3rd annual undergraduate STEM research symposium set for Jan. 26

The 2013 Rice Undergraduate STEM Research Symposium will take place Jan. 26 in Duncan Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rafael Verduzco

The one-day event will feature “lightning talks,” a competition involving 60-second student research presentations with a $100 first prize and $50 second prize. There also will be a student research poster session, a student panel discussion about academic and summer research experiences for undergraduates and a panel discussion led by Rice Ph.D. science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) graduates who are now working in industry and medical research.

Devika Subramanian

Invited speakers include Rafael Verduzco, the Louis Owen Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, who will discuss the challenges of harnessing solar energy; Devika Subramanian, professor of computer science and of electrical and computer engineering, who will discuss computational methods for constructing predictive models from big data; and Richard Tapia, University Professor, the Maxfield-Oshman Professor in Engineering and professor of computational and applied mathematics, who will tell the compelling story of his journey from the barrios of Los Angeles to receiving the National Medal of Science at the White House.

Richard Tapia

There is no fee to attend the symposium, which is open to all faculty, staff and students. Students who want to participate must apply by Jan. 22, and faculty and staff who plan to attend breakfast or lunch sessions should RSVP to Ruth Kravetz at rkravetz@rice.edu.

The conference is co-hosted by the Empowering Leadership Alliance, the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. Event sponsors include the Dean of Engineering, the Ken Kennedy Institute for Information Technology, the Rice Engineering Alumni and the Rice Student Association.