A new group at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering is serving up opportunities for camaraderie and collaboration, with a side of bagels and coffee.
The Engineering and Science Journal Club meets each Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in Research I, room 101 for Bagel Wednesdays, an event that gives students and faculty the opportunity to connect with their fellow researchers.
Assistant Professor Paria Gharavi, one of the MSE faculty who founded the group, says the club was formed to build an interactive and collaborative environment centered on discussing research. She adds that group welcomes students at all academic levels, from undergraduates to postdocs, as well as faculty who want to learn more about current research topics in an informal and engaging setting.
“One day, we realized that while students often have plenty of data and lab results, they do not always know how to shape them into a compelling story for publication,” she says. “The idea came from a desire to create a regular space where students and researchers can come together to discuss recent papers, exchange ideas and stay engaged with current developments in the field.”
Students come together for Bagel Wednesdays to support their peers and their research efforts. Each gathering features both a student presentation and a faculty presentation, with discussions after each talk. Target topics include new developments in science and engineering, including the latest research in physics, materials science, and mechanical and aerospace engineering, with a specific focus on recent and impactful research papers.
Gharavi says there has been positive feedback for the event so far, and that attendees have been enthusiastic about having an outlet to discuss research papers.
“It is a great opportunity to learn about emerging research, strengthen critical reading and presentation skills, and engage in meaningful scientific discussion with peers,” Gharavi says. “It also helps build a stronger sense of research community.”
She adds that having regular discussions about current research efforts encourages deeper engagement with the work, and helps attendees become more confident in discussing and evaluating scientific work. She’s also hopeful that the gatherings will spark new ideas and collaborations.
While the club began in MSE, Gharavi says the group would like to expand its reach to all researchers in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and invites presenters from all CECS departments to share their work.
“We are excited to see this develop into a consistent platform for intellectual exchange within the department, and hope it will become a valuable resource for the broader MSE and CECS community.”
- Written by Bel Huston