Graduate Student Research Highlighted at State Event

Each year, the Virginia Council of Graduate Schools organizes an event to showcase graduate student research in Virginia.  This year marked the state’s fourth annual Graduate Student Research Forum. Six graduate students were chosen to represent the University of Virginia at the forum.  They presented on a broad range of research topics, from the impact of need-based financial aid on student behavior to the use of sensor technology in health care.

The forum took place at the Library of Virginia on February 10 and included participants from 13 of Virginia’s public colleges and universities.  Legislators, members of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, and other government officials were in attendance.

David Bauer, graduate student in the Department of Systems and Information Engineering, presented at the forum.  His research could have practical implications for patients, especially those in intensive care.

Health care workers in intensive care units often have to make quick decisions about patient care in a hectic environment, and so accurate transmission of patient information is critical.  Bauer’s research evolved from a study by U.Va. physicians that identified bedside flowsheets as one of the most important information sources in the neonatal intensive care unit.  Bauer notes that the University of Virginia Hospital plans to move to an electronic flowsheet in order to organize and simplify the data display.

While other currently available systems display data in tabular form, Bauer designed an interface to graphically and more effectively display complex patient data.  “The visual elements focus attention on trends over time and relationships among variables,” says Bauer.  “This design allows more data to be presented in one view, which minimizes scrolling and flipping between screens.”

An evaluation study showed that physicians were able to assess hypothetical patients faster with Bauer’s graphical display than with a conventional table display.

Many forum presentations were specifically geared towards research in areas that the Commonwealth has defined as priorities, such as healthcare and biomedical research, energy and the environment, information technology, microelectronics, and transportation.

“Graduate students make a significant contribution to the research mission of this University through their creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication,” says Roseanne Ford, associate vice president for graduate studies, “but in a larger context, graduate student research also drives innovation and economic development in the Commonwealth.”

U.Va.’s Fourth Annual Graduate Student Research Forum participants: David Bauer, systems and information engineering; Elizabeth Anne Daubert, neuroscience; Erin Dunlop, economics; Jason Forman, mechanical and aerospace engineering; Andrew David Jurik, computer science; Patricia Oikawa, biology/environmental science.