Friday, October 11, 2024
Collaboration, Interdisciplinarity, and Culture Change Drive 魅影直播 'Research Day'
DENTON (魅影直播), 魅影直播 鈥� The Oct. 4 event included hundreds of attendees and spanned
multiple rooms in the 魅影直播 University Union. 魅影直播鈥檚 sponsored the event to encourage faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate
and undergraduate students to gather in one place to share their research, connect
with one another and listen to panel discussions about everything from tips on commercializing
research and establishing interdisciplinary projects to understanding the importance
of mentorship and staff support in a research community. A Research Resource Fair
also offered individuals an opportunity to connect with different resources on campus,
student organizations and departments to help with their research endeavors.
As continues to grow its research enterprise and rise as a Tier One research university, it is clear progress can鈥檛 happen without people coming together. Aaron Roberts, associate vice president for research and innovation, says an interdisciplinary mindset will be key in moving 魅影直播鈥檚 research community forward.
鈥淚t鈥檚 so important that we take opportunities to come together like this,鈥� Roberts
said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e all busy in our own departments, colleges and labs, but University Research
Day gives us a dedicated time to learn about each other鈥檚 work and potentially establish
relationships that could spark new paths of discovery. This event is all about celebrating
and cultivating the interdisciplinarity that is at the core of 魅影直播鈥檚 research community.鈥�
Showcasing Student Researchers
Research Day opened with more than 250 students presenting their research from disciplines across the university. Aisles of displayed posters in the University Union Emerald Ballroom were brimming with faculty, staff and students.
鈥淲e had posters from artists, physicists, biologists and more,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淎nd we purposefully mixed them up on the displays, so there would be researchers from a variety of disciplines side-by-side engaging in discussions.鈥�
Photo caption: A trio of women in front of a research poster
A select number of students also had the opportunity to give quick 鈥渓ightning鈥� talks about their research during two afternoon panel sessions.
First up was Anil Girija, a postdoctoral researcher in working in distinguished research professor Jyoti Shah鈥檚 lab. His research focuses on plants鈥� genes to boost defense against pests. 鈥淏y 2028, one billion people are predicted to be affected by food scarcity,鈥� Girija said. 鈥淭hat means we need to increase our production, but 40% of crops is lost to pest infestations.鈥�
Faith Gantz, a graduate student who works alongside associate professor Marcus Young, presented her research into shape memory alloys. Her focus is on microscopic damage done to the alloys after being fatigue tested. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking at the residual effects of these tests so we can identify what deformations are happening and better provide a solution for the next iteration of alloys,鈥� Gantz said.
Chibuike Ezeilo, a graduate student working with professor Kuruvilla John, showed his design for a machine that can help process cassava roots into gari, a staple food in tropical African countries. 鈥淐assava may be common, but gari is scarce and costly,鈥� Ezeilo said. 鈥淭his will make it so homes and small businesses can make their own.鈥�
Leigh Parrott, a graduate student in who works with associate professor Ohad Shemmer, finished the first student panel with her research on quasars, active galactic nuclei powered by supermassive black holes. Parrot studied the accretion rates of quasars using newly created reverberation mapped black hole mass measurements. 鈥淭hese new measurements raised doubts of a correlation between the equation鈥檚 variables, but we still found a small but significant correlation with the new measurements,鈥� Parrott said.
In the next student panel, Samantha Dardaman, doctoral student in , lead off with research on the perceptions of ill-fitting gear for female firefighters. Firefighter gear and uniforms are generally designed to fit male bodies. Dardaman鈥檚 study highlights the importance of sex-specific and well-fitting gear. 鈥淭his will not only aid the current firefighters in their job performance and their execution now, but may also create a more accessible female occupation in the future,鈥� Dardaman said.
Next, graduate students Alexandra Candelaria and Xaria Hicks from the presented research on how mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder from marginalized communities navigate the diagnostic process and get care. Candelaria said, 鈥淧articipants faced significant barriers, including language and financial constraints when accessing services.鈥� Their sequential mixed-methods study highlighted the importance of addressing cultural stigmas and improving resource accessibility for these communities.
Photo caption: Faith Gantz presenting her research on shape memory alloys
Marisa Gonzales, doctoral student in , presented research on Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) policies in collegiate sports. Gonzales examined female athletes鈥� experiences, highlighting challenges like securing deals and concerns about authenticity. 鈥淔or the majority of students, NIL is not going to be life-changing, but it certainly has the potential to be life-enhancing,鈥� Gonzales said.
Lastly, Rongfang Zhan, graduate student, shared research findings on the health benefits of extending retirement age. Individuals with higher socioeconomic status appear to receive some health benefits by delaying retirement, while the opposite appears true for those with lower socioeconomic status. 鈥淚ncreasing retirement age could be beneficial to the health and wellbeing of older adults,鈥� Zhan said.
