The inaugural B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Cross-Departmental Graduate Research Conference took place on January 30 at Stony Brook University's Student Activities Center, marking a significant milestone for graduate students across various departments. The conference was initiated by Ava Nederlander and Jennifer L. O’Connor, who previously launched GradMag, Stony Brook’s Graduate Arts and Science Magazine.
Jennifer L. O’Connor, vice president of GradMag and a graduate student in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, explained her vision for B.R.I.D.G.E.S.: “When I first envisioned B.R.I.D.G.E.S., it was just an idea for connecting people where graduate students from different disciplines could come together to network, share their work and engage in meaningful conversations that spark innovation.” Ava Nederlander, founder and president of GradMag and a doctoral candidate in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, added: “We knew putting together a conference within three months would be ambitious, but we saw its potential to make a lasting impact on our community.”
The event featured contributions from several university entities. The Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science hosted a seminar on communicating complex ideas effectively. Meanwhile, the Stony Brook Career Center offered guidance on navigating career paths within academia.
Celia Marshik, dean of The Graduate School and vice provost for Graduate and Professional Education at Stony Brook University commented: “This conference is a testament to the power of graduate students... It’s incredibly selfless labor that they’ve done because they believe in two things — the power of community and the power of interdisciplinarity.”
Provost Carl Lejuez addressed challenges in fostering cross-campus collaboration during his keynote speech. He noted: “When we think about interdisciplinarity... we don’t have a lot of senior people that are doing that. That sets up a sort of power imbalance.” Lejuez emphasized creating structures to support interdisciplinary efforts: “One of the things we always have to remember is we have to be very vigilant and very proactive about not just saying interdisciplinarity is important but actually creating structures that support that.”
The conference included creative showcases such as short films by students and performances by graduate musicians. A highlight was the Graduate Department Fair which provided networking opportunities for attendees.
Research poster presentations were also featured with 63 projects from over 30 departments. Mohammad Fauzan won first place with his poster titled "Astrocytic FABP5 Mediates Endocannabinoid Transport at Hippocampal Synapses." Fauzan expressed his gratitude: “It was fulfilling... It validated how valuable it is to communicate your craft effectively to both experts and non-experts.” Second-place winner Natalie Alfano shared her experience: “To be one of the winners at B.R.I.D.G.E.S.... truly makes me feel like my hard work is paying off.”
Ava Nederlander reflected on her motivations: “Creating a larger impact and helping others is what drives me.” She looks forward to expanding next year’s event after this year’s successful response.
O’Connor highlighted the significance of participation: “This participation is what makes B.R.I.D.G.E.S. more than just a conference; it makes this an interdisciplinary, collaborative movement.”
Marshik concluded with advice for attendees: “The people around you today are the network that you will have in the future.”
B.R.I.D.G.E.S. received sponsorship from several university organizations including SBU Eats.