Roundtable Discussion Featuring Two Scientists to be Featured at Create@State

04/16/2024

JONESBORO - The 14th annual Create@State: A Symposium of Research, Scholarship and Creativity will be held at Arkansas State University on Thursday, April 18.

The event will feature undergraduate and graduate students who will present scholarly and artistic presentations.

At 1 p.m. Thursday, April 18, the event will feature a keynote panel, "Spark the Fire, Unveiling the Secrets of Compelling Communications," led by Dr. Chris Jones and Dr. Meredith Adkins.
"We invited them to participate because both Jones and Adkins are captivating communicators of complex scientific concepts. We believe their unique perspectives will be a great fit for our vision to empower students to effectively communicate their research to a diverse audience," said Kari Harris, director of student research.
The hour and 15-minute panel will be moderated by Dr. Travis Marsico, vice provost for research, innovation and discovery.

Jones graduated with bachelor's degrees in physics and math from Morehouse College. He then attended MIT, where he earned a master's degree in nuclear engineering and a master's degree in technology and policy, followed by a doctoral degree in urban planning.

In his career, he has taught high school math, served as assistant dean for graduate education at MIT, and ran a community-based organization in Boston. In 2022, Jones ran for governor of Arkansas.
Adkins is assistant research professor at the Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research (I3R), a translational research institute at the University of Arkansas. She is currently the principal investigator for phase one and two for the U.S. National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator Track J Food and Nutrition Security.
She graduated from the University of Colorado with a bachelor's degree and master's degree in political science. She earned a doctoral degree from the University of Arkansas in public policy, with an emphasis in community development. Adkins has worked for the university for more than a decade.