Authors’ Tea Highlights
CDU Head Librarian Dr. Darlene Parker-Kelly recently hosted a research-focused Authors’ Tea in the Cobb Building foyer as an information-gathering session between faculty authors and aspiring researchers. Assuredly, research is an important, primary focus of academic life at most universities and CDU is a famed for its research accomplishments.
The idea for an authors’ tea was planted when she became library director a decade and a half ago.“ This is the third one we’ ve had, she noted. When I first got here in 2009, I think we had one probably the next year and a half. Then we had another one. This time, we just thought it was time to celebrate scholarship at the University. That was the whole impetus.”
Dr. Parker-Kelly contacted Interim Vice President for Research Dr. Lola Ogunyemi to make sure that the event included participation from campus researchers.“ They do a lot of fantastic work that sometimes the students and staff aren’ t aware of. I wanted to make sure the whole impetus was to re-energize people and remind them, especially since COVID,” she said.“ We see a lot of the content that’ s being pushed out, but I wanted to kind of bring it inward. That was my idea.”
As part of the event planning, she surveyed people to find out what things they would like to see at the authors’ tea. She received 20-plus responses that formed the basis for the program format. The long-term outcome will be a greater awareness of what the various researchers are engaged in.“ I think we need to be aware of what others are doing, and the potential for collaboration. I was so excited because we had students there. We had faculty there. We had faculty from the College of Medicine, the College of Science and Health, and the College of Nursing,” she noted.“ It was a combination that felt like what I was trying to convey.” Having a range of speakers from the three colleges heightened audience participation and response.
Dr. Parker-Kelly described the feedback from the various campus sectors as very positive. Many attendees asked questions, but time was a factor.“ There’ s never going to be enough time, but I’ m always conscious of peoples’ schedules, and we were trying to fit it within a short period.” Moving forward, the next event may become a mini symposium with simultaneous sessions going on. Her thinking is that with that approach, people can select what presentations they want to attend.“ I’ m from the era where it says if it’ s not published, if it’ s not in the scholarly literature, it doesn’ t really matter too much because the decisions that are being made regarding healthcare for policy equity, is coming out of the scholarly literature.”
Dr. Parker-Kelly is pleased with the growth of interest in the academic research experience.“ Absolutely. I’ m excited. You know, Dr. Ogunyemi and I go back quite a bit. She’ s Director of the bioinformatics program. We do some intersection with libraries through her work at the National Library of Medicine. We will continue to do that as we collaborate,” she said.
She is also excited at the prospect of a new Vice President for Research.“ I think these are events are opportunities where libraries can and should foster relationships. Just prior to COVID, we did quite of the focus on the National Library of Medicine traveling exhibits. And this was a time when people like Dr. Theodore Friedman, and different folks would talk about their research because it is aligned with those traveling exhibits.” Dr. Parker-Kelly envisions creating a CDU-based traveling research exhibit that can be taken on the road.
CDU College of Medicine | PG. 47