As the Bryant University community filed into the Quinlan/Brown Academic Innovation Center classroom for the university’s first ever Research Retreat on August 12, they were greeted by a word cloud of terms Bryant faculty, staff, and administrators used to describe research.

“Real-world application” was there in big letters, as was “Interdisciplinary.” “Publication” had a place of prominence as well.

But one word, positioned above all of the others, stood out: “Support.”

Over the course of the day, the Bryant educators, representing a range of disciplines, would return to that last word over and over again. Though their research interests spanned satire in politics to disruptions in the supply chain to digital phenotyping to screen for mental illness, they leaned on one another as they discussed their ambitions, their challenges, their successes, and their hopes.

“Today is about all of the different ways that we are working toward supporting research for faculty and students, as well as the different ways that we can help you open up different modes of thinking about the kinds of things you might be interested in doing,” noted Associate Provost Wendy Samter in her opening remarks.

Introduced by Samter as “a rockstar in the world of research administration,” keynote speaker Dr. Kris Monahan, president of the National Council of University Research Administrators and director of sponsored projects and research compliance at Providence College, began the retreat by discussing her work building research ecosystems. She also spoke about how sponsored research can serve as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration, and academic growth.

"Please don’t ever underestimate the power of your mentorship." 

“It takes a lot of energy,” she admitted. “But, boy, is it rewarding.”

Working together in support of a common cause, Monahan suggested, is the first step in achieving great things. “There's never been a better or more exciting time to be involved in this, to build research capacity, because we can do it together,” she told the audience.

The Bryant faculty and staff spent the rest of the day putting that charge into action through sessions addressing a range of issues related to the pursuit of knowledge. A panel on the opportunities and roadblocks of funded research, for instance, offered an insider’s overview of the funding process as well as a guide to the resources and personnel available to assist.

“I think we are now in the middle of our renaissance,” said Joseph Trunzo, Ph.D., professor of Psychology and deputy director of Bryant’s School for Health and Behavioral Sciences, who was a moderator for the panel. Noting how the research culture has grown at Bryant, and the university’s support for researchers seeking grants has increased, he encouraged the audience to continue to find new ways to explore the boundaries of knowledge.

Professor of Biological and Biomedical Sciences Chris Reid, Ph.D., whose lab has been awarded more than $2 million in grants, including a recent $390,000 three-year grant renewal from the U.S. National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry, spoke about some of the strategies he learned and connections he made to secure funding.

He also noted the impact of grant-funded research, in terms of scientific discovery — his lab has been granted two patents and is in the process of securing a third — and the effect on his pupils. “I’ve ruined a lot of students’ plans of going to med school,” he joked. “I think I’ve convinced about 95 percent of my student researchers to pursue a Ph.D., instead.”

Those life-changing collaborations were the focus of the retreats’ next session. A panel on “Unleashing the Potential of Faculty-Student Research Partnerships,” featuring a diverse group of faculty members and Bryant alum Joey Leszczynski ’23, discussed how mentoring and collaborating with undergraduate students on research can benefit both the student and their mentor.

Leszczynski, now studying for his Master of Public Health degree at Brown University’s School of Public Health, shared how working in Professor Steven Weicksel, Ph.D.,’s Biology lab changed the course of his educational journey and career path. Through the research he conducted, Leszczynski honed his collaboration, presentation, and critical thinking skills, developed a strong understanding of the foundations of both scientific inquiry and biology, and discovered his passion for epidemiology and public health.

“Please don’t ever underestimate the power of your mentorship,” he implored the audience.

Associate Professor of Data Science ML Tlachac, Ph.D., has mentored more than 30 undergraduate researchers in their career; those student researchers have been credited on eight of their research papers. “I wanted to become a professor because I wanted to give students the same type of experience that I had as an undergraduate researcher,” Tlachac noted. “It's such a valuable experience and that's why I'm here.”

Working with students can even inspire researchers to pursue new areas of inquiry, noted Associate Professor of Mathematics and Economics and Director of the Bryant Honors Program Laura Beaudin, Ph.D. “Our students bring to us questions we might not otherwise think about,” she reflected. “They bring questions that I wouldn't have researched on my own, so I'm really grateful for that.”

"Research is the intellectual labor of faculty, and it enriches all aspects of the work of the university and the profession — creating new knowledge, teaching students, and contributing to community betterment."

Also announced during the panel was the establishment of student research grants, which will fund student-led, faculty-mentored studies and open up opportunities for students like Leszczynski to pursue avenues of discovery that are important to them.

The retreat closed with a panel on the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning led by Terri Hasseler, Ph.D., professor of History, Literature, and the Arts and director of Bryant’s Center for Teaching Excellence. The panelists encouraged their peers to turn their inquisitive eyes inward and examine their own pedagogy to ensure that students were getting the most out of their lessons — and then share their results so others could benefit as well.

“I strongly recommend engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning for a number of different reasons,” stated Hasseler. “One of those reasons is that it will inform your teaching. You will have a better sense of who you are in the classroom. You'll have a better sense of your students. And it will also engage you with your colleagues.

“It informs every facet of the work that you do as an educator and as a scholar in an academic setting,” she reflected.

As the final session ended, the conversation wasn’t truly over. Many of the participants stayed behind in small groups arranged around different themes, energized by what they’d learned and eager to put the day’s discussions to collaborative use.

It’s exactly that sort of energy that should be encouraged, noted Hasseler, as it leads to important findings beyond the scope of the original questions posed — and marks the retreat as a success. “Research is the intellectual labor of faculty, and it enriches all aspects of the work of the university and the profession — creating new knowledge, teaching students, and contributing to community betterment.”