For the past 38 years, the graduate community has come together to present projects and presentations that encompass current graduate-level research at The Ohio State University. The Edward F. Hayes Advanced Research Forum, a paper and poster competition, showcases the innovative and exemplary research being conducted by Ohio State graduate students and postdoctoral scholars across the full range of graduate degree programs and research topics.
Katie Conner, lead organizer from the Council of Graduate Students (CGS) and the Hayes Forum Committee, said about this year's forum, “We were able to offer the maximum number of slots to those who qualified in the abstract judging round which included 120 papers and 100 posters submitted, with 105 papers and 82 posters joining us at the forum this year.”
In addition, Conner said that over 80 faculty, staff, researchers, postdocs and industry partners, including many Ohio State alumni and emeritus faculty members, participated as judges.
“We conservatively estimate around 500 guests joined us that day to support our graduate student and postdoctoral presenters by engaging with them and viewing their presentations,” she added.
Photo: Graduate student presenting to judges during the poster presentation competition.
This year’s forum topics ranged from postdoctoral research using drones to provide emergency medications to supplement existing emergency services to geography graduate program research about the use of water-based floating crop farms for the mitigation of toxins near draining outlets. During the event, rooms across the Ohio Union are filled with presentations on research in art, biological sciences and humanities and postdoc research in science, technology, engineering, health, and math. The CGS website has a full schedule of events from the Hayes Forum available as well as other information about the forum, applicants, presenters, judges and this year’s award winners.
Photo: Katie Conner of the Council of Graduate Students and Hayes Committee announcing the names of awardees at the Hayes Forum Awards Banquet.
The Hayes Forum concluded with an awards banquet that provided name recognition of each award. In total, $17,000 in cash prizes were awarded to graduate students and postdocs for the first, second and third place winners, and for other categories including oral/talk presentations, and poster design and poster talk. Sixty-four students and postdocs received awards at this year’s event.
Photo: Graduate student applauding announcement of colleagues as award recipients at the Hayes Forum Awards Banquet.
Mary Stromberger, vice provost of graduate education and dean of the graduate school, attended the event, which the Graduate School and other units have historically supported through organizational and funding support.
“I met with so many graduate students who are passionate about Ohio State and the work they are doing,” Stromberger said. “For example, I learned about advancements being made in transportation safety by graduate students in Mechanical Engineering, a possible treatment for a serious auto-immune disease by an interdisciplinary graduate student in medicine and engineering, and the fascinating linguistics of indigenous poetry in Taiwan.”
“Many of these students are working at the front edge of science and technology, and their work benefits our society and culture.”
Photo: Mary Stromberger, dean of the graduate school, interacting with a graduate student presenting their research on using water-based gardens to mitigate toxins.
University-wide collaboration and support have been key elements of the Hayes Forum since its inception — from faculty judges to engagement from units across campus. Conner, from the Hayes Forum Committee commented, “Collaborations stretch our resources and ability to provide the most impactful opportunities for graduate students further than any single unit could if it tried to reproduce a similar event of this magnitude. Hayes is an extensive and well-maintained collaboration financially, logistically and institutionally at every level of involvement and planning phase.”
“Dean Stromberger, Dr. Mohler (Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge), Dr. Gentry (Office of Postdoctoral Affairs), and Deans Shivers, Glassmann, and Couch (Office of Student Life) are some of the best supporters CGS and the Hayes Committee could ask for in sharing time, wisdom and creative problem-solving skills, in addition to the support they show throughout the year and on the day of the forum itself — both in person and via messages of support.”
Photo: Graduate student and faculty member engaging around the student’s research at the Hayes Forums Poster Presentation Competition.
Photo: Graduate student presenting their research as part of the oral presentation competition.
The Hayes Forum annually brings together faculty, staff and students to support networking, research, career development and connections across the university. This past year the forum was co-sponsored by the Council of Graduate Students, the Graduate School, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, and the Enterprise for Research, Innovation, and Knowledge (ERIK), with additional organizational and operational support from the Office of Student Life.
Conner highlighted that the forum enables graduate students to get a wide range of feedback on their work, grow their networks, and interact with judges who are outside of their disciplines.
When asked about the importance of the Hayes Forum, Dean Stromberger replied, “I hope that by participating in the forum, students and postdocs learned something new from each other, made a new colleague, and most importantly, grew in their appreciation and pride in being a part of the incredible intellectual diversity of Ohio State.”
“This truly is a great place to be.”