March 2025

Coming Home to Teach: A Transformative Experience at St. Lawrence

by Sarah Yablonski, M.S., Neuroscience Ph.D. Candidate

My time as an undergraduate at St. Lawrence University was deeply shaped by the incredible dedication and support of my professors. They went beyond delivering lectures—they cared about us as students, young adults, and individuals navigating our personal and professional growth. My undergraduate advisor, Dr. Ana Estevez, remains a mentor I trust and reach out to for advice to this day. The mentorship I received from the faculty at St. Lawrence not only shaped me as a person, but also solidified my decision to pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Their influence inspired me to dream of giving back by becoming a teacher who motivates and supports the next generation of scientists.

"Mastering Scientific Presentations: PowerPoint Best Practices for Graduate Trainees"

by Jeff Koslofsky, Senior Marketing Strategist, SMD

Delivering a clear and engaging PowerPoint presentation is a critical skill for graduate trainees, whether they’re defending a thesis, presenting at a conference, or giving a research talk. However, common mistakes like overloaded slides, lack of visual variety, and poor pacing can make your research hard to follow.

Our own John Frelinger, PhD, Professor Emeritus in Microbiology and Immunology, has spent decades perfecting the art of scientific presentations and mentoring trainees on how to make their PowerPoint talks more engaging. Here, he shares his top tips to help you avoid "death by PowerPoint."