SMU and other universities in North Texas have a rich tradition of research and innovation. SMU’s Research and Innovation Week will share the explorations of SMU students and faculty members as well as the contributions of other regional universities, in a series of presentations, panels, and poster sessions March 20-25 on the SMU campus.
“Universities conduct about half of the basic research in the United States, according to the National Science Foundation. That research is the creative engine for economic growth, locally and nationally,” Suku Nair, SMU vice provost for research and chief innovation officer, said in a statement.
All events are free and open to the public, the university said.
SMU said that the keynote address and a faculty panel focused on the future of research in North Texas will be livestreamed at www.smu.edu/live.
From supercomputing to AI, augmented reality, and more
Suku Nair’s position is key to SMU’s commitment to achieving R1 research status, the university says. [Photo: SMU]
“It’s important to help people in and around Dallas understand how the research we do at SMU can make a difference in people’s lives,” Nair said. “It starts with what our students learn here by working with outstanding faculty who conduct research on everything from drug discovery to mitigating earth hazards. They work together in state-of-the-art facilities, supported by powerful supercomputing and capabilities in artificial intelligence and machine learning, and virtual and augmented reality.”
EdTech founder Taylor Shead to talk AI, education, and workforce
Taylor Shead [Photo: Michael Samples]
SMU said that award-winning serial entrepreneur Taylor Shead will deliver the Research and Innovation Week keynote at 6 p.m. March 20, in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Auditorium.
She will describe the ed-tech company she founded, STEMuli Studios, as a gaming company at the intersection of artificial intelligence, education, and workforce development.
Shead has spent the past decade supporting students from underserved communities in Pathways to Technology Early College High School Programs across the nation. STEMuli partnered with Dallas ISD in 2020 to bridge the pandemic-driven disconnect between students and their teachers through a virtual learning platform.
Graduate education and the future of research
SMU students will be available over two afternoons in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom to talk about and display their research findings in poster sessions. Undergraduates will be featured at 2 p.m. March 21, and graduate and post-graduate students will be featured at 2 p.m. March 22.
The university said that a panel of faculty members from in and around the Dallas-Fort Worth area will talk about graduate education and the future of research in North Texas at 3:30 p.m. March 23 in the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Ballroom.
The panel includes:
- Stephen Arrowsmith, SMU associate professor and Hamilton Chair in Earth Sciences
- Dinesh Bhatia, UT Dallas professor of electrical engineering
- Annie Ginty, Baylor University associate professor of psychology and neuroscience
- Ramon Lopez, UT Arlington professor of physics
- Floyd Wormley, TCU associate provost for research and dean of Graduate Studies
For more information about the week’s events, go here.
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