Tag: Conferences

International Travel – Sara Casareto

Posted on by Ryan Cragun in International Travel

I had the incredible opportunity this past May to share my current undergraduate research at the 39th Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean (AMLC) Scientific Conference in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. My research consisted of the growth and mortality rate of a photosynthetic sea slug, Elysia subornata, which is found native in the Caribbean, depending on its diet.

The conference was an amazing learning experience that enabled me to network with universities and individuals in the scientific community from all over the Caribbean. I was able to observe up and coming research techniques, attend a coral microfragmentation workshop hosted by none other than Dr. David Vaughnan, and create both professional and personal relationships with individuals just as passionate about research and conservation as I am.

Honors Tutorial: Sara B. Lattman

Posted on by destinygarraus in Conferences, Honors Courses
Sara Lattman presenting at the Florida Collegiate Honors Council Conference on February 9th, 2019

Life is composed of the endless pursuit of knowledge, yet little to no research has been done on how learning adapts to the adult brain. The study of androgogy, the art and science of teaching adults, attempts to uncover just that. Honors student Sara Lattman set out alongside her Communication professor, Dr. Beth Eschenfelder, to inform conference attendees about the importance of incorporating androgogy techniques into professional coaching to tap into the motivation, perseverance, and passion of our generation. On her inspiration to learn more, Lattman replied:

I took Organizational Communication with Prof. Eschenfelder last semester, and on the first day of class she mentioned that she teaches her class using andragogy. I decided to do an Honors Tutorial surrounding the subject because it struck a lot of curiosity with me and I wanted to learn more about it.

On February 9th, Lattman presented her research at the Florida Collegiate Honors Council Conference, giving her the opportunity to share her scholarship.

Conferences – Adeline Davis

Posted on by Ryan Cragun in Conferences

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Adeline Davis recently presented some of her scholarship at the Irish Studies Conference in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Her presentation was well-received, as attested to by her mentor, Kathleen Ochshorn:

I wanted to thank you again for your support of Adeline Davis’s trip to the Irish Studies Conference in Jackson Hole. Her paper was well attended and her session chaired by the conference organizer. She was the only undergraduate presenting and nearly everyone there commented on the quality of her work, her poise and her intelligence. Professors were recruiting her for their graduate programs. We were able to dine with accomplished scholars, and Adeline loved the intellectual exchange. She also spoke with graduate students and recent Ph.D.’s who gave her advice and related their own experiences. This sort of opportunity is invaluable for our best undergraduates. It also spreads the word about the quality of UT.

Conferences – Layaal Hage

Posted on by Ryan Cragun in Conferences

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From April 5th through the 8th, I attended the Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Taking place for the 76th year, the MPSA Conference is an opportunity for political science scholars to present their research in a variety of sessions, ranging from lectures and lightning talks to roundtable discussions and panel presentations.

As a participant in the Undergraduate Poster Session on The Politics of Natural Resources and the Environment, I presented my research titled, “The Impact of Ghana’s 2011 Oil Production on the Western Region’s Oil-Bearing Communities,” which I had conducted for Dr. Kevin Fridy’s course on the Political Economy of Africa in the spring 2017 semester. During the hour-and-a-half-long poster session, I got the chance to give ninety-second presentations of my twenty-page paper, answer questions about my research, receive feedback on what to add, remove, or modify in future replications of the research, and embark on discussions that integrated both my research and those of the attendees. The attendees I interacted with and who toured the poster session were all at different stages of their political science academic or professional experience; while some were graduate school students and PhD candidates, others were session discussants and on-the-field professionals. Not only did my participation as a poster presenter put me on the spot and force me to think on my feet countless times, but, even more interestingly, it shed light on the power a subject of interest can have in tying together individuals from completely unrelated backgrounds. None of us knew each other’s names, nationalities, or experiences, yet we talked about natural resources, developing nations, African governments and citizens, and so on, endlessly!

In addition to being a conference participant, I got the opportunity to attend others’ presentations, two of which were paper sessions pertaining to Economic Development, particularly development outcomes, inequality, and ethnicity. Conducted differently than poster sessions, these paper sessions entailed three to four presenters discussing their research papers, discussants raising questions about and providing feedback on these presentations, and both presenters and discussants addressing questions from the audience. Right in front of me was a forum for productive discussions, debates, and exchanges of ideas that was more confident, mature, and advanced than any classroom lecture or group meeting I had ever attended or participated in. While presenting my research at this conference is a testament to the knowledge and experience I acquired during my four-year experience at UT, participating in discussions on various research topics and attending others’ presentations gave me a slight glimpse of all that I have yet to learn as a political science student and scholar!

Conferences – Ashley Morales-Pacheco

Posted on by Ryan Cragun in Conferences

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The Florida Political Science Association (FPSA) conference at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) in Ft. Myers was an unforgettable experience. I enjoyed being around other political scientists looking to explore different questions relevant to our world today. It was fascinating to see what undergraduate and graduate students are coming up with and what research topics are seeing more interest.

Being able to present my research regarding the effects of education on perceived government threats with my partner, Anne Kerda, was very exciting, especially because we received helpful feedback to aid us in moving forward with this line of research. The faculty in the political science department at UT were especially helpful in preparing us, allowing us to excel and stand out at the conference. The amount of preparation we had compared to other presenters truly puts into perspective how much our political science department pushes us for exceptional achievement.

Prior to the FPSA conference, I had attended other conferences, but this one was by far the best one! I felt right at home with “my people” [other political scientists] and I was thrilled to share the experience with UT colleagues. In the end, I was happy to hear that the next FPSA conference will be held at our very own campus, so I definitely look forward to participating in the conference again next year!

Conferences – Kamakshi Dadhwal

Posted on by Ryan Cragun in Conferences, Uncategorized

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The SEPA 2018 annual conference was the first time I showcased my original research on a poster. There is a common understanding in the academic world that poster presentations are the most casual and easy part of any conference. This understanding did not stop me from being excited or anxious as I drove to Charleston. My poster was scheduled to be in the third and last poster session, which means I had plenty of time to not only fret over my knowledge of my own research but also attend the other poster sessions to get an idea of what was coming my way.

It took me all of five minutes, after I entered the first session, to realise that I was in the soup. Here was a room packed with people from various sub-fields of psychology, with different interests, and belonging to a wide variety of backgrounds. While it was overwhelming to be amidst the products of so many research initiatives, my anxiety transformed with each poster into an appreciation of the opportunity that I received through the support of the Honors Program at UT.

I learned a tremendous amount about the current research avenues of Psychology from just being in the presence of scholars and fellow college students who presented their research or led a discussion group at the conference. Moreover, I was able to visit some of the interesting historic and natural sites that Charleston has to offer. The Honors Program encouraged my endeavour to develop my own research and helped me achieve my goal to present at a conference, for which I am incredibly grateful.