Graduate and doctoral students are devoting an entire day to helping solve the world’s energy problems.

L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science will host its annual Nunan Lecture and Research Day on April 3. The day, focused on the theme of energy sources, conversion and conservation, will consist of a keynote presentation by New York Power Authority CEO Gil Quiniones and a poster competition to highlight graduate student research.

The day will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Syracuse Center of Excellence, where graduate students will present posters describing their solutions to problems with modern energy sources, according to the event website.

“The poster session from Ph.D. students will give a sense of breadth to graduate research,” Mark Glauser, the event organizer and a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, said. “It will present the doctoral program’s strong research portfolio.”

Cash prizes of $250 will be given to winners from each of L.C. Smith’s departments, while a $1,000 prize will go to a grand prizewinner.

Competitors will be judged based on the scope of the energy problem they present, their poster’s originality, their knowledge of subject and their creativity, according to the event’s website.

The creation of an entire Nunan Lecture and Research Day poster presentation can take a long time, Afshin Pourmokhtarian, three-time department award winner, said in an email.

“Research, analysis, tests, making graphs and etc. could take months or even years to reach the point that is ready to present,” he said.

Pourmokhtarian, whose past projects included “Prediction of Soil and Surface Water Responses to Climate Change” and “Climate Change and Atmospheric Deposition,” said the competition taught him to present research while communicating effectively and concisely.

Following the presentation of the posters, Quiniones will present a keynote titled “Transforming New York to a Clean Energy Economy” in the Horizon Ballroom at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.

“The energy industry is poised to undergo a transformation that will alter how electric power is generated, distributed and used,” Connie Cullen, director of media relations for the company, said in an email. “We hope the attendees leave with a strong sense of how the energy industry is changing, the energy challenges we are facing and what the New York Power Authority can do to help lead the way.”

Following Quiniones’ talk, the day’s events will conclude in the Syracuse Center of Excellence where the poster competition winners will be announced.

Pourmokhtarian said the event has gained a lot of supporters, and entries for the poster competition have increased.

“Nunan became so popular in recent years which is really great. It seems that every year there is a new record for posters,” he said.

Cullen said students have a unique opportunity to learn and contribute solutions to energy problems.

She encouraged students to “stay aware, keep learning and champion the cause to make clean energy and increased energy efficiency a priority in your daily lives.”

Published on April 2, 2014 at 11:55 pm

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