Kempner Research Fellow Ilenna Jones studies dendrites, exploring how the computational properties of these structures in biological neurons can contribute to the next generation of brain-inspired AI. Alongside this research on neuronal networks, she has been hard at work developing another sort of network within the Kempner Institute: a collaborative network dedicated to education and mentoring.
At the Kempner Institute, Jones is the driving force behind the institute’s Lunch and Learn program, a bimonthly series of informal gatherings for Kempner community members to explore new topics, ask questions, and practice research presentation skills in a friendly and supportive environment.
“I thought, wouldn’t it be great to create a low-stress, collaborative place where folks can come together and teach each other what they know?” says Jones. “There is such a wide variety of research and knowledge within the Kempner community, and I wanted to create an intentional space to share that.”
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