The PechaKucha Revolution

immprofs Stella Burch Elias, Kit Johnson, Lauren Aronson, Juan Caballero

The Biennial Emerging Immigration Scholars Conference is known not just for its fabulous panels but also the opportunities to present works-in-progress and incubator ideas.

This year, I had the opportunity to participate in a truly unique incubator session. Lauren Aronson (Illinois) introduced us to the concept of PechaKucha — a presentation format where 20 images are shown for 20 seconds each, advancing automatically and resulting in a six minute and 40 second presentation. Lauren sought volunteers to present their incubator ideas in this format and Juan Caballero (MSU) and I were game.

I presented on my summer research regarding the use of credit history and credit scores to evaluate whether a migrant might become a public charge. Juan presented on his empirical research into how the Supreme Court has applied Chevron in the immigration context over the past 20 years. Both of us used the PechaKucha format. And then Lauren, using the PechaKucha format herself, presented on how PechaKuchas can be used for student presentations in the classroom, student presentations to the public, and faculty scholarship presentations.

I have to tell you, it was a SUPER FUN way to present. Really. I had a blast with PechaKucha. I was forced to narrow down my comments and really focus on what was most essential. I encourage everyone to think about incorporating this strategy into class and research. It’s a great tool. And, of course, reach out to Lauren if you have more questions about it.

-KitJ