PVAMU’s Research & Innovation Week 2023: Ready, Set, Connect

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (April 24, 2023) — Prairie View A&M University’s (PVAMU) Division of Research & Innovation (R&I) has wrapped up the highly anticipated “Research & Innovation Week 2023”. The event took place from April 10 to April 14 and featured over 10 events attended by a total of nearly 450 individuals.

Research & Innovation Week is an annual celebration of research excellence at PVAMU. Through multiple virtual and in-person events, participants are given the opportunity to network with other researchers across a diverse range of topics and backgrounds and to learn more about the world-class research and the innovative initiatives that make PVAMU a research institution to watch.

Additionally, the event highlights industry and national lab partnerships and economic development initiatives and celebrated the achievements of the university’s research and innovation community.

“As Vice President for Research & Innovation, I look forward to this week as an opportunity to celebrate PVAMU’s our brilliant researchers spanning all three campuses and various disciplines. As we continue on this path of excellence, the Division of R&I remains committed to supporting, catalyzing, and safeguarding University research and the efforts of our PIs, while helping to address and overcome any challenges they may encounter along the way. We will continue to recognize and celebrate your hard work, perseverance, and accomplishments through the Division of R&I’s numerous internal grants and initiatives,” said PVAMU Vice President of Research & Innovation Magesh Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA.

 

Student Research Day and International Students Day

PVAMU, R&I supports both graduate and undergraduate researchers across all disciplines.  This year’s Student Research Day was in collaboration with the Conference for Interdisciplinary Student Research (CISR), chaired by Susan Frazier-Kouassi, Ph.D., Director, Texas Juvenile Crime Prevention Center, PVAMU.  Student Research Day gave over 100 students the opportunity to present their research to faculty, students, and guests in attendance. Undergraduate students presented their research projects through poster presentations on display. Graduate research students gave oral and poster presentations.

The awardees are as follows:

First Place

• Asha Mahamud, History
  

  R&I Week 2023: Students Research Day

  Marco Robinson, faculty mentor

• Faith Guice, Biology
  Maria Hadjifrangiskou, faculty mentor
• Kalle Julian, Mathematics
  Emmanuel Appiah, faculty mentor
• Mikaya Oberlton, Human Sciences
  Lauren Foster, faculty mentor
• Shaqkeen Williams, Mathematics
  Indika Wickramasinghe, faculty mentor
• Siah Green, Biology
  Quincy Moore, faculty mentor

Second Place

• Jose Angel Nguma Mangue, Computer Engineering
  Merlyn Pulikkathara, faculty mentor
• Zian Richmond, Criminal Justice
  Sally-Ann Ashton, faculty mentor
• Adewumi Adeloye, Electrical Engineering
  Gao Yunxiang, faculty mentor
  

  R&I Week 2023: Student Research Day

Third Place

• Adeyemi Taylor, Electrical Engineering
  Sarhan Musa, faculty mentor
• Daniel Ezeh & Blessing Funmilyo Ibekeh, Computer Information Systems
• Faduma Hassan, Psychology
  Quincy Moore, faculty mentor
• Jasmyn Paul, Psychology
  Laura Zambrano, faculty mentor
• LeAundria Hearne, Sociology
  Jerry Jay Murphy, faculty mentor
• Tinu Neha Miriyam & Dayanand Sundaravadivelu, Juvenile Justice
  Sesha Kethineni, faculty mentor
• Tom Murungi (Lira University, Uganda), Midwifery
  Sean Steven Puleh, faculty mentor

The Division of Research and Innovation not only has a presence nationally, but they are making their mark in research excellence internationally.  PVAMU welcomed 22 students from Uganda to share their research virtually.  The 22 presenters talked about public health related issues faced in Uganda.

Innovation Day

Entrepreneurship, innovation, and building a business was the primary focus for Innovation Day. The Innovation-Commercialization-Entrepreneurship-Economic Development (ICEED) center organized a full day of panels, presentations, and networking among the nearly 50 participants. The University was especially excited to welcome PVAMU alumni entrepreneurs who shared their journeys to self-employment and empowerment.

