Undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows on the cusp of research careers in developmental disabilities got a chance to shine Feb. 28 during the annual Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Science Day.
A record 123 of them presented research posters on topics ranging from molecular neuroscience to language acquisition. Ten winners each received a $250 cash prize and certificate.
鈥淚 was really impressed by the caliber of work coming from students — especially the undergraduates,鈥� said Courtney Wright, a graduate student in special education whose poster on expressive language development in toddlers with Down syndrome was an award winner.
鈥淭he passion that everyone felt for their area of work was contagious. I left feeling very inspired,鈥� she said.
鈥淭he energy at Science Day was striking,鈥� added Amanda Miller, a postdoctoral fellow whose poster on vocabulary skills in children with reading disability also won an award. 鈥淧articipants were eager to learn, share, and collaborate.”
In remarks that opened the day-long event at the Student Life Center, Vanderbilt Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Richard McCarty urged students to 鈥渋nvest your talents in the developmental disabilities field. It鈥檚 desperately needed.鈥�
Before the poster sessions began, Nilanjan Sarkar, professor of Mechanical and Computer Engineering, and Zachary Warren, director of the Kennedy Center鈥檚 Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD), described the potential role for 鈥渟ocial鈥� robots in diagnosing and treating autism.
At the end of the day, Kennedy Center director Elisabeth Dykens returned to the theme of commitment and innovation. 鈥淕rit, passion, curiosity and drive鈥� 鈥� those are the qualities that distinguish successful students and investigators alike, she said.
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For more information, contact Jan Rosemergy at (615) 322-8238.