Oct 25, 2019
The inaugural UCI Interdisciplinary Research Showcase and Workshop brought together faculty, staff and students on October 25 to highlight successful collaborations with colleagues in different fields. Co-sponsored by the Office of Research and the Office of Academic Planning, the event held in the Student Center featured “TED-style” talks, a panel discussion and breakout workshops.
The showcase opened with six lively talks highlighting cross-disciplinary research on flooding, the adolescent brain, saltwater droplets, healthcare for women of color, confronting extremism, and how the universe was formed.
Next, an educational panel presented useful tools for interdisciplinary research and the best practices for working as a team. Gary Olson, professor emeritus of informatics, emphasized the importance of creating and synthesizing knowledge as well as the teamwork that comes along this process.
Concurrent break-out sessions enabled faculty to discuss a range of topics ranging from implications of an interdisciplinary research on tenure and promotions, to insights on establishing and funding interdisciplinary programs.
To close out the afternoon, a panel featuring winners of interdisciplinary seed funding shared the proposal process and lessons learned.
The Office of Research and the Office of Academic planning hope this event will help drive future interdisciplinary research at UCI.
Check out the video recap here –https://youtu.be/qd37P2ITxPM
A breakout session “Humanities and the Arts, Grand Challenges, and Interdisciplinary Connectivity” was facilitated by several faculty including Stephen Barker, dean and professor of the Claire Trevor School of the Arts.