Two-Time Winner Syd Joheim Is Leaving a Legacy Millions of Years in the Making
Walking into Ottenheimer Library, you might not expect to come face-to-face with the skull of a sabertooth cat or the claw of an Allosaurus. But that鈥檚 exactly the kind of moment Syd Joheim has been working to create.
A senior double majoring in geology and biology with an ecological and organismal concentration, Joheim has spent the past year curating a fossil display on the library鈥檚 first floor. The project takes visitors on a journey through deep time, from the earliest ocean-dwelling life to the age of mammals. It鈥檚 the next chapter of a project that began when Joheim first organized and identified a collection of recently donated fossils, work that earned her first place in the Student Research and Creative Works Social Media Competition.
This year鈥檚 project, titled A Sneak Peek into Prehistory: Curating an Interactive Fossil Display to Spark Interest in the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Natural History Museum, earned Joheim first place in the Student Research and Creative Works Social Media Competition for the second consecutive year. The display invites visitors to explore ancient sea scorpions, armored fish, megalodon teeth, and fossils found right here in Arkansas. Each specimen is a chapter in Earth鈥檚 story.
鈥淢y goal with this display is to get people curious about natural history,鈥� Joheim said. 鈥淚 want to introduce visitors to these basic principles in biology and geology and inspire them to investigate the world around them.鈥�
But fossils weren鈥檛 the starting point. Joheim came to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock with a fascination for fungi and a broad interest in ecological biology, but no clear direction. That changed in her sophomore year, when a childhood interest in paleontology resurfaced 鈥� and a simple Google search for 鈥淲hat is geology?鈥� set her on a new course. That curiosity led her to Dr. Ren茅 Shroat-Lewis, who first brought Joheim into the work of identifying and organizing the university鈥檚 donated fossil collection. This project earned her a competition win. From there, Dr. Shroat-Lewis encouraged Joheim to take the next step: transforming the cataloged collection into the public-facing display now housed in the library.
鈥淪yd is the kind of student every professor hopes for, curious, driven, with a genuine enthusiasm,鈥� said Dr. Shroat-Lewis 鈥淭hey are an exceptional science communicator with a rare ability not only to understand complex ideas but to bring them to life for others. I have no doubt they will become an outstanding paleontologist who inspires curiosity and shares the wonder of science with everyone they encounter.鈥�
When Joheim first entered the competition, she was still relatively new to research and the hands-on work of paleontology. In the year between her first win and this one, she completed a research internship with the University of Southern Mississippi, served as an ambassador for the Paleontological Society, presented at conferences, and became a Learning Assistant. Each experience strengthened her confidence and deepened her foundation in both paleontology and science communication.
It鈥檚 a trajectory she hopes other students will pursue for themselves, following their passions and believing in themselves.
鈥淒o it,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he opportunity to show people what you鈥檙e doing can get you new connections, but it also helps you to feel proud of yourself and the work that you鈥檝e done.鈥�
That growth shows. As a Trojan Tutor and Learning Assistant, Joheim has made a practice of translating complex ideas into accessible ones, a skill that carries directly into the social media entries that caught judges鈥� attention two years running.
鈥淚t鈥檚 often my job to turn complex ideas into easy-to-understand concepts for beginners. Participating in the social media contest requires that you communicate your project effectively, and those are skills I use every day in these positions,鈥� says Joheim.
The display also serves a forward-looking purpose, generating excitement for the upcoming 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Natural History Museum. For many in the Little Rock community, it will be a rare opportunity to view specimens like ancient sea creatures, prehistoric mammals, and fossils, some even pulled from Arkansas soil. Planned for the fifth floor of Ottenheimer Library, the museum will serve as both a public-facing space where community members can explore the university鈥檚 natural history collections, and a working museum where faculty and collaborating researchers from across Arkansas and beyond can come to study, curate, and build the collection. For 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, it represents a chance to deepen its role as a cultural and scientific resource for the region, bringing world-class natural history education to the community. This summer, faculty will begin cataloging a variety of nearly 25,000 different specimens in preparation for the opening.
With graduation approaching, Joheim remains committed to the public-facing science that has defined her time at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. She is hopeful that her display will find a home at the Natural History Museum and hopes to play a role in bringing the museum to life 鈥� continuing to make big ideas approachable and inspiring the next generation to ask questions about the world beneath their feet.