Graduate students representing every academic department on campus presented 189 examples of original research at the fifth annual Graduate Research Symposium at McKimmon Center Wednesday afternoon.
According to David Shafer, assistant dean of the graduate school, the purpose of the symposium was to showcase the diversity and quality of graduate-level research at N.C. State. It was also a unique opportunity for graduate students to learn about cutting-edge research in fields other than their own.
“We really want students exposed to cross-discipline research,” he said.
Shafer said the event was an important professional practice in communication for graduate students.
“Students have to be able to talk about their research to people in other disciplines,” Shafer said.
The symposium was a competition where graduate research in different categories was judged by University faculty and, for the first time, by representatives from various North Carolina industries.
State senators Doug Berger and Joe Sam Queen, and Wake County representatives Rosa Gill, Chris Heagarty and Deborah Ross arrived to inspect the winning posters and congratulate the graduate students on their hard work.
“To see this kind of research lets us know financial support from the General Assembly is important,” Berger said. “Even in tough budget times, it is important to invest in research that makes us attractive to businesses which will create job opportunities.”
Queen said he would continue to advocate for funding of research.
“It is impressive to see the output of the combined efforts of NCSU’s graduate students on the floor here,” Queen said.
Ali Kefeli, president of the University Graduate Student Association, said it was especially important to expose members of North Carolina’s general assembly to research at the state’s largest university.
“This symposium is an opportunity to showcase the outstanding research we do at NCSU to the people who are funding it,” Kefeli said.
According to Anne Riddle, chair of the UGSA Academic Policy Committee, the UGSA and Graduate School want to have future symposium winners formally present their research to the state legislature.
Riddle said thousands of graduate students work behind the scenes at NCSU and they tend to be invisible. Undergraduates see graduate students as teachers’ assistants and professors see graduate students as a way to get work done.
“But we do original research and want to get that out to the University community as a whole,” Riddle said. “People can physically see the amount of work graduate students do [at the symposium].”
Meghnaa Tallapragada, a second year graduate student from the Department of Communication and winner of the first place prize in her category, said she was excited to have the chance to present her research.
“I get to introduce my research and get feedback. It helps improve my work,” she said. “Nobody in communication has developed a model for public engagement before. People can build on this foundation.”
Rachel Myers, a doctoral candidate representing the bioinformatics program, said she felt the symposium was more than an opportunity for professional practice.
“I’m passionate about my research and want to share with anyone who will listen,” she said.
The symposium was hosted by both the Graduate School and the University Graduate Student Association.
“I’m very excited about the turnout for the event and I think that both the graduate students who presented and those who attended benefited,” Shafer said. “I look forward to the Symposium in 2011.”
