University of Iowa graduate students from a variety of academic disciplines will showcase their research during the 14th annual James F. Jakobsen Graduate Conference, Saturday, March 24, at the Iowa Memorial Union.

Co-sponsored by the Graduate College and the Graduate Student Senate, the free, public event gives UI graduate students experience presenting their research in a conference-like atmosphere without leaving home. A total of 180 graduate students—an increase of 44 students over last year—will deliver oral presentations from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., and poster presentations from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The conference theme is “Tomorrow’s Thinkers Today: Discovering our Past, Impacting our Future.”

The Jakobsen Conference is the capstone event of Graduate Student Recognition Week, which runs from March 19-24.

Additional Jakobsen Conference events

• Spring Undergraduate Research Festival
  The Spring Undergraduate Research Festival (SURF), sponsored by the Iowa Center for Research by Undergraduates, will be held in conjunction with the Jakobsen Conference. The SURF event, which will feature more than 100 undergraduates, will take place from 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. at the IMU. Poster presenters will be recognized for outstanding achievement in three areas: arts and humanities, mathematics and engineering, and natural sciences and social sciences.
• Workshop on preparing for graduate school
  Undergraduate students also can attend a lunch workshop from 12 to 1 p.m. titled, “Grad School 101: Bridging the Gap Between Undergraduate and Graduate School."
• Service Learning and Civic Engagement Forum is a free, public forum from 3:30 to 5:15 p.m. in the South Room at the IMU. Highlighting community engagement at the UI, the Jakobsen Conference offers this forum for the fourth year through a collaboration with the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies. This forum highlights public scholarship that is jointly planned and carried out by university and community partners. Public scholarship seeks to produce a public good and contribute to public discussions. Presentation topics include:Renewable energy capacity mapping and policy in Dubuque, Iowa (Urban & Regional Planning);The Eva Luna Project – a collaborative arts ensemble of incarcerated women and community partners (Art); andOral health promotion project for Amish children of Kalona (Dental Public Health).

For a complete schedule, visit http://gss.grad.uiowa.edu/jakobsen-conference/forum/schedule.