Amber Wimsatt (AW) came first in the oral presentations. Our graduate assistant Omer Ari (OA) interviewed her about her presentation. Below are the highlights and the transcription of the actual interview.
Amber Wimsatt receives her award from the director of the Ga. State McNair Program, Mr. Curtis Byrd.
Highlights
The presentation went well because I believe that I can make a difference in the future with this research, and thus I wanted to be as knowledgeable as possible and to get people excited and interested.
Some are good at math…others excel in speech and presentation. I speak : )
I really tried to plainly [explain] the problem so that individuals listening would themselves want to know what is causing it and what we can all do to change it.
One section that was particularly difficult during the presentation was giving background information.
Many times speakers will lose credibility with the audience because of inappropriate or poor diction. It really is a shame because these speakers really may have something important to say.
Eye contact helps you communicate and converse with your audience rather than “talking at them.”
Gestures are more of an icing on the cake. Too much icing however, can distract from the flavor of the cake, so it is important to use them when appropriate and most effective.
Before the presentation, write out a nice and short introductory sentence and memorize it, so that you can [face] the audience directly with it when you start.
Amber explains her research to the viewers during the poster presentation.
Interview
(OA) Congratulations! Why do you think you came first in the orals? How do you think your presentation compared to your peers’?
(AW) Thanks. I did see many of the other oral presentations and I thought they were great. If I had to say any one thing, though, I would say that the presentation went well because I believe that I can make a difference in the future with this research, and thus I wanted to be as knowledgeable as possible and get people excited and interested. The more people realize the importance of this research then the faster we can make changes.
(OA) Did you get special training before for giving presentations? If so, what kind?
(AW) I did not have any special training beyond normal speech communication classes. I will say that I do think one of my talents is to speak well in front of others. Some are good at math…others excel in speech and presentation. I speak : )
(OA) What do you think about your research topic’s presentability? What role do you think topic plays in presenting research?
(AW) Especially because this is a minority focused program, I do think that for this particular event (and other McNair events to come) scholars and other researchers were and will continue to be genuinely interested in this type of research and information. Interested people who believe that this is important work make the effort to go beyond the surface levels of the presentation and understand the information at its core. Beyond the sophistication and technicalities that are often tag-a-longs with research, I really tried to plainly make the serious nature of the problem known so that individuals listening would themselves want to know what is causing it and what we can all do to change it.
(OA) What section(s) did you have the hardest time explaining during your presentation? Why?
(AW) One section that was particularly difficult was the background information. I wanted listeners to understand the nature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) but I did not want to overwhelm them with specific details or address any of the recent points of controversy.
(OA) How do you think you did on diction, eye contact, and gestures during your presentation? How effective do you think these “physical” points are for an oral presentation?
(AW) Clear and appropriate diction is one of the make-or-break points of a presentation. Like Dr. McNeal said, “you are trying to make an exchange with the audience, and thus you must be fluent in the currency with which to make that exchange.” Many times speakers will lose credibility with the audience because of inappropriate or poor diction. It really is a shame because these speakers really may have something important to say. Eye contact is also critical. You want to engage people, so look at them. Eye contact helps you communicate and converse with your audience rather than “talking at them.” Gestures are more of an icing on the cake physical point. Too much icing however, can distract from the flavor of the cake, so it is important to use them when appropriate and most effective.
(OA) Did you use any special strategies to help you remember important information during the presentation (cards, mnemonics, etc)?
(AW) No special strategies; just a simple speaking outline. I do write out a nice and short introductory sentence and memorize it, so that I am able to look directly at members of the audience when I begin the presentation.
(OA) If you could redo your presentation, what would you like to do differently?
(AW) I might present more information about ASDs.
(OA) How did you “flow” your presentation?
(AW) The flow of my presentation closely resembled the layout of my poster.
(OA) How did you use graphics in your PowerPoint presentation? What would you recommend for your peers?
(AW) I used a few simple charts and bar graphs that could be easily and briefly explained. I would recommend that presenters use a graphic that highlights any significant findings, and use a different graphic for each finding rather than trying to explain multiple findings with one complicated graph, chart, or table.
(OA) What would you suggest we include in an “oral presentations” workshop for some of your peers who did not do as well as you did.
(AW) Scholars should NOT re-introduce themselves and their topics once they have already been verbally introduced, unless of course they have some clever way of doing so that directly leads into their background information. If the audience for some reason did not hear their name, they can still read it on their title slide. Re-introductions greatly reduce momentum once on the stage and are distracting to the audience.
