ASU graduate scholars showcase research in action at Knowledge Mobilization Awards

For the fourth year in a row, ASU graduate students and postdoctoral scholars from across all disciplines presented at the Knowledge Mobilization Awards (KMA) ceremony on Wednesday, March 4. The awards are a showcase and celebration of those scholars with research projects that are actively seeking to change current practices and policies in society.

“We are living in an era of unprecedented knowledge production,” said Graduate College Dean Alfredo Artiles, addressing the audience. “[…] A core expectation for scholars today is not only to create and possess knowledge, but also to use it with a demonstratable impact.” The event displayed nineteen research projects that were chosen by a committee of faculty scholars from a consortium of 144 total applications.  Finalists at the event were also tasked with presenting 90-second elevator pitches to the audience outlining how their research achieves the KMA criteria:

• Centers on a problem of social significance
• Engages with a group, organization, institution, entity, community or industry
• Increases access to and/or use of research, scholarly or creative works
• And strives to make changes to current practice or policy

The finalists at the event showcased a diverse range of examples of how Knowledge Mobilization is being used across ASU. John Takamura, PhD in Sustainability student for the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability, sees Knowledge Mobilization as a means out of poverty with his research linking Native American crafting to sustainable livelihood. 

“Indigenous Knowledge Mobilization is social sustainability,” stated Takamura. “[…] They use the knowledge of their resources and their environment and the knowledge of their culture to make beautiful and valuable objects with deep meaning and significance.” 

Monetary prizes were granted to one project in each of the six categories for Master’s, Doctoral and Postdoctoral for completed research and research in progress as a means to assist scholars with continuing their practice. Jessica Bear, MBA student with the W. P. Carey School of Business, was the prize recipient for the Master’s Research in Progress category. Her research project, Chain Breaker, is a walking exhibit that is designed to create awareness for consumers regarding the issues of human trafficking that exist in the supply chain business in an effort to help consumers make more informed purchases on everyday goods from produce to technology. 

“I had an epiphany that as awful as traffickers are, they are largely opportunistic,” said Bear. “They wouldn’t be doing what they’d be doing if there wasn’t a great deal of money behind it.” Bear also aims to become a supply chain manager with her MBA to effect change at a higher level. “When scholarly and creative works are shared with the community, it endows the individual’s ideas to make lasting change,” Bear continues. 

A full list of KMA award winners is listed below and for more information on Knowledge Mobilization initiatives, click here.