The College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) at the Catanduanes State University (CatSU) recently hosted its first annual Student Research Colloquium from January 25-27, 2023 at the CatSU Auditorium.The goal of the event was to provide students with a platform to showcase their research projects, improve their public speaking abilities, and receive feedback from experts in the field.Participated in by students and faculty from Civil Engineering and Computer Engineering, the third-year students served as facilitators, with Engr. Dexter M. Toyado and Engr. Ronnie B. Santelices as the overall coordinator. Panelists included Ms. Mae Ezra Abundo, Director of Information Technology Services (ITS), and Mr. Neil B. Araojo, Technical Specialist of ITS."Students have the opportunity to work closely with a mentor, who can be a faculty member or experienced researcher, through the faculty-initiated research colloquium," says Engr. Nanette Valeza, Focal Person of BSECE. "We are grateful for the support of the Information Technology Services in providing feedback to our students and enhancing their research outputs."Ms. Abundo, in her message, emphasized the significance of research in filling knowledge gaps and encouraged students to develop their research skills. The colloquium was designed to provide fourth-year students with an opportunity to present their research results and improve their presentation abilities.“The Research Colloquium is an ideal place to learn something new, hone problem-solving skills, and challenge themselves in new ways through research. We also want to allow student researchers to share important information and findings from their studies with the academic community”, Ms. Abundo said.Mr. Araojo, on the other hand, added that the colloquium was a valuable chance for students to become familiar with the research world and prepare for their final defense. He noted that it allowed students to revise their projects, produce writing samples, and become comfortable with the academic conference environment.The overall coordinators of the research colloquium, Engr. Toyado and Engr. Santelices expressed their gratitude for the successful outcome of the event.“As the CEA's research coordinator, the CEA's Research Colloquium 2023 has provided an excellent platform for student researchers to present their research, as well as its effects and community benefits. Similarly, healthy collaborations among the panel of evaluators were encouraged for the improvement of the aforementioned endeavors,” Engr. Toyado said.“Junior engineering students had the opportunity to participate and express themselves, which provided them with an understanding of colloquium conventions. Finally, the success of the first research colloquium served as a springboard for CEA's ongoing pursuit of excellence in the classroom, research, and extension projects,” Engr. Santelices shared.Dean Pedro A. Arcilla also expressed his gratitude to the students and faculty for their participation in the colloquium. #CVecilles
