2020 Graduate Research Symposium: Forest Biomaterials

On Wednesday, February 26th the annual CNR Graduate Research Symposium (Co-Sponsored by Eastman Chemical and the CNR Research Office) was held at Talley Student Union.

Congratulations to all the winners of the College of Natural Resources Graduate Research Symposium! Two Forest Biomaterials Ph.D. students took home prizes and we asked them to share their experiences.

Hyeonji Park

Sustainable Materials Innovation Poster Winner

Tell us about your area of focus and your goals beyond your doctorate.

My research is focused on the development of a method to recycle wet, waste resources for high value-added products. I’m also interested in biomass upgrading to promote ‘biomass’ as a material.

Why was participating in this experience important?

I had a great time at last year’s event and that was my first year coming here to study. Everyone participating was full of energy about their research, and I enjoyed having conversations with them. This year, I wanted to be one of those energetic individuals.

What advice can you give future participants?

Have fun sharing your ideas with others! There are also a lot of things you can learn. Don’t hesitate to present and talk about your research. As I learned, it’s a good idea to prepare a phrase that can be catchy to everyone from various fields.

 

Ramakrishna Trovagunta

3-Minute Thesis Winner

Tell us about your area of focus and your goals beyond your doctorate.

My research focus is on solid foams from wood-based biopolymers to replace porous plastics such as polystyrene®. Post Ph.D., I would like to work in the research and development sector of an industry that focuses on renewable nanomaterials for a sustainable tomorrow.

Why was participating in this experience important?

As a PhD student, most of our time goes in writing, which is often limited to one-on-one interactions with our advisers. 3-minute thesis competition is an engaging and fun experience to highlight our research and provides an opportunity to set ourselves apart. This experience helps highlight the core-backbone of the research.

What advice can you give future participants?

Connect with the audience and keep it simple!

CNR Winners

3-Minute Thesis:

• 1st Place: Nicholas Kruskamp – Center for Geospatial Analytics
• 2nd Place: Olivia Vila – Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
• 3rd Place: Ramakrishna Trovagunta – Forest Biomaterials

Human Dimensions and Community Health Poster:

• Masters: Sara Futch – Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management
• Ph.D.: Vinicius Perin – Center for Geospatial Analytics

Land, Wildlife and Forest System Management Poster:

• Masters: Morgan Hoy – Forestry and Environmental Resources
• Ph.D.: Venkata Rohith Reddy Matli – Center for Geospatial Analytics

Sustainable Materials Innovation Poster:

• Masters: Tyrik Cooper – Forestry and Environmental Resources
• Ph.D.: Hyeonji Park – Forest Biomaterials