Achievement Day Features 89 Graduate Research Presenters
By Hallie Edwards
Graduate students of Old Dominion University showcased their research at the eighth annual Graduate Research Achievement Day (GRAD) on March 29.
GRAD provides the opportunity for graduate students to share their innovative research and highlight the quality of graduate education at Old Dominion.
Missy Barber, program manager of the Graduate School, noted that 89 presenters participated. "This is the biggest poster session we've had in the eight-year history," Barber said.
Fifty, two-sided boards and heavy foot traffic crowded the North Mall in Webb Center as onlookers learned about research ranging from neural stem cells, 3D bio-printing, disarmament talks and postpartum depression.
Mahesh Banda, a mechanical engineering Ph.D. student, displayed his research on strengthening ice-templated porous materials, which have industrial and biomedical applications, including vehicle safety.
"We are actually trying to produce these kinds of porous structures especially in impact protection applications," Banda said.
Xavier-Lewis Palmer, a Ph.D. student and graduate administrative assistant of the Graduate School, took pride in the great turnout from each of the six Colleges of graduate studies and the campus community.
"Usually I'm talking about my research with folks in my field," Palmer said, "so with GRAD we got to show people the practical use of our research."
Presentation areas were mingled to promote networking between disciplines.
The Graduate School also hosted a professional networking event designed for students looking for careers outside of academia. Nearly 50 students visited with participating employers, including the Food and Drug Administration and the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority.
