Networking and Communication Activities

Participation in the EmPOWERment Bootcamp. Upon entering the program, trainees will participate in a two-week intensive bootcamp that will introduce them to a sustainable energy challenge and allow them an opportunity to work in small teams to explore the problem. During the Bootcamp students will interact with professionals working within the energy sector, learn valuable professional and communication skills, and receive technical training related to data science. Trainees present their research findings as a team at the conclusion of the Bootcamp. The major goal for the Bootcamp is to acclimate trainees to one another and to the program.

A copy of the 2020 agenda can be found here.

Participation in science communication activities through The STEAM Factory. Partnering with the STEAM Factory, EmPOWERment provides opportunities for trainees to engage with a broad public audience through research-based public outreach programs. Trainees present their research at the STEAM Factory Franklinton Fridays, a monthly neighborhood event, to engage public audiences with scientific discourse connecting science, technology, and community. Trainee teams will develop and present research-based content in an interactive, informal, pop-up science environment to spark potentially new connections across disciplines. Additionally, trainees will have the opportunity to compete to be selected to present their work at a Columbus Science Pub, a monthly series wherein OSU scholars present research on a wide range of topics based on audience requests, science topics in the news, and recommendations from the Columbus community.

Trainees are encouraged to present their research at professional conferences, which may also include an invitation by the EmPOWERment Director to present at the NSF Research Traineeship Program Annual Meeting.