Macalester Biology Senior Capstone Presentations

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 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

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.

Note that completion of a senior honors thesis fulfills the capstone requirement; for honors students, the seminar-style talk you give for your thesis defense is your capstone presentation and your honors thesis advisor is your capstone advisor.

What if I'm graduating in December?

Students graduating a semester early will present in the fall, typically a talk delivered as part of an upper-level biology course. The chair will be in touch with all December grads early in the fall semester to make arrangements.