Written by Faryn Ash, STEAM Factory Intern, Class of 2017

The December STEAM Exchange was the perfect way to finish our the STEAM Exchanges for 2016!  This month, participants were asked to present their research in 60 seconds or less.  With over 40 presenters, a wide variety of research areas, and a gong to top it off, the evening began and finished with a bang! 

The evening was set up in a a lively and engaging manner, in my opinion, similar to an awards show like the Oscars. Presenters had exactly 60 seconds to communicate the essentials of their research to the audience otherwise the music would let them know theat their time was up. In our case, the music turned out to be a small gong but the impact was the same. The night started off with moderator and STEAM member Sam White and Sathya Gopalakrishnan followed after to show some new members or first time presenter exactly how this vert special STEAM Exchange worked. In addtion to an on-going tounge-in-cheek battle for who had the longest professional title, presenters spoke about research topics that ranged from sustainable transportation and insect ecology to the rise of the Brazilian ethonal industry. 

Halfway through the program we enjoyed a 30 minute intermission so that presenters and audience members were able to make new connections and continue enjoying the delicious Cameron Mitchell Restuarants catered dinner and desserts while having conversations about some of the reseearch that had already been shared. 

This STEAM Exhcnage is a favorite among many STEAM faculty members because it enables members to learn about the research that so many intelligent, talented, and gifted people are doing and develop potential connections moving forward. All in all the evening was a huge success and I look forward to seeing the colloborations that are a result of this particular STEAM Exchange!

For information about our upcoming STEAM Exchanges, please continue check out our events page!