Did you have a Bryant faculty mentor who changed your life? The collaborative research projects showcased at Research and Engagement Day (REDay) on April 20 are among the University’s most powerful and transformative experiential learning opportunities. At Bryant, undergraduate students have the chance to work with faculty in scholarly research partnerships that most universities don’t make available until post-graduate study. The projects address some of society’s most significant issues and develop deep knowledge in a field of study while providing students with the chance to present at prestigious national and international conferences. These collaborations frequently lead to mentorships that continue long after graduation.
“That’s when I fell in love with research,” noted health psychologist Ryan Linn Brown ’17, Ph.D., when describing her Bryant research opportunities. “I remember calling my mom when I made my first successful contribution at one of those meetings. I can’t emphasize enough the value of that kind of space, where you can be timid and unsure, then get such good to reinforcement and encouragement. It helped me find my voice.”
The full slate for this year’s REDay event includes more than 50 sessions and engages over 500 students with faculty and staff through roundtable discussions and best practices sessions, as well as paper and poster presentations. In addition to renowned opening keynote speaker Maureen Raymo, Ph.D., the closing keynote panel discussion on Social Impact Research, and numerous significant faculty research projects, the program highlights featuring student research and creativity include:
· 15th Annual Bryant Economic Undergraduate Symposium, focused on training in the art of writing, presenting and publishing empirical research papers on wide range of economic topics, with a primary emphasis on data analysis with policy relevance.
· Augmented/Virtual Reality Consulting Session: Climate Change/Environmental Economics. Students will present their environmental economics consulting projects with international organizations using Augmented /Virtual Reality. ZOOM ROOM: https://bryant.zoom.us/j/91045222077.
· The Annual Bryant App-a-Thon competition, hosted by Bryant Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO), challenges students to design mobile device apps for the University. The winning app is built by Bryant Information Services.
· Entrepreneurship Fair by CEO X Bryant Ventures, showcasing student businesses and the Bryant Ventures collaborative community of supportive entrepreneurs. The fair includes of student entrepreneurs tabling to showcase their business, and all will have a pitch for people who come to their table.
· Presentation of 2022 SOC/SPS 491 Capstone Projects: Localism Sucks. Or Does It?, exploring the concept of "localism" by analyzing surfing and its history, media, and other factors surrounding it; The Hate We Give: Societal Implications of T.H.U.G L.I.F.E., coined by activist, actor and rapper Tupac Shakur demonstrating that the existing cycles of racism, violence, and oppression that are perpetuated onto Black children ultimately leads to a lack of resources within these communities and forces these cycles to continue; Reinforcement of the female stereotype in sports through clothing, exploring how female athletes are sexualized and invalidated as fans and players both through the uniforms that they are forced to wear and the apparel that they are able to buy; Twitter and the Twelfth Man, NFL fans use Twitter to interact with each other and share opinions. This looks at how these Twitter users create communities that reflect fanbases and project their feelings about their teams over a season.
· Panel discussions including: Conscious machines? The philosophy of AI with students from Dr. Horan's Introduction to Philosophy (LCS260), Laibach: The Black Cross Machine, Cementing Conviction: How Late-Night Comedians Fuel Opinion But Do Not Change It, Political Memes: Not Just A Laughing Matter, and Graduate Immersion Experience (GIE) presentations
· Poster sessions including: The Intersection of Female-Supportive and LGBTQ-Supportive Policies in Corporate World, Exploring the Connectivity of Mushroom Body Output Neurons, Neural circuits for low and moderate alcohol responses in Drosophila melanogaster, Where did this purchase come from? The effect of purchase type on preference for country-of-origin label, and Mapping neural circuits important for alcohol reward memories in Drosophila
· Paper presentations including: Brain waste among U.S. immigrants: An empirical analysis of the determinants of occupational participation among foreign-born workers, and Identifying the meanings of pre-owned luxury consumption: the case of WatchBox
· Observe, Sketch, Collage: A collaborative and participatory art exhibit
For a detailed listing of REDay sessions and events, please go to https://info.bryant.edu/reday/program. No registration is necessary.
BRYANT UNIVERSITY
For nearly 160 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. The University delivers a uniquely integrated academic and student life experience with nationally recognized academic programs at the intersection of business, STEM and the liberal arts. Located on a 428-acre contemporary campus in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant enrolls approximately 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students from 38 states and 49 countries. Bryant is recognized as a top 1% national leader in student education outcomes and ROI and regularly receives high rankings from U.S. News and World Report, Money, Bloomberg Businessweek, Wall Street Journal, College Factual and Barron’s. Visit www.bryant.edu
