Skip to main content Skip to main navigation Skip to footer content
John Wesley Powell Research Conference

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

The John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference was established as an annual event in 1990. Held in April each year, the conference provides an opportunity for students who are pursuing individual research projects to present those projects in a public forum. Research projects pursued by students at any level - freshman through senior - and in any academic program throughout the university, are eligible to participate. Research can be presented either in a poster session format, or in a (15-min) oral presentation.

The 2026 John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference will be held on April 11, 2026
The 2026 John Wesley Powell Keynote Speaker 
John D. Trybus, Ph.D
Director & Assistant Professor
Georgetown University's Center for Social Impact Communication
Founder: The Jane Goodall Oral History Project
 
Biography

Professor John D. Trybus , Ph.D. of Georgetown University is a story scientist on a mission to help change makers around the world create and tel more effective stories that bring their missions and visions to life. He leads Georgetown University's Center of Social Impact Communications, a social impact research and action hub, in Washington, D.C.

Prior to academia, Dr. Trybus' work spanned sectors in pursuit of making impact. He served as the traveling advisor to famous scientist Dr. Jane Goodall, as a strategist at the British Embassy, and as a social innovation consultant at Waggener Edstrom Worldwide working on projects to advance ethical philanthropy for clients such as Tiffany & Co., L'Oreal Paris, Coca-Cola.

A highly sought after keynote speaker and trainer, he has collaborated with hundreds of impact-focused organizations including IBM, Knight Foundation, National Public Radio, Smithsonian, United Way and the U.S. Department of State. He is the founder of The Jane Goodall Oral History Project.

The John Wesley Powell 2026 Student Research Conference  Presentation Schedules 

The conference typically attracts more than 100 undergraduates, who showcase research projects from a variety of University departments and programs, including: psychology, economics, political science, biology, mathematics, chemistry, English, theatre, and history.