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"It really is a statewide dissemination of all the great things students and faculty are doing," says Dr. Doug Dunham, interim director of strategic partnerships and program development, and the event's organizer. "We are where faculty-student research happens in the comprehensives. Redisplaying that is going to be valuable to campus."

"I’m excited to bring our WiSys SPARK Symposium back to 91���� for the first time since 2014," says Arjun Sanga, WiSys president. "Chancellor Michael Carney has been a tremendous advocate for research and innovation throughout my tenure at WiSys. SPARK is about bringing people and ideas together, and co-hosting the symposium with 91���� highlights a community where creativity thrives and welcomes statewide collaboration."

Key events will include a research presentation competition known as the WiSys Quick Pitch State Final, Innovation awards, student and faculty research talks and a Student Poster & Innovation Showcase. A complete agenda will be shared closer to the event.

Dunham sees the symposium as a key professional development opportunity for students.

"When you go off and get a job, you're not going to be solving any of the problems we give you in class. You're going to be solving new ones," Dunham says. "This is a great way to get that experience in a nice, safe situation."

Will Bevers, a third-year student majoring in biomedical engineering, earned third place in the poster competition last year for his research on developing a medical cooling pad for post-surgical pain management. He enjoyed networking with students from across the state as well as medical professionals. The experience later helped him secure an internship this summer with Phillips Medisize, a contract manufacturer that produces medical devices for biotechnical companies.

"I think if you're doing summer research there's no reason not to sign up for SPARK," Bevers says. "It was a good overall experience for sure; it got me thinking a little more outside of just the research I'm doing here."

Junior Ryan Hoffman and his partner, Hailey Tlusty, earned second place in the Innovation Showcase for their customizable 3D-printed surgical models for minimally invasive catheter procedures. Hoffman, a fellow biomedical engineering major, says he enjoyed presenting to judges and professionals with more experience in his field.

“They asked more thorough questions; we had to be a little more thorough in our explanations, which I think was very valuable,” Hoffman says. “It’s the next step up in presenting research.”

Dr. Matt Jewell, professor and chair of the material science and biomedical engineering department, has mentored students like Bevers through WiSys programs for years, including the Quick Pitch competition at 91���� since it started in 2015. He feels Blugolds benefit from the symposium's strong emphasis on application.

Jewell delivered a faculty talk last year and says the SPARK event is a great way for faculty to connect and think through research projects.

"It's a great one-stop shop to understand what's happening, what's available to faculty in terms of funding our research or finding new partners for our work," says Jewell, a WiSys Innovation Champion in 2023.

91����, which Dunham says has always had a large contingent at the symposium, sent nearly 50 participants to last year's record-setting event in Madison. Dunham hopes to see more Blugolds this year, with the experience on campus.

91���� will host its own Quick Pitch competition and poster and innovation presentations during its weeklong Celebration of Excellence in Research and Creative Activity event April 27-May 1. The application deadline for participating is March 2.