魅影直播 has many opportunities for students to get involved in research on campus, but Brenda Barrio, assistant vice president for , is focused on making sure students know about those opportunities and is working to cultivate new ways for students to gain the research experience they need to launch their careers in competitive markets in 魅影直播 and beyond.
During the closing reception, Barrio announced that 魅影直播 is among only 10 public universities in the state selected to participate in the first cohort of the , supported by the . The new program that launched this fall gives selected doctoral researchers a nearly $18,000 scholarship.
鈥淭his program will not only bring financial support for these doctoral researchers to continue their education, but also give them access to a peer network and mentoring that will help set them up for career success after they graduate,鈥� Barrio said.
The 魅影直播 Leadership Research Scholars at 魅影直播 are: Garrett Cayce in the College of
Engineering; Araceli Herrera Mondragon, Celeste Ortega-Rodriguez and Jose Robledo
in the College of Science; Christian Quintero in the College of Education; and Emma
Wimberg in the College of Music.
Better Together: Building a Thriving Research Community Through Mentorship
The afternoon panel sessions kicked off with concurrent discussions, including one where faculty members explored how effective mentorship fosters collaboration and success within a research community.
Photo caption: Dr. Angie D. Cartwright from the 魅影直播's College of Education speaking during a research day panel
鈥淭he personal growth that鈥檚 associated with mentoring, the career growth and the networking opportunities are just invaluable,鈥� said Angie Cartwright, assistant vice provost for faculty success and professor of counseling and higher education. Cartwright oversees the 魅影直播 Faculty Mentoring Program, which provides resources, tools and structured support for faculty mentors and mentees.
Mentorship is particularly important in a research setting, where students and early career faculty are learning how to navigate the complex world of research 鈥� including how to narrow their focus, secure funding, problem-solve, get published and more.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of stuff you learn in the classroom environment, but there鈥檚 a lot that you don鈥檛,鈥� said Melanie Ecker, assistant professor of biomedical engineering.
鈥淎 lot of these things are discipline-specific, specific technical skills in the lab, but it鈥檚 also about soft skills and personal development. This is where good mentorship comes in. Having someone who鈥檚 there for you, showing you, 鈥楾his is how you make a research poster. This is how you make a good research poster. This is how you present a poster.鈥� Someone to give you an environment where you can try and fail, and learn from your failure. To open doors for you and show you what your future could look like.鈥�
A recurring theme was the need for multiple mentors, not just from one鈥檚 own discipline but also from other fields and professions who can provide different perspectives.
鈥淚鈥檝e had multiple mentors over the years, and I see that as a really big part of my success,鈥� said Dornith Doherty, Distinguished Research Professor of .
鈥淚t鈥檚 a way of wayfinding, especially in the arts where there isn鈥檛 a clear ladder
that you would follow for success. Sometimes you鈥檙e on the path, but you don鈥檛 recognize
that you鈥檙e doing the right thing, and so you鈥檙e filled with doubt. Having those multiple
mentors and multiple points of view while you鈥檙e trying to assess the situation has
been really valuable for me.鈥�
Start Smart: Best Practices for Creating a Startup
Creating a startup can seem daunting. An idea forms for a new technology or invention but knowing what to do next can stop an entrepreneur in their tracks. For professors, the barriers can be compounded juggling a growing business with their academic responsibilities.
In another discussion during the first session of panels, 魅影直播 College of Engineering faculty shared their experiences of creating a startup out of their research. One of those inevitable experiences is failure.
Wonbong Choi鈥檚 company, Ark Power Technology, which focuses on advanced rechargeable battery technologies, has risen from failure. 鈥淭he company went bankrupt. No money in the bank account,鈥� he said.
Now, Choi鈥檚 company has added new team members and secured new funding. Earlier this year, Ark Power Technology was featured as one of 14 startups to watch by PitchFact after participating in the 魅影直播 A&M New Ventures Competition.
Photo caption: Moo-Yeal Lee with together with former 魅影直播 president Neal Smatresk speaking during a research day panel
Moo-Yeal Lee, associate professor of , and Rajiv Mishra, University Distinguished Research Professor in , also have experienced funding issues with their startup, adding marketing and branding to the list of challenges.
However, a familiar face on the panel, professor of and former 魅影直播 president Neal Smatresk, felt energized by the other panelists鈥� stories of failure 鈥� and overcoming. 鈥淭hese stories of failure are inspiring,鈥� he said.
Smatresk is currently creating curriculum for a class called STEM Startups, which launches in Spring 2025. The course will educate graduate students from the College of Engineering and the College of Business about building a startup from the ground up.
