Graduate students to network at annual symposium on the University of Toledo’s campus
February 25, 2015
Filed under News
Graduate and professional students are sometimes overshadowed by the vast number of undergraduate student events — but the Midwest Graduate Research Symposium gives the grad-level students their time to shine.
The University of Toledo will host the symposium in both Memorial Field House and the Student Union on March 21 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Last year, over 200 students from over 60 schools, including the University of Michigan and Purdue University, attended the research symposium. This year, the event’s coordinators plan for it to be even bigger.
“This event will host individuals from around the nation and is a great opportunity for presenting research, networking and fostering intercollegiate collaborations and friendships,” said second-semester graduate student Jennifer Solanics, the event’s press and media coordinator as well as a dual Master of Business Administration student.
The symposium was started by the Graduate Student Association six years ago to give graduate and professional students the opportunity to practice their presentation skills and network with students and faculty from around the region, according to lead symposium coordinator and GSA president Aaron Shaw, a fourth-year in the biomedical science program.
“Our hope is that we can sharpen presenting skills by giving the participants the opportunity to get feedback from judges at the symposium,” Shaw said.
Additionally, the symposium offers students the opportunity for oral and poster presentations as well as the chance to sit in on discussion panels, including transplant surgeon and medical doctor Michael Rees’ keynote lecture, “What It Means to be Human.”
We are most excited to bring together graduate students from UT to show the diversity of great work that is taking place on our own campus.”
— Alcy Barakat, Symposium Judge Coordinator
Acting GSA Vice President Eric Prichard said the biggest highlight of the symposium is the experience students gain from publicly presenting their research.
“The food and the speakers are great, but it’s really about graduate students showing off their work, getting a chance to network, and getting practice presenting research in a supportive environment,” Prichard said. “We are all about giving grad students a chance to show the best of their work.”
Prichard said the symposium was created to give students an opportunity to gain professional experience as well as increased awareness and exposure to research from other fields and universities.
“When you travel to a subject-specific conference, you really only see people from your field,” Prichard said. “It’s fun for a psych person to get to see what an art person or a physics person is doing. And it is also fun to see what students at neighboring schools are working on.”
Shaw said this collaboration will expand students’ networking capabilities as well as provide professional and individual feedback.
“It is our hope that students will make some connections for research at UT and collaborate with other universities as well as get feedback for bettering their presentation skills,” Shaw said.
Alcy Barakat, health science campus GSA secretary and symposium judge coordinator, said she feels this will be a good opportunity for graduate students to see diversity in campus research.
“While we have great attendance from other regional schools, we are most excited to bring together graduate students from UT to show the diversity of great work that is taking place on our own campus,” Barakat said.
Prichard also mentioned that there will be socialization opportunities and free food.
“You cannot forget the free food,” Prichard said. “That’s something it is hard to turn down when you are in graduate school.”
For those interested in presenting, the free-of-charge registration deadline is Feb. 28. The GSA is also looking for volunteers to help facilitate and judge the event.
“Volunteering is a great way to see the day’s events and get involved if someone is a soon-to-be grad student, or hopes to present in the future,” Barakat said.
Faculty members or those holding doctorate degrees interested in judging can apply at https://graduatestudentassociationblog.wordpress.com/midwest-graduate-research-symposium/registration/.
For more information or to register for the event, visit utoledogsa.com.
