The conference will be held virtually March 29-31.
Registration is open for Texas Tech University's third annual Discoveries to Impact Conference (DTI). The virtual conference, scheduled for March 29-31, will celebrate research, engagement, innovation and startups through a variety of events.
All virtual events are free and open to the general public.
Monday, March 29
• Texas Tech Accelerator Competition: Be part of Texas Tech's own "Shark Tank"-style event. As a conference attendee,
you will see firsthand how startup founders pitch and investors ask the tough questions.
An award ceremony will follow the presentations. Teams accepted into this year-long
program will receive $25,000 each to launch their startup. See the Top 10 Texas Tech Accelerator finalists.
• Keynote featuring Jan Bednar, CEO and founder of Shipmonk: This lunchtime presentation
will feature the story of Bednar, an immigrant college student who built an e-commerce
logistics business from the ground up and raised $355 million in venture funding.
He has now been named one of Forbes' 30 Under 30.
Tuesday, March 30
• Undergraduate Research Conference (URC): In its 14th year, the URC is one of the largest interdisciplinary undergraduate
research conferences in the nation. This year's conference features a combination
of more than 500 pre-recorded and live virtual student presentations. URC presenters
and performers represent a broad range of fields, including the humanities, performing
arts, biological and chemical sciences, social sciences and physical sciences. Attendees
will have the opportunity to talk directly with student presenters and learn how each
student is making an impact through their research and creative activities.
Wednesday, March 31
• Engaged Scholarship Symposium: This year's symposium will feature the winners of the 2021 President's Engaged Scholarship
Awards, an annual awards program that recognizes Texas Tech faculty from all disciplines
for a project or activity that demonstrates exemplary and sustained commitment to
mutually beneficial partnerships with external communities. The award winners in these
categories will provide an overview of their projects and share best practices, challenges
and lessons learned. They will discuss the impacts their engagement has had on communities,
as well as teaching, research/creative activity and scholarship.
• Keynote featuring Courtney Griesel: Griesel, the economic development director of
Springfield, Oregon, and co-founder of the Educational Partnerships for Innovation
in Communities – Network (EPIC-N), discusses the contemporary issues urban communities
face. Attendees will gain an understanding of the important role university resources
and expertise can play in helping address these issues and discover ways of bringing
those together with local governments and other community partners to find and implement
long-term solutions that improve the quality of life and social wealth for all involved.
A full schedule of events can be found here.
Click here to register for the conference.
Sponsors for this year's Discoveries to Impact Conference include Texas Tech's Center for Transformative Undergraduate Experiences (TrUE); Innovation Hub at Research Park; Center for Integration of STEM Education & Research (CISER); Office of University Outreach & Engagement; J.T. & Margaret Talkington College of Visual & Performing Arts; College of Arts & Sciences; Honors College; Teaching, Learning, & Professional Development Center; McNair Scholars Program; and the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance and Lubbock National Bank.