Amir Jafari, biomedical engineering associate professor, founded a soft robotics startup that brings robotics to elementary classrooms as well.
鈥淚 noticed from students there is a gap in STEM knowledge in different countries,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought robotics was a perfect media to teach the concepts of physics and math that will be really exciting for the students.鈥�
Every panelist, in their startup鈥檚 failures, found out quickly they needed to seek out people who have expertise in other areas to ensure their startup would succeed.
鈥淚 am good at some things, but lacking in others,鈥� Choi said. 鈥淲e need to collaborate together and bring out those needed skills.鈥�
A shared goal was clear among the panelists 鈥� drive innovation and support entrepreneurship at 魅影直播 among faculty and students.
鈥淲e have to change the culture and train our students to innovate,鈥� Smatresk said.
Be Curious: Innovative Approaches to Interdisciplinary Research
Having researchers from a range of disciplines working on one project can bring a wealth of perspectives and introduce new dimensions to the work that wouldn鈥檛 be possible going it alone. But initiating and conducting interdisciplinary research isn鈥檛 easy, panelists agreed.
To this end, Roberts led a panel focused on ways to lead successful projects with colleagues across the university.
Cassini Nazir, assistant professor of , has found that asking more questions at the beginning of an interdisciplinary project can help in establishing everyone鈥檚 roles and where people are coming from. Also, Nazir has learned from experience that it鈥檚 important to be mindful that language connotations can vary from discipline to discipline.
How the physical workspace is set up can naturally yield more interdisciplinary research ideas, said Nigel Shepherd, associate professor of materials science and engineering, who shares a lab space with Andrey Voevodin, professor and associate dean for research in materials science and engineering.
Photo caption: Cassini Nazir on a research day panel speaking to a full room
Open-concept, shared lab spaces with researchers from different disciplines working side-by-side was a purposeful design choice in the recently completed renovation of the 魅影直播 Science Research Building鈥檚 second floor and will be prevalent in the forthcoming Science and Technology Building.
But even after teams get together and everyone agrees on a meaningful idea to pursue, the work doesn鈥檛 stop there. Shepherd said persistence is key in making sure the collaborative team doesn鈥檛 lose momentum in working toward a research goal.
鈥淏e intentional about it and be purposeful about engagement,鈥� Shepherd said. 鈥淵ou have to keep following up.鈥�
Kathy Dreyer, senior proposal manager for the Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research, suggested several ways researchers could get plugged into interdisciplinary work, such as reaching out to proposal mangers like herself who can help connect faculty with similar research interests, and looking at recently funded projects to see the disciplinary makeups of teams.
The panelists agreed that students are an untapped resource.
鈥淭hey make friends across different labs,鈥� said Ed Mager, associate professor of biological
sciences. 鈥淪ometimes they know more about what鈥檚 going on in other research labs than
you do.鈥�
Working Together: The Importance of Staff Support in the Research Enterprise
Staff members play a critical role in advancing 魅影直播鈥檚 reputation as a Tier One research university, said vice president for research and innovation Pamela Padilla, who moderated a panel about the value of staff support.
鈥淲e would not be able to deliver what we do without our staff members,鈥� Padilla said. 鈥淎ll of them impact students positively, directly and indirectly. There鈥檚 a lot of invisible work on campus that helps our students. We see it and we appreciate it.鈥�
魅影直播 research scientist Saul Sepulveda assists students with surface microscopy and spectroscopy in the at 魅影直播鈥檚 , which is one of the most advanced university research facilities in the nation for materials analysis 鈥� from the atomic to macro scales.
Photo caption: Emiley Locey at Research Day
鈥淚 keep things going in the lab by greasing the wheels, sometimes literally greasing the wheels,鈥� Sepulveda said.
鈥淢y favorite part is interacting with people. With the students, I am one of their first trainers on high-tech or advanced instrumentation. I get to establish a rapport and really affect their outlook on what 魅影直播 has to provide them, what kind of resources they have at their disposal. And they get excited and it鈥檚 refreshing to see that almost daily.鈥�
Joining Sepulveda on the Staff Support panel was fellow research scientist Minh Vu, who manages the Genomics Center in 魅影直播鈥檚 BioDiscovery Institute, and from grants and contracts administration, financial analyst Isaac Collins and director of pre-award Emiley Locey.
鈥淚 thoroughly enjoy developing relationships with our faculty members,鈥� Locey sayid
鈥淚鈥檓 getting to see firsthand their excitement for their research and what it is that
they鈥檙e doing and passionate about. And then we鈥檙e typically the first ones to hear
that it鈥檚 been funded, so there鈥檚 the excitement and the joy that brings 鈥� and knowing
that we鈥檙e part of that bigger picture of the strategic vision for the university.鈥�
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