by UW-Stevens Point senior dietetics major Jacob Richmond and dietetics graduates Cody Hanick ’15 and Matthew Breit ’15
“Eureka isn’t a moment, it’s a process.”
This was the theme of the 8th Annual Wisconsin Science & Technology Symposium (WSTS) that we had the tremendous opportunity to attend and present our research “Effects of Post-Workout Nutritional Interventions during Resistance Training” July 27-28, 2015. WiSys Technology Foundation and UW-River Falls organized this event as an opportunity to connect Wisconsin’s researchers, innovators and students with industry and local companies. There were 207 delegates and 99 undergrads in attendance with the 60 research posters, all conference records (there were just 40 posters last year)! While much of the conference focused on entrepreneurs and starting a business from a successful product, our research centered around the idea of a healthy lifestyle.
Upon arriving, we were greeted with complementary lodging at the campus sophomore suites, and were shown our rooms for the next two nights. Unfortunately, the three of us were split apart into two rooms; that issue was corrected quickly by dragging mattresses down the hall to reconnect the three of us.
The next morning, we ate breakfast with Tim Higgins, a regent for UW System, Arjun Sanga, the executive director of WiSys, and Dave Eckmann, assistant to the chancellor for economic development at UW-Stevens Point. As honorable as it was to be invited to a conference with such high regard, speaking with and getting to know these three remarkably wise and successful men was humbling.
After a deliciously refreshing breakfast, the opening presentation about the characteristics of entrepreneurs appropriately set the tone for the conference, instilling a desire in the audience to become great, progressing their revolutionary ideas into world-changing applications. Following a morning of ground-breaking scientific presentations from synthesizing artificial cancer cells to the development of thermosetting polymers for a compostable/sustainable plastic, it was time for us, as well as the other brilliant young minds of Wisconsin to present our research posters. The conference then culminated with a three-hour cruise on the beautiful St. Croix River.
While we were not recognized as one of three winners for the poster competition, our poster was found by many to be interesting, relatable and slightly more understanding than inorganic chemical reactions and polymer formations. This symposium favored research focusing on ideas that can smoothly translate into products and businesses. Our research, unlike many of the others there, focuses on ideas that can’t really be patented, may not build a booming business, or may not knock people’s socks off. What we did have to present is a theme that encourages consideration of evidence-based research instead of profit-driven advertising, in order to provide information that will make people healthy and happy. While it may not fit the qualifications to win this research symposium, the implications of research like ours is extraordinary, and we’re proud of what we’ve done.
Our experience at the WSTS will be one that none of us will ever forget. Of the three conferences that we have attended these past five months, this conference was without a doubt the best. 
With that being said, we think that our team performance and experience as poster and research presenters was demonstrated most professionally at this conference. Our experiences with the past two research symposiums that we have attended really helped us fine tune our presentation skills. Therefore, at this symposium, during the poster presentation session, all of us were absolutely on our “A-game” as we had instant replies to every question the judges threw at us. “Eureka isn’t a moment, it’s a process.” None of us would have been as savvy at presenting and explaining our research to our peers and judges if it weren’t for the previous experiences we’d had at other research symposiums. As a research team, we have come a very long way since we decided undergo undergraduate research back in the spring of 2014. The WSTS perfectly concluded a wonderful learning experience for all three of us and has helped us immensely in our professional and intellectual development as students, always willing and striving to learn more.
We want to give a special thank you to UW-Stevens Point School of Health Promotion and Human Development professors Tom Wetter and Annie Wetter, our research mentors for this project. They were always there for us in every step of the process and were instrumental in problem-solving key components of the research study.
Learn more about the dietetics program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.