IFoRE 2024, Washington D.C. - 5th Year student gives oral presentation

The event kicked off with an introduction and various keynotes. We were free to listen to conferences on various topics that interested us – from encouraging diversity in STEM to a “very gentle” introduction to quantum computing. We had the honour of attending a fireside chat with the great Dr. Cato Laurencin, the father of regenerative engineering, which investigates how the body can rebuild damaged tissues and organs. 

Then came time for research presentations. We had a choice of performing an oral or a poster presentation in front of two judges and a captive audience. While nerve-racking at times, it was still valuable and enjoyable for us to listen to one another’s research, from secondary school all the way to graduate level. 

Finally, we rounded off the conference with a trip to the National Air and Space Museum to give us all a well-earned break. Overall, IFoRE was an incredible experience where we learned the importance of connecting with one another over a shared desire to improve the world, one step at a time. We’ll see what next year has in store for us in Niagara Falls!

Later in November, Joseph was invited to talk about his research on Polish TV!

Joseph (5th Year)