BUILDing SCHOLARS held its 6th Annual Symposium as a hybrid in-person/online event this past Friday, September 24th at UTEP. The occasion was an opportunity for BUILD trainees and Summer Research Program participants to showcase the summer research they conducted at partner institutions or at UTEP.
In place of the traditional poster sessions organized in prior years, this year’s event comprised a series of pre-recorded talks prepared by each of the 19 presenters. Students and faculty able to be present viewed the talks in person, which were also webcast live for research partners who were not able to attend due to continued pandemic travel restrictions. Following the presentations, students spoke more about their research, fielding questions both from virtual and in-person attendees. The hybrid format marked a shift from last year, which was fully online, and reflected the improved conditions at UTEP and El Paso associated with the ongoing pandemic.