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The U's top students talk about their discoveries
Updated April 8, 2011
By Gayla Marty
Sixty of the U's top doctoral students in more than 40 fields filled the Great Hall of Coffman Union on April 5. Their mission: to practice talking about their research in ways that communicate effectively to the public about the excitement and importance of their work.
At least 200 students, faculty, and visitors attended the showcase over the two-hour period, engaging in discussions on topics from traumatic brain injury relief to measuring the impact of urban forests. Finance & Commerce covered the event with a feature posted today.
Laura Hatfield, a doctoral student in biostatistics, used the showcase to describe her research on treatments related to mesothelioma, a fatal lung disease caused by asbestos exposure. Hatfield has already accepted a tenure-track position in the Department of Health Care Policy of the Harvard School of Medicine.
Hatfield is just one example of the high caliber students who train and graduate at the University of Minnesota. Students in the humanities, social sciences, and health sciences as well as the basic sciences are among the most competitive anywhere.
Altogether the showcase demonstrates how the University of Minnesota draws talent from around the world to the state and nation, and how alumni will continue to build valuable ties to Minnesota after they graduate, wherever they go.
A spectrum of research
This is not the only research showcase at the U. Undergraduates are featured in a separate event, this year on April 13, and other poster sessions focus on particular disciplines or themes.
What sets the Doctoral Research Showcase apart is its scope and quality. It spans all the U's disciplines, from English to engineering. Participants come from a pool of students who have won competitive university fellowships. And because it is dedicated to doctoral research, this showcase gives a glimpse of the future of many fields and of the world's future faculty and intellectual leaders.
Connecting doctoral students with Minnesota constituents
This is the fourth year for the doctoral showcase. It began in 2008 as a way to give recipients of the University's Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships (DDFs) exposure to a broader audience. DDF recipients are outstanding, final-year candidates nominated for the fellowship by their departments because of their work's quality, importance, and often its urgency.
The showcase was inspired by a similar annual event at a peer institution that has grown into a meeting of top minds in the region, linking the research university to community and business leaders and entrepreneurs.
The University of Minnesota showcases have been attended by faculty, students, administrative leaders, regents, and the general public. Legislators are invited, and many have made connections with showcase participants from their districts. Participating students have enjoyed the opportunity to share their work and develop their ability to communicate about it.
Interdisciplinary fellows, too
This year, in addition to the 115 DDF recipients, recipients of the University's 12 Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowships (IDFs) in five University-wide centers were also invited to participate. A total of 60 students participated. More than 40 graduate programs and interdisciplinary centers were represented.
More information
To learn more about doctoral research and funding opportunities, contact the Graduate School Fellowship Office.
Adam Schrag, English, described his dissertation on digital images related to war and technology to Henning Schroeder, vice provost and dean of graduate education.
Jessica Moyer, curriculum and instruction, compared women college students' preferences among print, electronic, and audiobook formats.
Laura Hatfield, biostatistics, explained her research related to treatments for mesothelioma, a fatal lung disease caused by asbestos exposure.
Photos by Ken Sower
Cream of the crop
See a list of the 2011 presenters and a chemistry department feature about four participating students.
Read the Finance & Commerce feature, "U of M doctoral students highlight research at public showcase."
Last year's showcase was the topic of a video on the U homepage that featured four students. See the video, and read more about the 2010 showcase.