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CoLabEx: Big Ideas, Bigger Impact

CoLabEx Web Banner (610 x 360 px) - 2

Thank you for attending CoLabEx! We are grateful to the student pitch teams, judges, debate panel, local partners, and audience. We can't wait to see you next year for CoLabEx 2025.

Be a disruptive thinker and challenge the status quo. Network outside your academic discipline and become better equipped for your career and the world at large. 

CoLabEx is an exciting symposium and design challenge event. Participants will work in transdisciplinary teams on impactful projects. Students will pitch their ideas to local partners, including the City of Cincinnati Office of Environment & Sustainability, The Mill Creek Alliance, and Green Umbrella.

Winners of the pitch competition will be awarded prize money in addition to funds to support the pitched idea.

  • 1st place: $1,000 prize
  • 2nd place: $800 prize
  • People's choice: $500 prize

Local Partners

Resource Tables

Pitch Competition Judges

  • Manish Barlingay, Modeling and Simulation Manager at Inceptra and UC alumnus
  • Dr. Andrew Bernier, STEM and Sustainability Education within the School of Education, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services
  • Dr. Ken Petren, Department of Biological Sciences, College of Arts & Sciences

Student Pitch Teams

Team 90

  • Nicole Blount, EdD Urban Educational Leadership program, CECH
  • Atousa Haji Hosseini, MDes Design program, DAAP
  • John McMahon, MS Statistics program, A&S
  • Arunkumar Muthusamy, PhD Educational Studies program, CECH

Team E

  • Jayna Fry, MFA Theater Design and Production program, CCM
  • Yuka Milton, PhD Development, Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine program, MED
  • Laila Ningtyas, MEd Instructional Design and Technology program, CECH
  • Olusegun Ogunmola, PhD Health Education program, CECH
  • Claire Underwood, PhD Educational Studies program, CECH

Team KA

  • Angela Larck, PhD Educational Studies program, CECH
  • Chidera Nwosu, MS Materials Science program, CEAS
  • Sumadhar Thota, PhD Computer Science & Engineering program, CEAS
  • Fiona Wasson, PhD Chemistry program, A&S

Participants must register and attend four workshops and symposium to qualify for the non-credit bearing micro-credential in Collaborative Research and Innovative Strategy.