As part of this year’s virtual Nebraska Research Days, the Office of Graduate Studies hosted the Postdoc Science Slam using video submissions from postdoctoral researchers who presented engaging yet concise videos on a range of disciplines.
“Given everything happening in 2020, I don’t think we can underestimate the importance of institutions like UNL and for professionals engaged in the creation of new knowledge and innovation to share those creations, not only with other scientists, but with the public more broadly” said L.J. McElravy, associate dean for professional development.
The virtual Postdoc Science Slam aimed to meet this importance by inviting postdocs to present and explain their research to a broad audience in five minutes or less. After video submission, undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and staff evaluated the videos based on three criteria: entertainment, clarity, and contribution to science. In addition, this year’s event featured an inaugural People’s Choice Award that postdoc participants could opt into on Facebook. The award was chosen based on total reactions per video entry.
This year, each participant won a $650 prize to advance their research or creative activity. Participants and individual awards included:
- Meetpal Kukal, biological systems engineering
Deciphering the behavior of a DOORKEEPER to our food
Postdoc Science Slam 2020 Award - Bora Pulatsu, architectural engineering
Advanced Computational Modeling to Assess the Performance of Masonry Structures: Survival or Collapse! - Ernest Tufuor, civil engineering
Getting There on Time – All the Time
People’s Choice Award