More than 250 students from 23 countries gathered virtually to present their work at the 12th annual Gulf Coast Undergraduate Research Symposium (GCURS).
The Oct. 31 online symposium drew international participants looking for experience giving formal PowerPoint presentations in a supportive and fun environment. Every presenter received feedback from Rice faculty, visiting faculty or graduate students in their respective divisions. The feedback covered the presenter’s research, visual aids and presentation skills.
“What makes GCURS unique is its focus on mentoring,” said Jennifer Hunter, admissions and strategy manager for the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. “Faculty and graduate students at Rice take time to provide unique oral and written feedback and coaching to each presenter. We believe this approach empowers students by giving them feedback to elevate their presentation skills and will enable them to further succeed in future presentations.”
The Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies program at Rice hosts the daylong event, which is typically held in person and draws 300 to 400 student presenters a year to campus. Participation from 35 to 40 states and five to 10 countries is the norm. This year’s virtual event drew 260 students from 23 countries and 39 states.
“Our use of a new virtual platform, Whova, enabled students to meet each other a week before the conference began and allowed them to build relationships that we hope will be long-lasting friendships,” said Hunter, who helped organize the symposium. “More than 3,000 messages were sent via the platform, 120-plus photos were shared and several virtual meetups were arranged by students to practice their presentations with each other in advance.”
Eduardo de Jesus Rodríguez of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Mexico, said participating in the symposium allowed him to discover new research topics and meet people from other parts of the world who are working on projects. He said the experience gave him positive feedback and reinforcement.
“I regained my confidence in myself,” Rodríguez said. “This symposium will help me to present better work.”
Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Seiichi Matsuda said he is proud to have been able to take GCURS online to continue the momentum the program has built over the past 12 years.
“GCURS has become exceptionally well-known as a prestigious and welcoming research symposium for students the world over,” he said. “We try very hard to make this a great mentoring experience for everyone.”
Kimberly Vetter is Communications Specialist for the provost.