Grad Slam Round 9 winner Misty Riddle. Credit: Patricia MarroquinIn three-minute increments, the audience at Grad Slam Preliminary Round 9 were transported to Cuba, Mexico, the inside of a worm, and even near-death realms.
Eight grad student contestants presented their talks in Round 9 of the Grad Slam, part of Graduate Division’s Graduate Student Showcase events that are designed to highlight and celebrate the remarkable contributions and achievements of our university’s grad students.
The talks were judged on several criteria: clear and compelling nature of the presentations; perceived impact on an academic field or on society; and how well the talks were geared for general audiences. In addition, any contestants who exceeded the three-minute limit had points deducted from their scores.
The finalists from all nine rounds will compete tomorrow, Friday, for the title of Grad Slam Grand Prize Winner, which comes along with a $2,500 research fund. Second- and third-place finishers will each receive a $1,000 research fund.
Round 9 kicked off with a talk by Prateek Choudhary of Electrical and Computer Engineering, who proposed a for-profit grassroots model to mobilize the community, and be self-sustaining as well as empowering. Latin American and Iberian Studies grad student Marcus Cuellar discussed how baseball diplomacy can help improve U.S.-Cuba relations. Grayson Maas of Anthropology talked about his research into the ways, and conditions, in which underrepresented youths develop and maintain successful “science identities,” and the implications for future engagement in the sciences.
Chicana and Chicano Studies grad student Marla Ramirez spoke about her investigation of four mixed legal status families whose grandparents were U.S. citizens of Mexican descent repatriated during the early 20th Century. She examined the legal ramifications of the experiences of the expatriates’ descendants with a focus on race-based exclusions. History grad student Caitlin Rathe, whose academic trajectory changed focus from the natural sciences to the social sciences and finally to the humanities, discussed why humanities matter and how she can make a positive impact on the world as a Ph.D. student in History.
Michael Kinsella's talk focused on near-death experiences. Credit: Patricia MarroquinMisty Ridder, a Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology grad student, told the audience about her research with the small worm C. elegans to forcibly reprogram cells and organs to take on alternative identities, and the significance of this to biologists and to the general community. Michael Kinsella of Religious Studies discussed the emergence of a movement surrounding near-death experiences. He talked about his research involving visits to meetings of the Santa Barbara chapter of the International Association of Near-Death Studies and the Shared Crossing Project, whose members are interested in the afterlife. Brian Haggerty of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology spoke of his work to establish the USA National Phenology Network in 2007 as the nation’s first coordinated scientific effort to track climate change effects on natural resources. He talked of his focus on California’s national parks and UC Natural Reserves.
There was a question-and-answer session after the judges left to deliberate. When they returned, the top three finishers were announced: Misty Riddle, Marla Ramirez, and Marcus Cuellar. They each received a $50 gift card to the UCen bookstore. The contestant going on to the finals is Misty Riddle.
The Grad Slam Finals will be held at Theater and Dance West 1701 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, followed by a Graduate Student Reception on the Hatlen Theater patio until 6 p.m. Make sure to come out and cheer your fellow grad students on in the Finals and then enjoy the reception celebration afterward.
Round 9 contestants answered questions from the audience while the judges deliberated. Credit: Patricia MarroquinTo recap, here are the nine finalists. Good luck to all of them!
Bob Lansdorp, Materials (Round 1 winner)
Jasmin Llamas, Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (Round 2)
Torrey Trust, Education (Round 3)
Britney Pennington, Biomolecular Science and Engineering (Round 4)
Cyrus Dreyer, Materials (Round 5)
Briana Simmons, History of Art & Architecture (Round 6)
Peter Mage, Materials (Round 7)
Mohammad Mirzadeh, Mechanical Engineering (Round 8)
Misty Riddle, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (Round 9)