Category: SIF

EDGE Magazine — The grade is not the end.

We’ve been having some exciting meetings about EDGE, the upcoming online undergraduate research magazine. It isn’t planned to launch until next fall, but meanwhile we’re building the framework and experimenting with website structure and formatting. We want to make it as easy as possible for students and faculty to present work, and we want to make it as visually appealing as well. Since I’m in charge of creative aspects, I’m looking into ways to have student input into the visual elements, for example having a logo that changes frequently (like the Google Doodles) and is submitted by students, and a resource of student-submitted stock photography or illustrated ledes (the header image for an article).

We want EDGE to be a place for undergrads and professors to extend the reach of student work. Usually, once you submit a project for grading, it’s the end of the road. EDGE will be “outward facing,” meaning it’s promoted to those outside GSU as well, so it’s a way to give that work new legs, and to present it to prospective and existing students, alumni, working professionals and who knows who else?

Since we’re still in the planning stages, there’s opportunity for fellow SIFers to make suggestions or submit cool undergraduate work that we can use to build a prototype site. The more diverse the types of content we have to play with at the start, the more flexible and effective the magazine will be at launch. If you would like to contribute any of the above for consideration for inclusion, let me or Valerie know!

SIF Status Check – How’s It Going? How Could It Be Going?

I recently had a meeting with a high-ranking CDC scientist and an artist who have formed a company that uses new modes of thinking and structural hierarchies to encourage actionable innovation. The goal is to create products that make the world a better place by truly blending art, science, and technology in a way that nurtures and supports, in one example, the “dysfunctional genius” who may have great ideas but doesn’t have the wherewithal to develop those ideas. The company would pull together a wide range of thinkers and professionals who would get together to hear idea pitches, then decide if the idea was something they want to invest in and help develop. If the idea catches on and the product is successful, those on the development team share in the rewards. The key philosophy is focused more on “Here is what I can offer,” and less on, “Here’s what we want you to do.” A bottom-up investment as opposed to a top-down assignment.

The similarities to the SIF concept were readily apparent. So I began to think about SIF as a whole, what it means, how it functions, what its goals are, etc.  And whether this idea of an “investment chip” could be useful for SIF (I find it very appealing). Which led me down the rabbit hole of, “Well, what else could be useful to SIF?”

So it led me to want to ask everyone for an unofficial request for feedback on the SIF program overall. Please comment, or feel free to send me feedback anonymously if that’s more comfortable for you: nsharratt1@gsu.edu.

How’s it going for you? Is it meeting your expectations? If so, in what ways? If not, how do you think it could be improved?