Prior to Jordan's talk, I did not have any knowledge of warm dense silica. Thankfully, Jordan began his presentation describing what this meant. It was clear he knew who his audience was, and that although we were a highly educated group with evident scientific knowledge, I was glad he introduced the definition of his topic. The presentation was both novel and informative. Jordan specified that the need for his research due to current limitations; this is important because the audience should know the need for the speaker's research, i.e. why should we care? Jordan's capability to both present his knowledge confidently, and answer questions successfully, clearly demonstrated his expertise and thorough research. His talk was very linear and easy to follow, with a definite introduction and conclusion. His visual aids were all useful and the text itself could be easily read.

Jordan's composure at the front of the room showed that he was well-rehearsed. He was in total control and his use of the room was perfect in that it was not distracting, but it showed comfort. This confidence tied into the fact that he was entirely convincing in the presentation of his research. Jordan barely, if at all, referred to any form of notes. I believe he only glanced at the slides on the wall for quick reminders.

Jordan maintained eye contact with his audience; better yet, he did not just make eye contact with one person. He looked all around the room and engaged his entire audience. He kept a good pace in his talk and not once did his voice falter. Overall, Jordan did an excellent job. His answer to my question about the number of scintillators used in the experiments was a direct and concise answer, and it was in the same manner he answered the remaining questions. I enjoyed reviewing Jordan's presentation and it was clear that he took advantage of his time at SLAC National Accelerator Lab. Show Partial Abstract