Name:
Omar Hafez

Program & Degree:  
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ph.D.

Previous Degree(s) & College(s): 
M.S. Applied Mathematics, UC Davis
M.S. Civil & Environmental Engineering, UC Davis
B.S. Civil Engineering, UC Davis

Research Interest: 
Computational Biomechanics

Title of Grad Slam Presentation: 
Image-Based Modeling and the Move Toward Customized Medicine

What initially attracted you to your field of study?
My personal experience with a half dozen knee surgeries inspired me to contribute as an engineer to improving patient care.

What did you do to prepare for Grad Slam? 
I attended the Activate to Captivate seminar  (with Bri McWhorter) and practiced my presentation at home with friends.

Did you encounter any obstacles while preparing for Grad Slam? How did you overcome them? 
Condensing my talk into 3 minutes was a challenge, but after zooming out and only identifying the essential points I wanted to make, I was able to fit my presentation into the allotted time.

What do you think sets you and your presentation apart from the other contestants? 
My visuals, my energy, and my explanation of complex concepts in layman terms sets my presentation apart from that of others.

What are your other passions/hobbies? 
Social entrepreneurship, personal and professional development, investing, sports, sports medicine, and travel.

UC Grad Slam is an annual contest in which master’s and Ph.D. students across UC campuses – in disciplines ranging from hard sciences to humanities – compete to sum up their research for a general audience. Students present the significance and fundamental points of their work at UC Davis in a clear, direct and interesting manner.

Over 80 master's and doctoral students from across UC Davis' 99 graduate programs submitted proposals for this year's competition, which kicked off with a qualifying round on February 28 at the ARC. Faculty and staff from across UC Davis volunteered to serve on the judging panels.

The finalists will compete against each other at the UC Davis Final Round at the Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art on April 14 from 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm. The event is free and open to the public, and is co-sponsored by the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art. Registration is now open at gradslam2017.eventbrite.com.