This year, Rice University’s Government Information Librarian and Patent and Trademark Resource Center Representative, Hannah Edlund, gave the keynote address on Innovation Day. Ms. Edlund gave a very informative overview of the resources and assistance available for all PVAMU inventors/researchers with the Texas A&M System, the State of Texas within the USPTO addressing not only the patent process, but the guidelines for Trademarks and Copyrights as well,” said Bobby Melvin, executive director of ICEED. Attendees also heard from Kalkidan Tadesse, CEO & Founder of Happy Pads and Steve Strauss of MrAllBiz.com who gave a webcast seminar, “How to Start an Online Business on a Budget.”

 

Principle Investigator (PI) Appreciation Day
Dr. Magesh Rajan gave the welcome address on Day 3 of Research and Innovation Week — Principal Investigator Appreciation Day.

Rajan expressed his gratitude towards the talented students, faculty, and research scientists at PVAMU acknowledging their being instrumental in the elevation of PVAMU to R2 status. He recognized ongoing initiatives and programs, such as the Faculty-Research and Innovation Success and Excellence Program demonstrated the intellectual leadership, creativity, and problem-solving skills of the principal investigators and The University as a whole.

“The countless ground-breaking and transformative achievements that stem from our research enterprise are what continue to attract large-scale, sponsored research opportunities and partnerships with federal agencies and institutions that share our commitment to excellence in research and education. And it’s the dedication, expertise, and hard work of you, our principal investigators, that enable these collaborations to come to fruition,” said Dr. Rajan.

“Your exceptional work and talents also helped PVAMU attain one of its most significant achievements in University history – our elevation to R2 status in February 2022, designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.”

Rajan again thanked the principal investigators for their mentorship and dedication to students, and he encouraged continued collaboration and advancements that reinforce PVAMU’s reputation as a research and innovation enterprise that’s “On the Rise.”

Industry Day

Industry Day returned this year after a successful premier at last year’s R&I week. For the morning session, ICEED Executive Director Bobby Melvin moderated “University/Industry Partnerships – Challenges and Benefits,” featuring panelists from PVAMU, Shell USA, and Sandia National Labs.

Shell USA sponsored the “lunch & learn” providing an invaluable networking opportunity for faculty and industry partners alike.

After lunch, Dr. Melvin welcomed the following members of PVAMU faculty to serve as panelists for a discussion on “Faculty Perspective on Industry Partnerships.”

• Ali Fares, Endowed Professor, College of Agriculture
• Mark Tschaepe, Assoc. Professor, College of Arts and Science
• Shuza Binzaid, Research Associate Professor, College of Engineering
• Talia Washington, Extension Program Specialist Cooperative Extension Program

Faculty Research Day 

PVAMU Faculty members from various departments showcased their research and scholarly activities at this event. The Faculty Research Day also hosted Texas Land Grants Day, a biannual “conversance” (Conversation + Conference) with the aim of developing long-term relationships between faculty members, student organizations, and university leadership through one-on-one conversations and activities like panels, workshops, and presentations.

R&I Week 2023: Faculty Research DayThis year marked the 133rd anniversary of the Second Morrill Act of 1890, in which PVAMU and 18 other universities were designated as land-grant institutions. As the two land-grant universities in Texas, PVAMU and TAMU are committed to advancing the mission to fortify research and expand service and learning opportunities focused on tackling complex, global challenges.

Through innovative programs and initiatives such as our joint Panther Research & Innovation for Scholarly Excellence (PRISE) Grant Program, which was established in 2020, PVAMU and Texas A&M continue to demonstrate the essential value of inter-institutional collaboration across the agricultural, food, human and natural resource sciences.

“Faculty Research Day, which is also Texas Land Grants Day, allows two powerhouse institutions – PVAMU and Texas A&M University – to convene and foster new initiatives, strategies, and partnerships that will create transformative change within our communities and beyond,” said Vice President Rajan. “As we close out this wonderful week, we turn our sights to the projects, partnerships, and opportunities on the horizon. And that’s what today’s events are really about.”