The sixth annual Bruin Brains Undergraduate Research Conference, presented by TRIO Programs, wrapped up on Friday, Dec. 3. Astrophysicist James Negus of the University of Colorado addressed a packed Oak Room at Salt Lake Community College’s Taylorsville Redwood Campus, captivating students and faculty during the morning session.
After discussing his research regarding supermassive black holes, Negus talked about his academic journey to impart wisdom on young students, such as those in attendance. The message that resonated most to the audience: Accept failure, take it on the chin, and move forward.
“Fail early and often,” Negus said.
To illustrate this point, Negus showed the crowd a copy of his first research paper, which was riddled with mistakes. Negus admitted that he did not know the meaning of most of the acronyms he used in the paper.
“Failures don’t define you,” he said. “They’re a chance to identify your strengths and weaknesses early.”
Meghan Harding, an undecided major at SLCC, found inspiration in Negus’s determination.
“I was really inspired by how he was able to keep going,” she said. “He kept himself surrounded by what inspired him, and that’s what got him to keep going and push forward.”
Besides telling students that they should become numb to failure, Negus also discussed imposter syndrome, noting that many undergraduate students regularly tell him they don’t deserve a doctorate. While addressing this concern, he stressed the importance of mentorship while attending school and acknowledged he wouldn’t be where he is today without his mentor.
“Inadequacy will kill more dreams than you can imagine,” Negus said.
Coming from parents that did not prioritize education, Negus’s story gave hope to first-generation college students like Kenny Bustamante, an economics student at SLCC.
“Since he has a background [of] coming [from] nowhere and [making] it, that means I can make it, too,” he said. “That’s very helpful, because I’m so confused with what I’m doing.”
For students like Bustamante who do not have their passion clearly defined, Negus suggested taking a wide variety of classes and exploring all the options available to students.
Negus also highlighted the need for diversity in the research field.
“Academia needs you,” Negus said. “We really need to diversify the system. We need more voices in the room. Wherever you are, don’t give up; it’s just a temporary situation.”
This article has been updated and republished as part of The Globe’s back to school content for the spring 2022 semester. View the original article.
