Last week, Calvin Mackie, CEO and founder of STEM NOLA, served as the closing plenary speaker at the 2026 Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM in Atlanta.
He discussed his educational and career journey and highlighted the impact of STEM NOLA and STEM Global Action. His keynote was followed by a 20-minute Q&A session moderated by Dr. Shirley Malcom, senior advisor at AAAS.
The event was supported by the National Science Foundation. The ERN Conference in STEM, hosted by AAAS, the Center for STEMM Education & Workforce, and the NSF Division of Equity for Excellence in STEM, targets college and university students in NSF-funded programs.
Jareec’ Turner, a senior majoring in electrical and computer engineering with a mathematics minor, and a 2021 Boeing Immersion Alumni and 2023 Mission Systems Intern at Collins Aerospace, also attended the conference.
He presented his summer research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he designed a fully automatic wheelchair cushion to help prevent pressure injuries in the paraplegic community.
Turner expressed gratitude to Ashleigh Wright, Ph.D., Nafisa Ibrahim, PhD, Evelyn Ochoa Arias (graduate mentor), Holly Golecki (PI), and his team for their support. He described the ERN Conference as an outstanding experience that offered opportunities to present research, network with STEM peers and experts, and gain insights into the field’s future.
Justin Acheampong, a sophomore biomedical science student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a summer 2025 research student in the HHMI Science Education Alliance PHAGES program, also shared his positive experience at the conference.
He presented his research on the "Isolation and Characterization of Novel Arthrobacter globiformis Bacteriophage ‘Jollof’" and valued the chance to connect with fellow scholars and professionals.
Acheampong highlighted the benefits of the career development workshops and poster sessions, and thanked his mentors, AAAS, the AAAS Center for STEMM Education & Workforce, and the National Science Foundation for the travel award that enabled his participation.