Watch the 2019 Grad Slam:2019 Semi-finalists: Nancy Freitas, Energy and Resources Group (1st Place Winner)Microbes in the ArcticA first year master’s student from Tucson, Arizona, Nancy hopes to mobilize people to take action on climate change. She plans to pursue a career in policy development, outreach, and education, focusing on climate change communication. Yifan Li, Chemistry (2nd Place Winner)The Fast Track through PhotosynthesisA fifth-year Ph.D. student from Rockville, Maryland, Yifan is planning to pursue career paths that will allow him to conduct innovative research on the interface between new technologies (especially energy generation, storage, and efficiency) and basic science. QinQin Yu, Physics (People's Choice Winner)Predicting Unpredictability in EvolutionQinQin is a third-year Ph.D. student from Columbia, Missouri who uses quantitative approaches to understand complex biological systems. She plans to pursue a career that combines scientific research with contributions to data-driven science policy decisions. Michael Nance, EthnomusicologyMusical Tourism: Perceptions of Transnationalism Through MusicA first-year Ph.D. student from Highland Park, Illinois, Michael’s career goal is to become a professor. His work in ethnomusicology is highly interdisciplinary, with connections to the world of conflict resolution. Sara Knutson, Scandinavian/AnthropologyThe Archaeology of Cross-Cultural InteractionsSara is a third-year student from Grand Rapids, Michigan with a background in museums and archeological fieldwork. After completing her Ph.D., she aims to pursue teaching and research, working with people around the world who have not previously had a voice in academic discourse. Pierre-Valery Njenji Tchetgen, EducationDrumball: Investigating Multimodal Meaning Production through Digital Drum TalkPierre-Valery is an eighth-year Ph.D. candidate from Cameroon and Ghana, who aims to make play-based learning available to teachers everywhere. He plans to pursue postdoctoral work, with the goal of helping ordinary teachers become extraordinary through the use of digital technology. Jessica Heiges, Development PracticeRePeelA second-year master’s student from Sonoma County, California, Jessica wants to make reusable foodware as convenient as disposable foodware. By participating in Grad Slam, she hopes to teach people across campus about their role in creating a sustainable food system. Chandan Singh, Electrical Engineering and Computer SciencesInterpreting Models for Safe and Accountable Machine LearningChandan is a second-year Ph.D. student from Virginia who wants to help make modern algorithms safer for general use, particularly in the context of science and medicine. He plans to pursue careers in academia or industry in machine learning research. Laura Fouquette, Public HealthHomelessness and Health Equity in the Bay AreaLaura is a master’s student from San Diego, California who is starting a career in healthcare, and will soon be relocating to Berlin, Germany for an internship in digital health innovation and technology. She is interested in pursuing a Ph.D. Richard Barnes, Energy and Resources Group/Electrical Engineering and Computer SciencesFixing’ GerrymanderingA fourth-year Ph.D. student from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Richard is committed to making communication an integral part of the scientific process. He is currently exploring academic positions and postdocs in computational science. Interested in Grad SlamInterested in participating? Learn how to how to submit your research or watch the next UC Grad Slam.
Watch the 2019 Grad Slam:2019 Semi-finalists: Nancy Freitas, Energy and Resources Group (1st Place Winner)Microbes in the ArcticA first year master’s student from Tucson, Arizona, Nancy hopes to mobilize people to take action on climate change. She plans to pursue a career in policy development, outreach, and education, focusing on climate change communication. Yifan Li, Chemistry (2nd Place Winner)The Fast Track through PhotosynthesisA fifth-year Ph.D. student from Rockville, Maryland, Yifan is planning to pursue career paths that will allow him to conduct innovative research on the interface between new technologies (especially energy generation, storage, and efficiency) and basic science. QinQin Yu, Physics (People's Choice Winner)Predicting Unpredictability in EvolutionQinQin is a third-year Ph.D. student from Columbia, Missouri who uses quantitative approaches to understand complex biological systems. She plans to pursue a career that combines scientific research with contributions to data-driven science policy decisions. Michael Nance, EthnomusicologyMusical Tourism: Perceptions of Transnationalism Through MusicA first-year Ph.D. student from Highland Park, Illinois, Michael’s career goal is to become a professor. His work in ethnomusicology is highly interdisciplinary, with connections to the world of conflict resolution. Sara Knutson, Scandinavian/AnthropologyThe Archaeology of Cross-Cultural InteractionsSara is a third-year student from Grand Rapids, Michigan with a background in museums and archeological fieldwork. After completing her Ph.D., she aims to pursue teaching and research, working with people around the world who have not previously had a voice in academic discourse. Pierre-Valery Njenji Tchetgen, EducationDrumball: Investigating Multimodal Meaning Production through Digital Drum TalkPierre-Valery is an eighth-year Ph.D. candidate from Cameroon and Ghana, who aims to make play-based learning available to teachers everywhere. He plans to pursue postdoctoral work, with the goal of helping ordinary teachers become extraordinary through the use of digital technology. Jessica Heiges, Development PracticeRePeelA second-year master’s student from Sonoma County, California, Jessica wants to make reusable foodware as convenient as disposable foodware. By participating in Grad Slam, she hopes to teach people across campus about their role in creating a sustainable food system. Chandan Singh, Electrical Engineering and Computer SciencesInterpreting Models for Safe and Accountable Machine LearningChandan is a second-year Ph.D. student from Virginia who wants to help make modern algorithms safer for general use, particularly in the context of science and medicine. He plans to pursue careers in academia or industry in machine learning research. Laura Fouquette, Public HealthHomelessness and Health Equity in the Bay AreaLaura is a master’s student from San Diego, California who is starting a career in healthcare, and will soon be relocating to Berlin, Germany for an internship in digital health innovation and technology. She is interested in pursuing a Ph.D. Richard Barnes, Energy and Resources Group/Electrical Engineering and Computer SciencesFixing’ GerrymanderingA fourth-year Ph.D. student from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Richard is committed to making communication an integral part of the scientific process. He is currently exploring academic positions and postdocs in computational science. Interested in Grad SlamInterested in participating? Learn how to how to submit your research or watch the next UC Grad Slam.