Madden Jones, a senior studying cell and molecular biology at Augusta University’s College of Science and Mathematics, received the Best Poster in the Lab Sciences award at the 2025 National Collegiate Honors Conference. The event took place from November 6 to 9 in San Diego, California.
Jones’s research project, titled “Sex Differences in Cognition Post-Treatment of Emotional Trauma,” was presented alongside work from seven other Augusta University students who gave individual poster presentations. Two additional students participated in panel discussions on various topics. This year, ten students represented the AU Honors Program at the conference, which Augusta University has attended since 2015.
Other student presentations included topics such as body image perspectives among female athletes, mitochondrial turnover under hypoxic conditions, media analysis of wrongful convictions, and faculty recruitment practices in honors programs.
Reflecting on his experience at the conference, Jones said he initially felt nervous but found that interacting with other attendees helped him feel more comfortable. He noted that presenting at this conference was a significant step for him: “This was so thrilling for me that so many people were curious about the project, and I was so eager to tell them as much as I could. I didn’t think I had a shot at placing after the session since I had seen a lot of other intelligent students doing some incredible work,” Jones said.
He also mentioned that conversations with judges and fellow students provided new ideas for his research. “I think my poster was well received by the judges because of its ability to be appreciated without needing lots of prior knowledge to understand,” Jones said. “A lot of research – especially in the natural sciences – is very niche and needs a stronger background understanding to comprehend what’s going on. The work we do is complex, but I think the behavior and the overlaying message that males and females are not responding equally after treatment is something everyone can appreciate.”
Jones encouraged other students interested in research to pursue their interests regardless of how ambitious their goals may seem: “There’s no correct way to get involved, and you don’t need to cure cancer or end world hunger to do research; it’s all about learning something you’re deeply interested in to fill a gap in knowledge.”
