The breadth and quality of Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) graduate research programs will be in the spotlight March 31 at Graduate Research Achievement Day (GRAD) 2010 and April 1 at the new Innovation Presentation Competition. Here are details:
GRAD 2010, 1:30-4:30 p.m. March 31
The results of a range of ongoing research projects will be covered in posters by 215 graduate students, who will also deliver three-to-five-minute oral presentations about their work. This annual event, which will be held in the Campus Center Odeum, gives students the opportunity to present their research to peers, faculty members, and the community at large. It also promotes the exchange of information and ideas across various disciplines.
Monetary awards and certificates will go to the top posters and oral presentations in the following categories: engineering; the sciences; life sciences and bioengineering; and management and social sciences. A panel of 50 WPI faculty members and industry experts will serve as judges to select the best posters and oral presentations. Poster winners will be announced during a ceremony starting at 3:30 p.m.
Here is a sample of topics expected to be covered:
- technologies for locating first responders inside buildings
- the role of cranberry juice in prevention of biofilm formation
- pinpointing the moment of learning
- facilitating human sleep analysis using heart rate variability
- the effects of pre-crash hip posture in automobile crashes
Innovation Presentation Competition, 3-5 p.m. April 1
Similar to an "elevator pitch" used by entrepreneurs, students will explain to judges the need that their research projects addresses, their approaches to meeting those needs, and their projects' benefits. Six to eight oral presentations delivered during GRAD 2010 will be selected to compete in the finals on April 1. The winners will be announced at the end of the event.
For more information, visit the GRAD 2010 website.
