Irvine, Calif. – The University of California, Irvine will host its 10th annual Grad Slam competition at the UCI Newkirk Alumni Center on March 14th. Raytheon, an RTX Business, has been tabbed as the First Place sponsor for the historic event.
Part of UCI’s Graduate Division, Grad Slam is a systemwide competition that showcases and awards the best three-minute research presentations by graduate scholars. The competition not only highlights the excellence, importance, and relevance of UCI graduate scholars and their research, but it’s also designed to increase graduate students’ communication skills.
“We’re thrilled to partner with a company like RTX,” said Gillian Hayes, Vice Provost for Graduate Education at UC Irvine. “We’re specifically excited to have John Huang as a judge. John has been a great partner for us and has even hired some UCI graduate students because of events like this. This has truly been a beneficial partnership for both parties.”
In the competition, graduate students master the ability to effectively present their work with poise and confidence. It’s also an opportunity to share accomplishments with the campus, friends of UCI, the local community, and the broader public.
“It’s an honor for RTX to partner with such a prestigious university,” said Huang. “These students represent the future leaders of our world and the exact type of people we want working at RTX. UCI graduate students represent a higher quality scholar and researcher. I look forward to attending the event.”
Huang is an Associate Director and Site Executive at Raytheon located in Fullerton, Calif. He has been a partner with UCI Graduate Division, specifically with its A2i Accelerate to Industry program and is a member of Dean Hayes’ Leadership Council.
Grad Slam winners receive cash prizes up to $11,000 and a competitive resume line.
Presentation clarity and effectiveness for a general university audience is strongly considered in the judging process.
For more information on our sold out Grad Slam event, reach out to Raslyn Rendon at rrendon@uci.edu
About the University of California, Irvine
Founded in 1965, UCI is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation’s top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.
About RTX
RTX is the world’s largest aerospace and defense company. Our global team of 180,000+ employees pushes the limits of known science and redefines how we connect and protect our world. We are advancing aviation, building smarter defense systems and creating innovations to take us deeper into space.
At Raytheon, the foundation of everything we do is rooted in our values and a higher calling – to help our nation and allies defend freedoms and deter aggression. We bring the strength of more than 100 years of experience and renowned engineering expertise to meet the needs of today’s mission and stay ahead of tomorrow’s threat. Our team solves tough problems that create a safer, more secure world.