FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 9, 2007
FY07-63
Poster Session and Graduate School Fair Offer Young Scientists the Opportunity to Showcase Summer Research
OAK RIDGE, Tenn.—Approximately 150 students from across the country gathered at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) on Wednesday for a student poster session that showcased their participation in 11 scientific and technical research participation programs at ORNL. That same evening, they met with graduate school representatives from 25 universities at the 8th Annual Graduate School Fair.
ORNL hosted the day-long poster session, which allowed students participating in summer research programs the opportunity to present their projects to fellow program participants, ORNL scientists and university representatives. Students discussed research topics ranging from environmental sciences to nuclear sciences and technology at the event coordinated by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE). Following the poster session, many students trekked over to the Pollard Technology Conference Center in Oak Ridge to visit the graduate school fair, sponsored by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).
University of South Carolina students Anthony Fields (left) and Jay Patel discuss the results of their summer research conducted as part of the Faculty and Student Team (FaST) Research Program at ORNL. High-resolution version of photo.
”This has been an exciting experience,” said University of South Carolina senior Anthony Fields, a participant in the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Faculty and Student Team (FaST) Research Program at ORNL. “We were given access to the top notch facilities and scientists at ORNL for 10 weeks to pursue the research that we were interested in. Now I feel prepared to move forward in my education and in my career with this experience under my belt.”
Brent Beatty, a senior at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, attended the graduate fair after presenting the research he completed in the DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI) program at the poster session. Beatty says his ultimate goal is to earn his Ph.D., and although he is still undecided on the exact field he will pursue, the graduate fair was a good place to start. “The graduate fair has been really helpful in letting me see what many schools have to offer, “said Beatty. “There are a lot of options on the table for me, and attending the fair gave me the chance to actually discuss specific programs with representatives from some of the schools that I’m interested in.”
Brent Beatty, a senior at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, discusses his options for graduate school with a representative from North Carolina State University at the 8th Annual Graduate School Fair hosted by ORAU. High-resolution version of photo.
The 25 universities that attended the graduate school fair included Arkansas State University, Carnegie Mellon University, East Tennessee State University, Georgia Tech, Howard University, Middle Tennessee State University, Mississippi State University, North Carolina State University, Rutgers University, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech, University of Alabama, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, University of Memphis, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of North Texas, University of Oklahoma, University of Pittsburgh, University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, Virginia Tech and West Virginia University.
For information about other educational opportunities through ORISE, visit http://see.orau.org/. For more information on programs through ORNL, visit http://www.orau.gov/orise/edu/ornl/.
ORAU is a university consortium leveraging the scientific strength of 98 major research institutions to advance science and education by partnering with national laboratories, government agencies and private industry. ORAU manages the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education for the U.S. Department of Energy.