研究博览会为学生和校友提供了机会

在集会中心明亮的灯光下, 600多名学生在年度会议上展示了他们的项目 学生研究及创意活动博览会 (今年4月11日举行)向志愿担任世博会评委的校友开放. 俄亥俄州的 研究部门 和俄亥俄州的 大学发展部 努力吸引和培养校友志愿者担任世博会评委, 他们的知识和专长对世博会的成功至关重要.

法官, 两人一组, “are not the actual faculty or staff that a student would have in a classroom,世博总监说 玛莎Adsitt-Ergood他也是研究生院的服务管理员. After an 8-10-minute “lay” presentation from the student or student team, 评委从一组问题中向学生提问, 她解释说, 在提交最终成绩之前. In total, each judging pair will assess between seven and nine presentations. 尽管世博会已经举办了23年, it’s Adsit-Ergood’s fourth year working with the Expo and second year as director.

他说，新法官不必被这个过程吓倒 美极Karagosian, associate director of development for major giving in the 大学发展部.  “我们将一些老评委和一些新人评委配对, 这样他们就有了一个可以一起学习的伙伴,她说, adding that subject matter interest is taken into account when making assignments, “to make sure that we’re aligning judges with student projects that they’re familiar with.” With Expo presentations representing all departments throughout the University, 阿斯特-厄古德说, finding that alignment is what makes the judging so important to the event.

作为奖励, alumni judges have the opportunity “to network and meet other alumni and some faculty and staff who they probably wouldn’t connect with otherwise,卡拉戈西安说. 

Karagosian shared that many alumni who show interest in volunteering are previous student participants of the Expo, making it “a really full circle moment for them to come back and serve as a judge.”  

俄亥俄州的新闻 connected with three of this year’s judges to learn more about why they give their time to this event and others like it.

Dr. 雷内·保尔森

雷内·保尔森, BA ’99, is no stranger to leveraging her professional skills in support of OHIO students. 总部设在达拉斯, 德州, the research and statistical consulting firm owner has already sponsored student prizes at the University’s Three Minute Thesis® Competition this year.

Working to “increase engagement and bring attention to the work that graduate students are doing,保尔森说，三分钟论文“非常重要”, 因为在我们生活的世界里, it’s often that pitch of your idea in such a short window [that] is really what creates opportunities [for] your research.” The opportunity to practice such a skill was extended further this year, 本科生也加入其中.

最终, 保尔森说, her involvement with such opportunities at OHIO is about helping prepare students for the first stages of their careers.

“二十年前, the amount of experience you needed as an undergrad was different; now what you need is much more, 就在门外, 要有竞争力,她解释道. “People like me [with] careers in this area really need experienced students, and events like the Expo and the Three Minute Thesis® gives those opportunities that students can translate to the work they do when they leave school.”

为此目的, Paulson encourages students presenting at the Expo “to really think about the most salient message of their research—what did they learn, 他们得到了什么?, what were the actionable insights that came from their work—and lead with that,而不是被项目的细枝末节所困扰.

虽然志愿担任世博会评委本身就很有意义, Paulson noted that “being able to come back to Ohio U [to do so] is just an extra bonus.”

戴夫和凯西·利维

戴夫·列维的旅程, BS ’78, 还有他的妻子, 凯西, 从2013年戴夫退休开始，他就开始在俄亥俄州做志愿者. Shortly after leaving, his employer invited Dave to return on a part-time basis.

“我们说，‘我到底为什么要这么做?’”戴夫回忆道. He and 凯西 didn’t need the income, and Dave had been looking forward to taking a step back. 但经过进一步思考, the couple realized they could leverage the opportunity to make positive changes in the world. 在过去十年中, the Levys have used their additional revenue stream to fund endowed scholarships and other support at both OHIO and 凯西’s alma mater, 俄亥俄州立大学. 戴夫将于2023年完全退休, but he and 凯西 continue supporting their schools by donating not only their treasure, 还有他们的时间和才能. 

和保尔森类似, the Levys will arrive as Expo judges fresh off the experience of judging this year’s Three Minute Thesis®. 和保尔森一样，他们也鼓励其他人参与进来.  

“你的判断对帮助(学生)很重要，”戴夫说. “There’s a whole lot of learning that happens” in the process of delivering feedback. However, students aren’t the only ones who benefit from the interactions, 凯西 added.

她说，在这两项活动中做志愿者，“你会受到很大的鼓舞”. “One of the most exciting parts about it is that you get a [boost to your] faith in humanity, 因为你会看到他们的动机, 聪明的, 充满激情的学生，你就知道世界在你的掌控之中.” 

共同的目标

保尔森和利维夫妇都对资助学生感兴趣, whether that means showing “that people outside of just their faculty and their colleagues are interested in their work,保尔森说, 或者通过告诉学生来鼓励他们, “‘I am so glad you’re working in this field; this is such an important question that you’re looking at,’”凯茜说。.

“这是这里(大学进修中心)的主要目的之一。, is to make sure that our alumni are engaged and they’re staying connected to their alma mater,卡拉戈西安说.

“There’s nothing more valuable than that [engagement],” added Adsitt-Ergood. “那, 对我来说, 校友的最终目标是什么, because it is the beauty of bringing the strength of our past together with our present. 它是知识和未来的结合. You bring those things together, and you get just the coolest opportunities.”

你是否受到启发，想在明年的世博会上志愿担任评委? 联系Adsitt-Ergood adsitt@俄亥俄州.edu or keep an eye out for a registration email from University Advancement and 校友 Relations this winter. 

本文首次发表于 2024年3月26日. 最后更新于2024年4月19日.