Center Review Meetings
The Center meets to present and review project progress at the twice-yearly review meetings, which attract over 30 industry attendees representing all of the members for this two-day conference. All research results are presented by the students associated with CTRC, and the technical approach and relevance to each member company are assessed in real time. In addition to providing feedback on the projects, the members play an active role in the meeting through discussion of the project portfolio and proposals, participation on industry needs discussion panels, and presenting technology transition success stories. A team of faculty attendees are available to participate in Center projects along with the Center Director. The meeting is followed by open house tours of all Center facilities.
The CTRC hosts a student poster and networking session during the Center review meeting in which over 20 students participate. In addition to the core CTRC projects, this poster session invites students to present their related work that is of interest to the Center members.
The active involvement of graduate students in executing research, reporting on projects, and carrying out the logistics of review meetings forms the foundation of the Center. Each student is fully available as a resource to discuss project details of interest, and industry members can elect to serve as mentors to the students on each project. The opportunity that direct company contact represents for the growth of the students is unparalleled and routinely leads to placement of students with member companies after graduation.
The independent NSF Evaluator of this Center has commented, based on his interviews with the industry members, "What continues to be outstanding is the involvement of students. They are involved in everything, prepare for and make the research presentations, and are a dominant force in the Center’s culture. As a result of this involvement, these students are incredibly well prepared to go out into the world and compete with anyone. The level and depth of discussion and back and forth between industry members and students during the presentations is a marvel to behold! Firms lie in wait to recruit the best graduate students from this Center."
