EWU McNair Scholar Katie Gower attended the Pacific Northwest Political Science Association Annual Meeting in November. The conference was held in Walla Walla, Washington at the Marcus Whitman Hotel. Katie presented her McNair Summer Research project titled Compassionate Revanchism, Homelessness, and the Divided Local State: The Case of Spokane, WA (mentor Dr. Matthew Anderson) on a panel with other political scientists who work on state, local, and provincial politics.
For Katie, the most valuable aspect of attending and presenting at this conference was the opportunity to see how conferences work. This conference was actually less formal than Katie expected it to be, with ample occasions for learning, meeting professors, and networking with researchers who have similar interests. Notably, Katie found herself one of few undergraduate students presenting alongside many professors. For students who are considering presenting their work at a conference, Katie suggests practicing your presentation in a lower-stake environment beforehand. Presenting at a conference can be a scary experience, but once you are done, you will enjoy learning from other panels and lectures. Katie recommends taking many notes, since you’ll be processing so much new information.
