Week to celebrate, feature work of grad students

The University Graduate School and the Graduate and Professional Student Committee will host Graduate Student Appreciation Week (GSAW) March 31-April 4. GSAW celebrates the contributions, impact and value of graduate/professional students. Events range from a scholarly forum to a symposium with Ph.D. and comedian Adam Ruben to the Provost Awards Recognition Reception April 4.

On Monday and Tuesday, the scholarly forum will feature more than 100 research presentations, spanning from neuroscience to bitcoins. Meet five of the FIU researchers who will step up and showcase their work:

Gregory Gonzalez

Nestled between the Everglades and Biscayne Bay, Miami has a unique relationship with water. Gregory Gonzalez proposes an eco-friendly solution to excessive flooding by creating a network of wetlands to manage storm-water.

March 31 | 9 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. in Room A

Maryam Asghari

FIU’s Wall of Wind is the largest and most powerful university research facility of its kind, able to simulate category 5 hurricane winds. Find out how Maryam Asghari used the state-of-the-art facility to develop new guidelines and building codes to protect roof pavers against hurricanes.

March 31 | 4:10 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Room A

Alan Meca

Life-long Panther and recipient of the Provost Award for Outstanding Teaching Assistant, Alan Meca will share his work on ethnic identity and the implications of a more bi-cultural generation.

April 1 | 9 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. in Room A

Rana Jaber

Did you know that two out of five U.S. college students regularly smoke hookah (water-pipe)? Rana Jaber’s 3-year study presents the first evidence of water-pipe smoking as a gateway to cigarette smoking among adolescents.

April 1 | 9:40 a.m. – 9:55 a.m. in Room B

Jose Pombo

Planning on becoming a history or social studies teacher? Jose Pombo aims to develop a unique education methodology that will increase students’ knowledge, critical analysis, and overall comprehension. Find out how his model will impact student learning.

April 1 | 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. in Room A

For more information, head to the GSAW website.