Grad News Forum

Everywhere researchers go, be it a conference, a job interview, or simply meeting a colleague in the hallway, people ask the obvious question: “So tell me about your work?” It goes without saying that the ability of researchers to describe their research in lay language efficiently is one of the most important skills to be acquired, regardless of the field of research.

On Monday, April 29, assistant dean of Graduate Student Affairs, Kerry Landers, initiated a speed researching event aimed at developing students’ communication skills. In this event, students were expected to explain their research to their smart, but not expert, colleagues in only two minutes!

“We have received feedback from faculty who attended the recent Graduate Poster Session and were impressed with many of our graduate students’ ability to explain their research to non-experts,” notes Landers. “The goal of this speed researching event was to provide another opportunity for graduate students to continue to improve this essential skill.”

At the event, a total of 10 students explained their research to each other in pairs over lunch, followed by a two-minute constructive comments session. Students came from programs in biology, chemistry, engineering, genetics, MALS, and physics and astronomy. A wide range of research topics were discussed, including black holes, prion diseases, and the causes of the Arab Spring. Each student had the opportunity to present his or her research five times, providing plenty of practice.

“This event was great! I now know what other students in genetics, engineering, and chemistry do,” commented Daniel Durcan, a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies student, who also serves as the graduate student activities coordinator. Durcan continued, “The clarity for the presentations was very impressive. I thought it was a great opportunity to practice explaining my research to students from other disciplines.”

The event was somewhat similar to the Three-Minute Research Presentation sessions held by the Graduate Studies Office in the past. However, there is a subtle difference in emphasis between the two events. The Three-Minute Research Presentation sessions involve a single three-minute talk and aim to improve public speaking skills. On the other hand, “speed researching” aims to help students present their research swiftly to several people—a skill they will need at job fairs or conferences. Such a skill is crucial in a competitive academic environment.

Speed researching is, indeed, very helpful and from the looks of it, a very successful idea. Please keep your eyes open for the second speed researching event!

by Gilbert Rahme

On Thursday, February 28^th, the academic chair of the Graduate Student Council (GSC), Rich Lopez, hosted Nerd Nite, an event that provides an opportunity for graduate students to present their work to a general audience. The event was held at One Wheelock in Collis, and there were six presenters, a record for this year’s Nerd Nite events!

Rahme explaining his work on stem cells and their relationship to cancer to a very interested audience.

The presenters were:

-Kirsten Dalrymple (Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences)
-Rebecca Shapiro (Department of Computer Science)
-Kelli Hvorecny‎ (Department of Biochemistry)
-Everett Sullivan (Mathematics Department)
-Justin Foy (Department of Chemistry)
-Gilbert Rahme (Department of Genetics)

This Nerd Nite was divided into two sessions fueled with snacks, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages. Every presenter had ten minutes to present their work followed by a three-minute question and answer session.

The topics were extremely broad. Hvorecny explained a technique called X-ray crystallography used to visualize molecules like proteins and DNA. Dalrymple talked about her research on prosopometamorphopsia, a disorder of face perception in which faces appear grotesquely distorted to the perceiver. Other topics included wireless communication security, presented by Shapiro, and the study of mathematical knots and their complexities, discussed by Sullivan. Foy presented on proteins contained within each cell that function as motors. Rahme talked about stem cells that are the source of all functional cells in our bodies. He explained the relationship between stem cells and cancer development and maintenance.

Dalrymple presenting her work on prosopometamorphopsia.

All six presenters did a great job and got people very interested in their work. The audience continued to ask questions even after the event ended.

When asked about the frequency of Nerd Nite, Lopez said, “I am trying to make this event happen twice every semester. So far it has been a success, and I have had a good number of speakers.”

Follow the Dartmouth GSC on Facebook and check out the events calendar on the new GSC website to know when the GSC is hosting other similar events!

by Gilbert Rahme

photographs by Lisa Jackson

“Replace the word ‘problem’ with the word ‘opportunity’ in all your thoughts.”

- Matthew Keith Groves

In looking back at the Graduate Forum newsletters from the past several years, they are all similar—the year has been great, our faculty received grant funding, we graduated students and were rewarded with recruiting more—and this remains true for 2010. The year promised to be eventful and it did not disappoint. As the institution continued to maneuver through a significant period of restructuring and change, we found ourselves seizing the opportunity to positively embrace these challenges rather than allowing them to weigh down our productivity. As we did last year and the year before that, the Department of Genetics continues to perform above expectations.

Our faculty continues to attract new funding despite the competition. Our graduate program continues to enjoy growth and success, having six students successfully defend their theses and inviting seven new students to join genetics labs. The department continues to expand as more technicians and postdocs are hired to support both new and ongoing research projects.

The fact is we will enjoy having the opportunity to build upon another successful year in the Department of Genetics.

by Cheryl Bush