MC students present original discoveries during Research Week 2026

Research Week 2026 gives MC students an opportunity to present their original research to the scientific community.

Undergraduate and graduate students from a wide range of academic disciplines at Mississippi College will share their original research during Research Week 2026, scheduled from April 21 to 24 on the Clinton campus.

Christian Pinnen, MC professor of history and political science, said about 130 MC students will present posters and papers describing projects originating from the MC Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, Electrical Engineering, English and Philosophy, History and Political Science, Psychology and Social Work, Public Health, and the Schools of Nursing and Science and Mathematics.

“Research Week 2026 shows that Mississippi College students, under our faculty’s expert guidance, are producing some excellent research,” said Pinnen, who coordinates MC’s Research Week Committee. “It also showcases the overall academic quality of the research programs we have at MC.”

He said the event highlights notable student projects and fosters collaboration between academic disciplines across campus.

One study that indicates how MC students contribute to the University’s discovery enterprise is a project that centers on the stars and nebulae in the Orion constellation.

Inspired by a presentation from a NASA staff member last fall and made possible by the donation of a large telescope to MC’s Chemistry and Biochemistry Department by Tammy Jan Sander of Madison, the study employed spectral analysis to determine the chemical composition of certain starlight and nebulae.

“Each chemical element leaves a unique spectral fingerprint,” explained Scoty Hearst, assistant professor in the MC Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and coordinator of the study. “By using spectral analysis of images taken with our telescopes using special spectral filters, we can determine which elements are present.”

He said MC students have analyzed the chemical composition of stars in the Orion constellation, the Orion Nebula, the Running Man nebula, the Horse Head Nebula and the Monkey Head Nebula.

“Star spectroscopy is a branch of astrophysics, but it’s based on chemical principles,” Hearst said. “We have incorporated these techniques into our classes, where students perform star spectroscopy and use their data to write lab reports.

“Research is important for preparing students for future careers in STEM fields, and for developing critical-thinking skills needed in graduate school. This research has inspired students to explore the universe and to observe what is above their heads.”

Similarly, Pinnen said Research Week encourages more students to become involved in research.

“This event helps give them an idea about the academic process and what it takes to present original research at an actual conference,” he said. “When people ask them questions about their work, they gain new perspectives. That’s very much a part of academic tradition at a liberal arts institution, and it’s how they learn.

“They dig into a topic, do their research, and defend their conclusions. That exposes them to the full gamut of the academic experience.”

Research Week 2026 will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 21, when undergraduate students will give presentations on biology research during “Introduction to Biological Data Analysis,” in room 201 of the Hederman Science Building.

Paper and poster presentations will take place on Wednesday, April 22. History panels are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Meeting Room A in the B.C. Rogers Student Center, while interdisciplinary inquiry panels are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Meeting Rooms A and B in the B.C. Rogers Student Center.

That afternoon, poster presentations in psychology (from 1 to 2 p.m.), biology and nursing (from 2 to 3 p.m.), as well as chemistry and biochemistry, and English (from 3 to 4 p.m.) will be displayed in Anderson Hall in B.C. Rogers.

Research Week 2026 will wrap up with presentations by senior students in MC’s Department of Electrical Engineering at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, in room 306 of the Hederman Science Building.

All Research Week events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit https://www.mc.edu/academics/research-week.