BROWNBAG TALKS

Join Us for the CEPDAM Brownbag Series – Informal Talks Over Lunch

We are pleased to announce the launch of the CEPDAM Brownbag Series, an informal seminar series designed to bring together students, faculty, and partners to share ideas, ongoing projects, and professional insights in a relaxed setting.

We welcome talks from faculty, students, and industry collaborators. 

We look forward to your participation in building a vibrant, cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas. Bring your lunch and your curiosity!

  • Title: Building Bridges Through Making: A Call for Interdisciplinary Research, SoTL, and Undergraduate Engagement within the CEPDAM Community
  • Presenter: Dr. Nelson Granda, Assistant Professor, Applied Engineering Technology 
  • Date and Zoom Link: 12:00 - 1:00pm; Wednesday, September 23, https://ncat.zoom.us/j/94456127948
  • Abstract:
    Additive manufacturing provides far more than rapid prototyping; it serves as a versatile, low-barrier platform for driving cross-disciplinary research, solving experimental bottlenecks, and advancing student-centered discovery. This presentation offers an open invitation to the CEPDAM community to collaborate on building custom, in-house scientific apparatus—such as bespoke sensor fixtures, specialized fluidic and environmental enclosures, and automated testing jigs—tailored to diverse research needs across engineering, science, and agriculture.
    Central to this collaborative vision is a scaffolded undergraduate research model where students do not merely operate equipment, but take active ownership of design, fabrication, and precision metrology. Furthermore, by integrating the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), we can systematically investigate the pedagogical impact of hands-on apparatus fabrication on student retention, multidisciplinary communication, and STEM identity development. Attendees will explore shared fabrication capabilities, discuss strategies to elevate broader impacts in competitive federal grant proposals (e.g., NSF IUSE, REU Sites, ExLENT, and HBCU-EiR), and identify immediate opportunities to co-mentor emerging researchers across CEPDAM thrusts.