The Michigan State University Museum (MSU) is excited to announce the launch of Ignite Talks MSU, a one-of-a kind event set to captivate and inspire attendees through a series of dynamic and fast-paced presentations. The inaugural event will take place on November 9, 2023, at the RCAH (Residential College in the Arts and Humanities) Theater, located in Snyder-Phillips.
Ignite Talks MSU is an innovative platform that aims to connect audiences with creative and passionate MSU student researchers who will share their ideas, stories, and expertise in a concise and impactful format. What sets Ignite Talks apart from traditional speaking events is its fast-paced nature. Each of the 9 selected MSU students presenting their topic will have a mere five minutes to convey their idea, using 20 slides that automatically advance every 15 seconds.
Event organizer and MSU Museum program manager, Abbie Stevens, expressed her excitement, stating, “At the MSU Museum, we are thrilled to facilitate Ignite Talks on campus. Through the Ignite Talks format students will be empowered to articulate their research in engaging and surprising ways to new audiences.”
In the spring of 2023, Ignite Talks MSU initiated an open call for MSU students to submit their ideas for a talk. Students from a wide array of fields were encouraged to apply, spanning arts, science, technologies, and more. Out of the 31 students who submitted their ideas, 9 outstanding students were selected to present their talks.
The talks include a diverse range of topics, highlighting the breadth of research and passion among MSU students:
Less Code, More Community: Justice-Centered Computing Education in K-12
Anne Drew Hu (they/them/theirs)
College of Education, Educational Psychology and Educational Technology
Creating Tools to Help Breed Fast-Cooking Dry Beans
Hannah Jeffery (she/her/hers)
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Crop and Soil Sciences
Qualitative Evidence Synthesis for Indigenous Health Research
Ceco Maples (he/him/his)
College of Social Science, Anthropology
Bouncing Back from the Brink: Secrets of Resurrection Plants
Cathy Mercado (she/her/hers)
College of Natural Science, Plant Biology
Exploring Culture’s Impact on Identity and Affiliation
Shahad Nasir (she/her/hers)
College of Natural Science, Sociology and Psychology
The Thinking of Thinking
Alva Nguyen (he/him/his)
College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Media and Information
Insects Can Smell Bacteria
Mariam Shahab (she/her/hers)
College of Engineering, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering
Growing Mini Human Hearts from Stem Cells
Brett Volmert (he/him/his)
College of Engineering, Biomedical Engineering
Truffles, Trees, & Tree-nuts, Oh My! A Tale of Sustainable Ag
Dylan Warner (he/him/his)
College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Plant, Soil, and Microbial Sciences
The MSU Museum welcomes all interested individuals to attend this exciting event. Tickets are free, but seating is limited.