Suffolk Reporter

The inaugural B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Cross-Departmental Graduate Research Conference took place on January 30 at Stony Brook University's Student Activities Center. The event, organized by Ava Nederlander and Jennifer L. O’Connor, aimed to foster collaboration among graduate students from various departments.

O'Connor, vice president of GradMag, described the conference as a platform for graduate students to network and share their work. "When I first envisioned B.R.I.D.G.E.S., it was just an idea for connecting people where graduate students from different disciplines could come together to network, share their work and engage in meaningful conversations that spark innovation," she said.

Nederlander, a doctoral candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering and founder of GradMag, noted the ambition behind organizing the conference within three months. "We knew putting together a conference within three months would be ambitious, but we saw its potential to make a lasting impact on our community," she stated.

The event featured contributions from several university departments. The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science hosted a seminar on communicating complex ideas effectively. The Stony Brook Career Center conducted a workshop on career navigation for graduate students.

Celia Marshik, dean of The Graduate School, highlighted the significance of student-led initiatives like B.R.I.D.G.E.S. "This conference is a testament to the power of graduate students," she remarked.

Provost Carl Lejuez delivered the keynote address discussing challenges in fostering cross-campus collaboration. He emphasized the need for structures supporting interdisciplinary efforts: "Being interdisciplinary means you’re stepping into places where there may not be a clear way to measure the efforts of the people crossing department boundaries."

The conference showcased creativity through short films by Stony Brook students and performances by graduate musicians. An art gallery displayed student works while attendees explored academic programs at the Graduate Department Fair.

Sixty-three research poster presentations represented over 30 departments. Mohammad Fauzan's poster won first place with his project titled “Astrocytic FABP5 Mediates Endocannabinoid Transport at Hippocampal Synapses.” Natalie Alfano's poster took second place, while Maryam Azmi secured third place.

Nederlander expressed her passion for leadership and entrepreneurship through both GradMag and B.R.I.D.G.E.S., aiming to create a larger impact. She is currently working on 3D medical imaging projects under distinguished professors Arie E. Kaufman and Petar Djurić.

"This participation is what makes B.R.I.D.G.E.S. more than just a conference; it makes this an interdisciplinary, collaborative movement," O’Connor said.

B.R.I.D.G.E.S. was sponsored by several organizations including the Stony Brook Graduate School and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science.