Purpose
IRIS: Integrating Research in Science, an innovative student-led conference, aims to celebrate interdisciplinary interactions by bringing together the realms of STEM and STEM-related fields. This one-day conference for undergraduates will allow students to promote their research, to network among professors and peers, and to enhance their professional and academic skills with practical workshops. By participating in IRIS, students engage in a collaborative environment that harbors values in creating a strong sense of community. Moreover, by bringing many departments and students with different interests together, students will explore new ideas within a diverse range of fields and be able to delve into the rich progress cross-disciplinary interactions have to offer. We wish for attendees to open their mind and break the barriers that margin STEM fields.
2021 Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Rebecca Wagner Alexander
Professor of Chemistry
Associate Dean for Research and Community Engagement
Director of Wake Downtown
Dr. Rebecca Wagner Alexander
Professor of Chemistry
Associate Dean for Research and Community Engagement
Director of Wake Downtown
Rebecca Alexander earned her PhD in Biological Chemistry at University of Pennsylvania and joined Wake Forest in August 2000 after postdoctoral research at MIT and The Scripps Research Institute. She teaches biochemistry to undergraduate and graduate students. Her research, funded by the National Science Foundation, uses experimental and computational tools to study protein-RNA interactions in protein biosynthesis pathways. She is currently directing Wake Downtown, home to new undergraduate STEM programs in downtown Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter. As Associate Dean for Research and Community Engagement, she works to promote faculty mentorship of undergraduates across the college and facilitate community-based research projects.
