The Communication Factor
Newsletter of the Cain Project in Engineering and Professional Communication at Rice University Spring-2004

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Student Commentary: Gina Upperman

I am a sophomore at Jones College currently studying Electrical Engineering. I got involved with the Cain Project this summer while I was at Rice doing a research fellowship sponsored by Micron Technology Corporation and the Computer and Information Technology Institute at Rice. At the end of the summer, I went to Micron’s headquarters in Boise to present my research. This was the first time I had ever given a technical presentation at a conference. I worked with the coaches from the Cain Project several times throughout the summer. They guided me through my poster, PowerPoint slides, oral presentation, and question-and-answer session. Because of their help, I felt very prepared and confident in giving my presentation.

It wasn’t until I was in Boise that I truly realized the impact that the Cain Project had on me. My poster won first place. Listening to the presentations by students from other universities, I realized how important good presentation skills are and how easy it is to give a bad presentation. You could do earth-shattering research, but if you aren’t able to communicate it well, then it’s lost.

I decided then to accept Dr. Tracy Volz’s offer to work for the Cain Project as a presentations coach, hoping to improve my own presentation skills while helping my fellow students with this difficult task. I’m going through training right now, and I’m looking forward to coaching soon.

There are so many students at Rice, both undergrads and grad students, who, like me, have not had much previous experience in giving presentations. They’re faced with the task of presenting their research and ideas to professors, potential employers, and their peers, and have no idea where to start.

By guiding these students, the Cain Project helps them to give a clearer, more organized, and more powerful presentation. More importantly, however, the project helps these students in the long-run, giving them experience and confidence with presentations that will stay with them forever. Rice prides itself on sending its graduates into the world ready to become leaders, and the skills that the Cain Project teaches are an integral part of this preparation.

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