SSD Keynote Lecture and Reception

Keynote Address: To Achieve Social Equity, We Must Rethink Innovation Systems

Dr. Shobita Parthasarathy is a professor of Public Policy and Women’s and Gender Studies and Director of the Science, Technology, and Public Policy Program at the University of Michigan.

Tuesday, April 8, 2025
4:00-5:30 p.m.
Alumni House
Lecture followed by a reception
Co-sponsored by Digital Studies

Dr. Parthasarathy investigates how innovation and innovation policy can better achieve social equity and justice. She has published widely on genetics and biotechnology, inclusive innovation for international development, artificial intelligence, patents and the politics of science in policymaking. She is the author of Building Genetic Medicine: Breast Cancer, Technology, and the Comparative Politics of Health Care and Patent Politics: Life Forms, Markets, and the Public Interest in the United States and Europe. The former influenced the 2013 Supreme Court case that determined human genes were not patentable; the latter won the 2018 Robert K. Merton Award from the American Sociological Association. She regularly advises policymakers and has written for Boston Review, The New York Times, Slate, and Nature. She co-hosts The Received Wisdom podcast.

Your Research, Your Future: Employer Panel and Networking Breakfast

The Employer Panel and Networking Breakfast is a special event within Student Scholars Day that connects students with employers who actively seek candidates with undergraduate research experience. The panel will highlight local employers committed to hiring students engaged in research and offer valuable insights into how research skills translate to key workplace competencies. Additionally, the event provides a unique opportunity for students to network with potential employers while hearing inspiring success stories from former students who have successfully transitioned from research to professional roles in the community. The Employer Panel is on April 9, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. at the Kirkhof Center, Pere Marquette 2204. Career Services sponsors this event.

SSD Presentations, Exhibits, and Workshops

SSD Presentations from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

• Mini-Zine located on the 1st floor of the Mary Idema Pew Library
• Extended Sessions and Sessions located in the Russel H. Kirkhof Center
• Oral Presentations located in the Russel H. Kirkhof Center
• Poster Presentations are located in the Henry Hall Atrium and the Grand River Room in the Russel H. Kirkhof Center

Virtual Climate Change Student Symposium from 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
The 4th Annual Virtual Climate Change Student Symposium (VCCSS) is an extended virtual session showcasing student research and creative activities focusing on climate change, its causes, impacts, science/policy interface, and mitigation and adaptation solutions. VCCSS is a multi-disciplinary synchronous online event hosted on GVSU Zoom Webinar platform. It is a joint ongoing initiative of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Scholarship and GVSU Climate Change Education Solutions Network.

*The link to the VCCSS symposium event on YouTube is now available. Please enjoy!

Workshop - Going Public: Sharing Research with Zines from 2:30-5:00 p.m. in the Knowledge Market on the 1st floor Mary Idema Pew Library

Join CLAS Society, Technology, and Environment cluster members to share research ideas and create your DIY publication. Bring your creativity, and we’ll provide the supplies. All students, faculty, and staff are welcome to join us for a zine workshop in the Knowledge Market on the 1st floor Mary Idema Pew Library, Allendale Campus.

SSD Performances

Performance, Fragile: A Mentored Studio Practice of Emotion in Motion

4:30-5:00 p.m. Atrium, Mary Idema Pew Library

Directed by Edgar L. Page with Demetria Thomas, this mentored studio practice collapses the margins of the performative around choice in and of the moment. This performance is a unique form of experiential learning, as it is choreographed by the student performers with guidance through a series of micro-workshops that ask them to deeply unpack a singular focus until it is fully embodied. How does one hold on to something, or someone, that is fragile?

April 7-25, 2025 SSD Art Exhibit

SSD Art Exhibition
Artist Reception: Thursday, April 10 at 5:00 p.m., Calder Art Center

During the 2025 Student Scholars Day event, the Department of Visual and Media Arts will curate exhibits that highlight the high standards of student scholarship in the department. Showcased in the atrium gallery of the Calder Art Center will be exceptional drawing work from a variety of classes. The exhibit will be on display from April 7-25, 2025.

Promotional Materials Request

We can help you get the word out to your students! We would be happy to send you flyers, pluggers, and/or a Power Point file so that you can promote SSD to your student.

Submit your request online.