Two years ago, about 30 graduate students from the Department of Curriculum and Instruction gathered in two Peik Hall classrooms to showcase their current research. These students – nearly twice as many as the previous year – stood by their research posters for a few hours in the afternoon.
Fast forward two short years later, and the C&I Graduate Student Research Day has grown in leaps and bounds. Spearheaded by the Curriculum & Instruction Graduate Student Association (CIGSA), the student-run event continues to evolve into something that looks more like an academic conference each year. Last year’s format change provided opportunities for paper presentations, poster sessions, and roundtable discussions. With excitement generated around the new structure, it was clear that the annual event had outgrown the Peik Hall basement.
The 2013 C&I Graduate Student Research Day (to take place this Friday, April 12) boasts a 50% increase in student presentations over the 2012 event, additional presentation formats, and a new location on the St. Paul campus in the Learning & Environmental Sciences Building. Sessions will feature paper presentations, poster sessions, roundtable discussions, creative formats, panelists, and a C&I Pro-Seminar. The “real-life” conference style gives students a chance to practice presenting scholarly work, in preparation for larger conferences in their respective fields.
While the new location may be considered a “destination-event” for some, CIGSA invites students and faculty alike to explore the St. Paul spaces that other C&I programs occupy, and learn what current grad students are working on. We are confident this is an event you won’t want to miss!
For more information, please visit the C&I Research Day page, the Research Day Google site (with full schedule and abstracts) or contact Shannon McManimon at mcman093@umn.edu.