Graduate Research and Recognition Symposium Showcases Engineering Excellence
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The Riccio College of Engineering hosted its 2026 Graduate Research and Recognition Symposium on March 10 in the Student Union Ballroom, bringing together students, faculty, and staff to celebrate the college’s vibrant graduate research community. The event featured a college-wide poster session, a lightning talk competition, and the recognition of award and fellowship recipients.
Elissa Zboinski, a PhD student in biomedical engineering advised by assistant professor Staceyann Bailey, was named the winner of the poster competition. Zboinski’s poster, “ICI Effects on Bone Quality in Syngeneic Breast Cancer Bone Metastasis,” received a perfect score from the faculty judges.
Talha Mehboob, a PhD student in electrical and computer engineering advised by professors David Irwin and Michael Zink, received first place in the lightning talk competition for his talk titled “PowerTrip.” In this lightning talk format, students were given 90 seconds to highlight the core ideas and impact of their research. Mehboob was selected by a panel of faculty judges following scoring and deliberation—their decision was unanimous.
The symposium also recognized graduate students who have received significant external and internal fellowships, grants, and awards, including the Dean’s Fellows, Departmental Fellows, and Spaulding-Smith Fellows.
Participation in the symposium followed a multi-stage review process. A faculty committee selected the lightning talk presenters from a larger pool of submissions, while posters were evaluated by faculty judges, with each poster reviewed independently by two judges.
The event was organized by Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Affairs Caitlyn Butler, ECE PhD student Yasra Chandio, and Events and Communications Manager Kelsey Fitzgerald. Students and faculty from every department in the college contributed to the event as presenters, judges, reviewers, and volunteers.
Now in its second year, the Graduate Research and Recognition Symposium highlights the range of research across the college while fostering connections among graduate researchers and the broader engineering community.