2022 RESEARCH & INNOVATION WEEK

Showcasing Research Capabilities And Celebrating Achievements Of Researchers

Prairie View A&M University’s (PVAMU) Division of Research & Innovation (R&I) successfully hosted the momentous “2022 Research & Innovation Week” from April 4-8 with nearly 30 events attended by almost 700 people. The all-day, weeklong programming focused on undergraduate student research, international student research interactions, graduate student research, faculty research and inter-institutional collaborations, student and faculty innovation and entrepreneurship, industry and national lab partnerships, and economic development initiatives as well as recognition of successes.

“Research & Innovation Week is a pivotal event for PVAMU’s research and innovation enterprise, especially following our recent elevation to a High Research Activity R2 Carnegie Classification® institution, and the disruptions during the last two years caused by the global pandemic,” said R&I Vice President Magesh Rajan. “It is gratifying to witness hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students and faculty and research scientists shine as they present their research projects or innovation undertakings, and their impact on their learning and achievement. It’s a phenomenal time to be part of Prairie View A&M University and the significant growth and development of our research and innovation undertaking.”

Additionally, Rajan noted that despite the obstacles presented by the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, PVAMU significantly increased its research portfolio. “Our external partnerships with industries and national labs continued to grow,” said Rajan. “This R&I Week showcased the extraordinary initiatives, progress and outcomes of the PVAMU Research and Innovation enterprise and their national and global impact.”

Graduate Student Research Day

More than 90 student presenters — both doctoral and master’s levels — shared the impact of their research and scholarly findings for Graduate Student Research Day.

Innovation Day

Entrepreneurship, innovation and building a business served as a signature focus for Innovation Day. The Innovation-CommercializationEntrepreneurship-Economic Development (ICEED) center designed a full day of panels, presentations and networking among the 100 participants.

PVAMU alumni entrepreneurs and nearly a dozen business owners not only shared their journey to self-employment and empowerment but also offered workshops on the legalities of structuring and financing a business.

The experts included tech companies

DeckLaunch, Xplosion, The Ion, Fresh Tech Solutionz, a University of Houston entrepreneur, the Small Business Association, and Houstonbased Roberson Law Firm.

DeckLaunch and Fresh Tech Solutionz hosted a lively “Panthers Pitch Student Competition” where some 30 students promoted their business to attract the attention of possible investors and take the top prize for best business pitch.

Charles Gibbs, president of the Propel Center HBCU Consortium, delivered the keynote address called “Securing the Future Through Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” Propel Center HBCU Consortium is financially supported by founding partners Apple and Southern Company.

Industry Day

PVAMU premiered Industry Day this year, which drew dozens of industry executives looking forward to networking with faculty and students. BP’s Vice President of Digital Foundations Programmes Keisha Garcia delivered the keynote address and stressed the importance of collaboration and sponsored research.

BP sponsored the “Industry Networking Luncheon,” where students, faculty and researcher staff engage with industry representatives, funding agencies, regional governments and other university visitors, and interact with others at their AI demonstration booths.

“We had more than 100 industry partners, students, and community representatives,” said ICEED Business Development Specialist Najla Streety, Industry Day coordinator. “PVAMU Industry Day proved to be very impactful for the university and community innovation ecosystem as we build strong connections to develop innovative solutions.”

Industry Day also included PVAMU Partnership Highlights. Representatives from Bank of America, Accenture-Level Up Program, Sandia National Laboratories, IBM and Luxury Goods all discussed their successful, ongoing relationships with Prairie View A&M.

Faculty Research Day

Nearly 150 people assembled for the Faculty Research Conference. The Faculty Research Day also hosted the Texas Land Grants Day, with the theme “Engaging Better Together.” Many TAMU faculty members actively participated in the poster session which featured several animated discussions.

AWARDS, RECOGNITIONS AND CONCLUSION

R&I Week 2022 concluded with an Awards & Recognition Ceremony for faculty researchers and student presenters. Hundreds of visitors attended each day of the event.