Grad Slam Round 8 winner Mohammad Mirzadeh. Credit: Patricia MarroquinIn the eighth round of the Grad Slam competition, the presenters piqued the audience members’ interest with stories about animals, pain, music, divorce, and technology.
Erik Nielsen of Sociology started off the eighth round with a presentation about the impact of suburban sprawl on the environment and whether smart growth models can counteract that impact. Economics grad student Jennifer Milosch asked the audience, “What makes a marriage last?” Jennifer’s research focuses on the impact of two key economic factors (changes in one spouse’s income and changes in household’s wealth) on divorce rates. Ultimately, according to Jennifer, what makes a marriage last is "prosperity."
History grad student Brian Tyrrell talked about the history of breeding thoroughbred horses for speed. Desmond Ramirez of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology shared his enthusiasm for octopuses, which according to him are “really amazing.” Desmond is researching octopus skin in order to better understand animal and human senses.
Desmond Ramirez discusses his research on octopuses. Credit: Patricia MarroquinMusic and Media, Arts, and Technology student David Gordon taught the audience how to visualize sound. David’s goal is to create an interactive framework for spatially representing music. Mechanical Engineering grad student Mohammad Mirzadeh shared about the potential of super-capacitors and how his research focuses on the use of computer-guided optimal design to better understand the physics of super-capacitors.
Communication student Samantha Coveleski challenged the audience’s assumptions about pain. Samantha’s research focuses on chronic pain and how she can help bring more awareness to and empower the 100 million individuals suffering from this "invisible" disease.
After a quick Q&A with the presenters, the judges shared the final results. Samantha Coveleski, Mohammad Mirzadeh, and Jennifer Milosch were recognized as the top three participants. Mohammad Mirzadeh was selected as the overall winner.
Mohammad will join Bob Lansdorp (Round 1 winner), Jasmin Llamas (Round 2), Torrey Trust (Round 3), Britney Pennington (Round 4), Cyrus Dreyer (Round 5), Briana Simmons (Round 6), Peter Mage (Round 7) and the remaining preliminary round winner on Friday, April 19, in the Grad Slam Finals.
Grad Slam Round 8 participants take questions from the audience. Credit: Patricia Marroquin