by Carole Allen
Omaha, Neb. —More than 500 guests from across the nation attended the National EPSCoR Conference hosted by Nebraska EPSCoR. Held Oct. 13-16 at the Hilton Omaha, the event was sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and supported by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Office of Research and Innovation, Creighton University, Nebraska Department of Economic Development, and Invest Nebraska.
The 28th biannual conference featured NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan as a keynote speaker for the first time, addressing attendees with a talk titled “Innovation Anywhere, Opportunities Everywhere: Accelerating the Frontiers of Science and Technology Through Talent, Ideas and Innovation.” University of Nebraska President Jeffrey Gold introduced Panchanathan. Other plenary speakers included Nebraska photographers Michael Forsberg and Cole Sartore, Jesse Bell of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Shannon Bartelt-Hunt from the UNL College of Engineering, and Ed Louis of the Henry Doorly Zoo.
Breakout sessions included a range of topics, such as “Science Communication,” led by Heather Akin from UNL’s Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication, and “Using Time-Lapse Images as a Tool for Research,” a panel led by Troy Gilmore of UNL’s School of Natural Resources. Brandy VanDeWalle with Nebraska Extension co-led a session on “Technology Use in Education, Outreach, and Diversity Initiatives,” featuring ROOTED (Respecting Our Origins in Technology Through Education in Agriculture: Virtual Reality Tours), a virtual reality initiative involving Nebraska, Alaska, and Hawai’i Extension programs.
The conference also showcased over 100 posters from students whose research was funded by NSF EPSCoR. Conference chair Matt Andrews, director of Nebraska EPSCoR and professor in UNL’s School of Natural Resources, commended the advisory group that helped conduct the national event, with registration reaching full capacity a month in advance. “We were honored to have President Gold, along with University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Rodney Bennett and University of Nebraska at Omaha Chancellor Joanne Li, welcome scientists, administrators, students, and NSF leadership to our conference,” Andrews said.
EPSCoR, which stands for Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, was founded by NSF in the 1990s to foster geographic diversity in funding for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) research. The organization currently encompasses 25 states and three U.S. territories, creating a network of 28 EPSCoR jurisdictions dedicated to advancing STEM innovation and collaboration.
Carole Allen | EPSCOR