A one-day conference showcasing Colorado State University’s graduate student research and creative works will take place from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 25 in the Lory Student Center.
Jodie Hanzlik, dean of the Graduate School, said the showcase not only allows graduate students from across campus to present their scholarly work, but also spurs networking with other students and faculty from differing graduate programs.
“The Graduate Student Showcase is an excellent opportunity to display the diverse activities that graduate students are engaged in,” Hanzlik said. “It invites students to hone professional skills and gain research conference experience. This assures our graduate researchers go on to confidently present and promote their research to greater networks, impacting larger communities.”
More than 300 graduate students will be presenting their work from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., followed by presentations and a guest speaker, sponsored by the Graduate School and the Office of the Vice President for Research.
Alan Rudolph, vice president for research at CSU, will present the keynote, “Challenging Boundaries: Experiences and Opportunities in Interdisciplinary Creative Artistry and Scholarship” at 1:30 p.m.
Following Rudolph, brief talks will be presented by John Simmons, founder of C3 Real Estate Solutions; Brian Ashe, director of business development at Riverside Technology Inc.; Corkie Odell, co-founder of Odell Brewing Company; Jeff Poore, president of Numerica; and Gino Campana, Fort Collins District 3 City Council member and founder and president of Bellisimo Inc.
“The speakers chosen represent the innovative and collaborative values that we hope to instill in graduate students’ research processes,” Rudolph said. “Because this is our aim, the showcase allows interdisciplinary research exposure that can spur such creativity and collaboration. The mingling of innovative minds is essential to interdisciplinarity — creativity and innovation that crosses the bounds of fields and disciplines. The speakers exemplify these values.”
Breakout sessions
Breakout sessions on the theme of “Expanding the Graduate Experience through Interdisciplinary and Innovative Approaches” will take place from 3 to 4 p.m. The sessions, led by guest panelists, will focus on creating and nurturing diverse teams from composition to integration and synergy.
Session will include:
- “Reality Check: How Can I Develop my Interdisciplinary Team-Building Skills?” Presented by Ellen Fisher, professor of chemistry and senior faculty advisor for the vice president for research, and Kathy Partin, director of the Integrity and Compliance Review Office and assistant vice president for research.
- “Innovative & Interdisciplinary Employment Options: Thinking Outside the Box to Make the Most of a Graduate Degree,” presented by the CSU Career Center.
- “Innovation through Global Partnerships: Establishing and Enabling International Collaborations,” presented by the Office of International Programs.
Graduate presenters will also compete for cash awards, presented at a reception from 4-6 p.m.
Awards will be given in the general two areas of “Great Minds in Research” and “Distinction in Creativity.” In addition, there will be awards for submissions in areas such as global impact, alumni and diversity/social justice. More than $9,000 will be awarded.
“Rewarding research creativity falls in line with our land-grant mission in that it recognizes innovation,” said Rudolph. “These values are a cornerstone of CSU’s history and an investment in CSU’s future as a research university.”
Lunch will be available from noon to 1:30 p.m. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served at the awards reception.
The event is free and open to the campus and community. For more information, visit gradshow.colostate.edu.
Guest panelists
John Simmons, founder of C3 Real Estate Solutions, brings real-estate buyers and sellers together by integrating personal service and knowledge with state-of-the-art technology, marketing and community involvement.
Brian Ashe, director of business development at Riverside Technology Inc., is responsible for developing business and marketing strategies at Riverside, as well as managing proposal development. Riverside is an internationally recognized engineering, science and information technology company providing innovative information technology solutions for environmental decision support systems, using a variety of different environmental data sources.
Corkie Odell joined her brother, Doug, and his wife, Wynne, to start Odell Brewing Company in 1989. She started out cleaning tanks and as the company grew, she evolved into the Human Resource Director/Culture Maven. In addition to liking beer (a lot), she has a passion for supporting and coaching her co-workers to help them be successful and happy in their work. One of the values of Odell Brewing Company is to support the communities where Odell brews are distributed, and following suit, she helped develop the company’s philanthropic arm, Odell Outreach.
Jeff Poore is the president of Numerica where scientists, engineers and software architects deliver state-of-the-art technology solutions to government and industry partners. They provide actionable information to decision makers in areas such as defense, intelligence and law enforcement.
Gino Campana currently serves on the Fort Collins City Council representing District 3 and is founder and president of Bellisimo, Inc., a development company in Northern Colorado. Bellisimo focuses on the individual project needs with an objective to enhance the value of the project to create diversified and opportunistic real estate investments.
