Graduate interdisciplinary course encourages diversity in research

Two semesters of collaboration and communication across disciplines provided Graduate College fellowship recipients with new insights into their research.

Interdisciplinary Research Colloquium (IRC), a two-semester course for Reach for the Stars and Doctoral Enrichment fellows, is an opportunity for a diverse group of master’s and doctoral students to network, collaborate, present their research and shed light on transdisciplinary approaches to the challenges that face us.

Communicating with students from other disciplines has increased motivation towards his studies, says Daniel Kanu, a master's candidate in printmaking. “I was introduced to resources that I would not have otherwise come across.”

Kanu distinguished himself during the course by winning first place in the National Society of Arts & Letters (NSAL) Greater Arizona Chapter Printmaking Competition.

“My research is much more structured than when I began,” says Cheyenne Harden, who is pursuing a master’s in environmental and sustainable engineering. She has expanded her research beyond water quality to include other environmental concerns and began work on a biofuels policy paper with the USDA.

IRC is restricted to students enrolled in IRC; however, IRC student presentations are open to the ASU community and invited guests. For more information, visit graduate.asu.edu/irc.

"The IRC students are recruited from among the best applicants to ASU,” says Andrew Webber, Associate Vice Provost at the Graduate College. “Their participation in this seminar provides them with connections across the university that provide valuable resources for their graduate success."

The following fellowship winners were given the opportunity to participate in the IRC class.

Reach for the Stars Fellowships support first-year graduate students who demonstrate academic excellence and are underrepresented in their field of study. The 2012-2013 fellows are:

Cheyenne Harden, Engineering, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
Dominique Johnson, Mass Communication, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Daniel Kanu, Art (Printmaking), Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
Benoit Ngolo, French (Linguistics), School of International Letters and Cultures, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Natalia Andrea Rodriguez-Gonzalez, Sustainability, School of Sustainability
D'Andre Walker, Criminal Justice, College of Public Programs

Doctoral Enrichment Fellowships support first-year doctoral students who demonstrate academic excellence and are underrepresented in their field of study. The 2012-2013 fellows are:

Alejandro "Alex" Abreu, Media, Arts and Sciences, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
Adrienne Baldwin, Social Work, College of Public Programs
William Bowman, Materials Science and Engineering, Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
Christopher Gonzales, Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Keeonna Harris, Justice Studies, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Farina King, History, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
David Martinez, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
Jonathan Martinez, Physics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Jonathan Paige, Anthropology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Joseph Robele, Counseling Psychology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Jose Sebastian Terneus, English (Literature), College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Tiffany Trent, Theatre and Film for Youth, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
Oyita B. Udiani, Mathematics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences