UNMC Research Showcase - Class of 2016
The annual UNMC Research Showcase competition was held on Wednesday, 27th April 2016. The competition is designed to provide an opportunity for postgraduate research students to effectively present their research, in poster format, to a wider audience.
17 researchers took part in the competition this year. The researchers were first required to submit a press release outlining their research work and why it is important to the wider community. They then had to design a poster representing their research work. During the showcase, they presented their poster, explained their research and its real world implications. The showcase provided the platform for members of the public to meet with world-leading researchers of the future, to hear about their research and question them about the impact for the society. At the same time, the researchers got the chance to improve their communication skills and engage with the wider public.
The participants represented a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures. We believe that this international perspective and diversity is one of the many characteristics that makes The University of Nottingham a popular and stimulating research environment, a truly global university.
This year’s judging panel was made up of members of non-academic University staff and we were delighted to have an external judge, Associate Professor Dr Tang Sai Hong from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM). Dr Tang is the Deputy Dean of Student Affairs, Learning Support, Alumni and Industrial Relation at the School of Graduate Studies. It was the very first time we had an external judge for the Research Showcase competition.
This year marked the externalisation of the Research Showcase where 10 doctoral students from UPM and University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) were invited to attend the showcase. The showcase aimed to promote public engagement, open discussion and exchange of views and opinions with a larger audience, who were not necessarily acquainted with the research topic and field. The audience subsequently voted for their favorite entry for the People’s Choice Award. Apart from the on-site voting, an online voting platform was also used to further increase the outreach and engagement with a larger audience including the undergraduate community.
A panel of 5 judges commented that the overall quality of posters was satisfactory and the overall standard of presentations was very high and all participants did a very good job in communicating and presenting their research work to the general audience.
The winners are:
People's Choice Award - Revanthy Sankaran, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering
Revathy receiving the People’s Choice Award from one of the judges, Ms Ng Siew Ling. The prize includes a plaque and a Certificate of Achievement.
Best Press Release Award - Lillian Joyce Among Olule, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Lillian receiving the Best Press Release Award from one of the judges, Ms Anitapadmani Pathmathasan. The prize includes a book voucher worth RM200, a plaque and a Certificate of Achievement.
Best Poster Award - Tan Jing Yang, Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering
Jing Yang receiving the Best Poster Award from one of the judges, Ms Ruth Tomlinson. The prize includes cash worth RM300, a plaque and a Certificate of Achievement.
Overall Winner - Lillian Joyce Among Olule, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Lillian receiving the Overall Winner Award from one of the judges, Dr Tang Sai Hong. The prize includes cash worth RM1,000, a plaque and a Certificate of Achievement.
The Research Showcase competition enabled us to showcase the breadth and originality of the research undertaken by our postgraduate students. The skills they have developed in communicating their often highly complex and technical research to a non-expert audience are of great importance to them in their careers. Kudos to all the participants for a job well done!
We are very proud of them and delighted that a wider audience was able to contribute to the success of this Research Showcase competition and learn more about the fascinating work of our postgraduate students.
Many thanks to the following individuals for their contributions and tiredless efforts in making this year's Research Showcase Competition a great success:
- Judges: Dr Tang Sai Hong, Ms Ruth Tomlinson, Ms Deepa Kumari Veerasingam, Ms Anitapadmani Anitapadmani Pathmathasan and Ms Ng Siew Ling
- Trainers: Dr Tissa Chandesa and Dr Lee Jiin Woei
- Admin Team: Ms Vimaleswari Danapal, Ms Amirah Zin and Ms Lisa Chin
- Videographer: Ms Siti Nur Fazlin (IT Support)
- Postgraduate Student Network (PGSN): Mr Mohammed Ayoub Juman, Ms Hilda Akoth Yonga, Ms Cho Eun Seon, Ms Rayan Sabra, Ms Rachel Maeve Taylor
The Graduate School would like to once again congratulate all the 2016 UNMC Research Showcase winners!
Posted on 29th April 2016