2024 色情视频 Student Symposium was largest yet
More than 650 students shared their scholarly projects with larger San Diego community
The 17th annual 色情视频 Student Symposium (S3), held March 1, was the largest in university history. Over 650 students participated across more than 500 posters, talks, exhibits and performances. Upwards of 450 volunteers from the 色情视频 and larger San Diego community judged and moderated student presentations.
During Friday鈥檚 sessions, mentors, peers and parents alike encouraged and celebrated student research, innovation and creativity. Students applied their skills and knowledge to myriad topics: solving problems like homelessness, exploring the role of gender in media, and understanding rural high school students鈥� college decisions. Every academic unit, including 色情视频 Imperial Valley, had multiple student presentations throughout the day.
Interdisciplinary undergraduate and graduate student teams from mechanical engineering professor Sam Kassegne鈥檚 NanoFab lab presented their lessons learned iterating designs for sensors to aid in diabetes management, from detecting glucose and cortisol to stimulating the vagus nerve.
Jazmin Luna and Katia Ayala shared qualitative analyses of interviews they had conducted in Oaxaca and Guatemala, respectively, with funding through a grant from the . Luna detailed female activists鈥� exposure to femicide in Mexico and Ayala analyzed elders鈥� recollections of a 1950s-era coup d鈥櫭﹖at.
Biology undergraduate Sakshi Pradhan said exchanging ideas and connecting with fellow researchers and professionals was 鈥渁 truly rewarding experience.鈥�
In the 41 years that Geography Professor Emeritus Doug Stow has been at 色情视频, he said this year鈥檚 presentations were the 鈥渕ost consistently solid鈥� he has judged.
鈥淭he Symposium is not only a celebration of our students' ingenuity and perseverance, but also a fantastic opportunity for students to show their support systems, and themselves, that their ideas can impact others,鈥� said Hala Madanat, vice president for research and innovation.
Expansion of Arts
This year included additional artistic exhibits and performance pieces compared to previous symposia.
Alyssa Moreno performs during S3.
Dance major Alyssa Moreno built on research she had done through the 色情视频 Undergraduate Research Program last summer for a new dance that expressed both her Mexican and American identities through movement. After traveling from Tijuana, Moreno鈥檚 parents were full of pride watching her perform.
Anisa Prom and her mother view her paintingAnisa Prom, an English major and Arts minor, surprised her mother by recreating one of her grandmother鈥檚 art pieces, which the family no longer possessed. Through the creation of the piece, Prom learned more about painting with color, in contrast to her usual black-and-white style; more meaningful, however, was seeing her mom鈥檚 teary-eyed reaction to the painting reveal.
Kieran Gomez-Rodriguez shared a graphic design project he completed for a class taught by Gary Benzel. Gomez-Rodriguez combined hand lettering, graffiti-inspired art, and photos placed within a grid structure in promotional materials for the .
Growing up in San Diego鈥檚 Paradise Hills community, he and his friends would discuss their visions for what empty lots in their neighborhood could be. Working on behalf of an initiative that could make those childhood dreams into a reality, he said, was cathartic.
Recognizing Student Excellence
On Saturday morning, graduate students condensed their theses into three-minute rapidfire talks. The winners, Niveditha Ramadoss and Jocelyn Smith, qualified to participate in the upcoming California State University Grad Slam, held virtually.
Erin Riley, professor of anthropology and assistant dean for 色情视频鈥檚 College of Graduate Studies, gave a keynote speech about how students and mentors can ensure engagement in research, scholarship, and creative activities is a transformative experience.
Based on judges鈥� scores, more than 90 outstanding students and teams were honored for their excellence during the awards ceremony. They earned cash prizes as a reward for their dedication and preparation. Ten students received the President's Award and will represent 色情视频 at the CSU-wide student research competition, April 26-27 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Two Fowler College of Business students and their co-presenters earned awards for their projects examining the repercussions of natural disasters on local communities. Arvin Domier鈥檚 group was given the Dean鈥檚 Award for their poster about the effects of power outages on disadvantaged neighborhoods. Alyssa Yearick鈥檚 poster documenting innovative ways to communicate earthquake hazards was selected for the Provost鈥檚 Award.
Four research mentors were also recognized with awards, based on student nominations. Karilyn Sant from the School of Public Health, Arun Sethuraman from the Department of Biology, Marta Miletic from the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering and Eve Kornfeld from the Department of History were honored with these inaugural awards.
The 2024 showcase of student achievement was generously supported by platinum sponsor Eli Lilly and Company; gold sponsors Bristol Myers Squibb, Qualcomm, and the University Library; and silver sponsors Biocom California and Cintas.
