RECAST | MES Program Thesis Idea Fair
From: Azar, Averi <Averi.A.Azar@evergreen.edu>
Sent: Monday, November 9, 2020 5:52 PM
Hello Evergreen Faculty,
I hope you all are doing well this evening! This fall in MES, we’ve been excited to welcome our new Fall 2020 MES Cohort to the Evergreen Geoduck family and to reconnect with our 2nd and 3rd year MES students as they take their next steps towards their graduate degree in our program. We are so proud of all their hard work and resilience in this challenging time, and are happy to continue building our learning community and encouraging students to explore their environmental passions through courses and thesis research. I am reaching out today on behalf of MES to welcome Evergreen faculty to the MES Thesis Idea Fair this month. Historically, MES students have worked with Evergreen faculty on thesis research projects and we would love to continue that tradition! For faculty interested in potentially working with our graduate students on research collaborations, please keep reading to learn more about the virtual fair opportunities with multiple dates and times for participation. If you can’t make it virtually, but would still like to offer research opportunities for MES graduate students, please feel free to complete a Registration form below for one of the dates available, and indicate your interest in having our office share your contact information with MES students!
The Thesis Idea Fair
One of the best ways to foster student community connectivity with partnering organizations and agencies and of course, our wonderful Evergreen faculty, is through the Thesis Idea Fair. Each year MES has hosted the fair on campus one evening in the fall so that students can meet all of you to explore opportunities for thesis research collaborations and/or internships! This year, our virtual world offers us greater accessibility for connection, and as a result, we plan to host 3 Thesis Idea Fairs during this month at a range of dates and times that would allow our students, faculty, and community partners more options and opportunities for networking!
How to attend the Thesis Idea Fairs
Below you’ll find the zoom meeting registration links for the three dates and times we plan to host virtual Thesis Idea Fairs. You are welcome to register for one, or all, of the fair dates below, which is designed to create flexibility for both your ability to attend as a representative and our student’s ability to attend as busy graduate students. The registration for each Thesis Idea Fair will ask you to identify if you are an organization or agency representative, or Evergreen faculty, and will request that you please provide additional information that will help our students understand who will be present at each fair, such as organization, agency, or faculty name, primary point-of-contact email and/or phone number, and thesis research project ideas or data that you would like to collaborate with an MES student on. In addition, we will have a list of partners and projects available at every fair, with your contact information so interested students can follow up with you even if you’re not present at that time.
Please find the Thesis Idea Fair registration links for the three specific dates and times below:
Thesis Idea Fair 1 – November 12th, 4:00pm-6:00pm PST
Thesis Idea Fair 2 – November 17th, 11:00am-1:00pm PST
Thesis Idea Fair 3 – November 20th, 5:00pm-7:00pm PST
Who will attend the fair?
At the fair, we expect to see all current MES students which means 1st and 2nd year students who will begin thesis research at some point in 2021 (earliest is typically spring, latest would be the end of the year) but who are thinking about project possibilities and potential collaborations for the future. We also expect to see 2nd and 3rd year students who are beginning the thesis research process immediately this fall as they work to develop their project proposals and ideas. This means that projects, data, and research ideas available that are feasible to complete either in the next 6 months (for Spring 2021 graduation), and/or within the next year or two (for 2022 or 2023 graduation dates), are both great to promote, as you may find a range of student timelines to engage with.
How will the Virtual Fair function?
During the event, we will all start out in the same Zoom meeting to provide some introductory remarks and instructions. Shortly after this, we will place each faculty, organization or agency representative(s) in zoom meeting breakout rooms. Students will indicate the projects or representatives they would like to speak with and we will place them in the respective breakout rooms so they can connect with all of you! We will manage student transitions from virtual room to room, and MES staff will be available to answer any questions you or our students have as they come up.
Please reach out to me with any questions you may have at averi.a.azar@evergreen.edu or (360) 742-8746. If you have questions about the types or scope of projects appropriate for an MES thesis, you can ask MES Director John Withey at witheyj@evergreen.edu (or contact other MES faculty you may know).
Best wishes,
-Averi
Averi Azar, MES
Assistant Director, Master of Environmental Studies Program
The Evergreen State College
(360) 742-8746
