
That said, your choice of topic is wide open!
Who will help me to develop my presentation?
Starting in the fall and continuing through the spring semester you will work with a capstone advisor – a faculty or staff member who will help you to develop your presentation. Along the way, you will receive guidelines about nuts-and-bolts of presentation format, as well as feedback on all aspects of your work from your capstone advisor and from your peers.
If time allows - depending on the number of seniors' talks we need to schedule - students completing a senior honors thesis will give both a 15-minute capstone talk along with your fellow Mac Bio seniors and also a longer seminar-style final thesis defense talk later in the semester, scheduled at a time that works for your advisor and other members of your honors committee.
What if I'm graduating in December?
Students graduating a semester early will present in the fall, typically during Biology Seminar (Thursdays, 12-1). The chair will be in touch with all December grads early in the fall semester to make arrangements.