Annual Spring Research Symposium Held at the CVM
On Thursday, January 26, 2017, the Graduate Student Association (GSA) and the Postdoctoral Association (PDA) at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) held their annual Spring Research Symposium.
This event has grown into a full-day of platform and poster presentations given by master’s and Ph.D. students from across the departments in the college and representing the diversity of research areas that reflect the breadth and depth of research in the CVM. This year’s symposium was one of the largest ever with 91 presentations by 75 different students.
Held for the first time at the Veterinary & Biomedical Educational Complex (VBEC), a new “Flash-Talk” format was introduced, in addition to traditional platform and poster presentations. During a Flash Talk, students give a brief and concise (three minutes with one static PowerPoint slide) idea of their research and a synthesis of their poster presentation.
Approximately 20 graduate faculty members from the CVM judged the student presentations resulting in the following awards given in recognition of outstanding work at the banquet held at Pebble Creek Country Club that evening. (People’s Choice awards were voted on by the entire audience.)
Graduate Student Posters:
First Place: Yang Gao, Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences (VIBS); Dr. Qinglei Li, mentor
Second Place: Jessica Elswood, VIBS; Dr. Weston Porter, mentor
Third Place: Tae Kim, Department of Veterinary Pathobiology (VTPB); Dr. Albert Mulenga, mentor
People’s Choice: Jessica Elswood, VIBS; Dr. Weston Porter, mentor
Postdoctoral Posters:
First Place: Quinci Plumlee, VTPB; Dr. Jeff Cirillo, mentor
Second Place: Xi Li, Department of Veterinary Physiology & Pharmacology (VTPP); Dr. Stephen Safe, mentor
People’s Choice: Lindsay Dawson, VTPP; Dr. Ken Muneoka, mentor
Graduate Student Platforms:
First Place: Connor Dolan, VTPP; Dr. Ken Muneoka, mentor
First Place (tie): Cassandra Skenandore, VTPP; Dr. Annie Newell-Fugate, mentor
Second Place: Carlos Pinzon, VTPP; Dr. Charles Long, mentor
Second Place (tie): Joana Rocha, Department of Veterinary Large Animal Clinical Sciences (VLCS); Dr. Noah Cohen, mentor
People’s Choice: Hanah Georges, VTPP; Dr. Charles Long, mentor
Graduate Student Flash Talks:
First Place: Candice Chu, VTPB; Dr. Mary Nabity, mentor
People’s Choice: Candice Chu, VTPB; Dr. Mary Nabity, mentor
Postdoctoral Flash Talks:
First Place: Emily Schmitt, VIBS; Dr. Weston Porter, mentor
Each year, the Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the CVM also presents High Impact Achievement Awards at the research symposium banquet.
First Author Publication Award:
Amer Alhaboubi, VTPB; Dr. Maria Esteve-Gassent, mentor
Sabrina Clark, VTPB; Dr. Mary Nabity, mentor
Yang Gao, VIBS; Dr. Qinglei Li, mentor
Carolyn Hodo, VTPB; Dr. Sarah Hamer, mentor
Sherrelle Milligan, VTPB; Dr. Ann Kier, mentor
Italo Zecca, VIBS; Dr. Sarah Hamer, mentor
Alyssa Kasiraj (fourth-year DVM student), Department of Veterinary Small Animal Clinical Sciences (VSCS); Dr. Jan Suchodolski, mentor
Small Grant Award:
Candice Chu, VTPB; Dr. Mary Nabity, mentor
Caitlin Curry, VTPB; Dr. James Derr, mentor
Rachel Curtis-Robles, VIBS; Dr. Sarah Hamer, mentor
Sina Marsilio (VSCS); Dr. Jörg Steiner, mentor
Large Grant Award:
Alyssa Meyers, VIBS; Dr. Sarah Hamer, mentor
Maral Molaei, VTPB; Dr. Jason Karpac, mentor
Constance Woodman, VTPB; Dr. Donald Brightsmith, mentor
The keynote speaker at the symposium banquet was Dr. Edward Hoover, university distinguished professor and past department head of the Departments of Pathology and Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, at the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. His talk was titled “Zombie Story: Chronic Wasting Disease of Cervids.”
The Spring Research Symposium is a key part of the Office of the Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Studies annual Doctoral Student Recruitment Weekend activities, providing a glimpse to potential students of the excellence in research that graduate students are able to accomplish at the CVM.
