The Office of Research’s annual Research Expo drew faculty, staff and students to the Activities and Recreation Center last week to connect with potential collaborators and learn what labs, programs and tools are available to them.

The event began with a series of presentations including a “State of Research” address by Harris Lewin, vice chancellor for Research.  Lewin highlighted the progress UC Davis has made, reaching a goal of more than $785 million in research funding last fiscal year.

The event also included exhibits showcasing more than 40 of the university’s research units, facilities and service centers.

Will Jewell, manager of the Campus Mass Spectrometry Facilities, said the event was a good chance to introduce their services to researchers.

“There’s been a mass spec in the basement of Hutchison Hall since the 1970s, but people still don’t know about it,” he said.

Others displayed their research projects in hopes of attracting new collaborators.

Senior English majors Wesley Sweger and Melissa Valk demonstrated Play the Knave, a motion-capture video game created by the ModLab that allows players to act out Shakespeare plays and see virtual characters mimic their real-life movements on screen. They said the project was a good way to draw new audiences to the classic plays.

Attendees also participated in workshops to identify funding opportunities, learn about new research administration policies and submitting research proposals to the Institutional Review Board.

Registration more than doubled for this year’s event, which received 500 RSVPs.

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