USU Research Week 2008

Utah State University's Vice President for Research Office will host its fourth-annual Research Week March 31-April 3. Research Week will feature four days of events — each day highlighting one aspect of university research — for faculty, staff and students.

“Research is a cornerstone feature of Utah State, and Research Week helps to showcase the impressive projects of faculty and students across campus,” said Brent Miller, vice president for research.

 

Research Week will begin Monday, March 31, with Faculty Research Day. A luncheon at the Haight Alumni House will honor USU's best faculty researchers, and Fred Provenza, winner of the 2008 D. Wynne Thorne research award, will be featured.

 

All faculty and students are invited to attend the annual D. Wynne Thorne lecture, held at 1 p.m. March 31.  Education professor, Ray Reutzel, 2007 D. Wynne Thorne research award winner, will discuss his education research and his experiences at Utah State.

 

On Monday, a workshop regarding the New Faculty Seed Grant Programs will also be held.

 

On Undergraduate Research Day, Tuesday, April 1, students will display their research throughout the day in the Taggart Student Center at the annual undergraduate Student Showcase, and USU's top undergraduate researchers and mentors of the year will be honored at noon in the TSC Sunburst Lounge.

 

The Sponsored Programs Office will also offer workshops on topics related to research funding.

 

“The workshops will provide guidance on different aspects of sponsored program administration,” said David Paul, director of Sponsored Programs. “The workshops will be of interest to faculty researchers, as well as their staff assistants and business managers.”

 

Graduate Research Day, Wednesday, April 2, will feature the Graduate Student Symposium, an interdisciplinary conference highlighting graduate students’ research in all fields. Held from 9 a.m. to 5p.m. in the TSC, the symposium will feature paper and poster presentations throughout the day.

 

Research Week will conclude Thursday, April 3, with Innovation Day, which will feature researchers who are using their research to create technologies and start businesses. Utah Science, Technology and Research (USTAR)-affiliated researchers will give presentations about their work at 10:30 in the Alumni House. Following the presentations, a technology commercialization luncheon will honor USU researchers and entrepreneurs with patents and inventions.

As Utah's only land-grant institution, USU has a special mission with regard to university research, said Anna McEntire, media specialist for the Vice President for Research Office.

 

“Whether it's done by students or seasoned professionals, research has always been, and always will be, a central part of USU,” McEntire said. “Research Week is designed to capture that idea.”