UNDERGRADUATE POSTER EXHIBITION
Visit the competition's website for more info.
WHY SHOULD YOU SUBMIT A POSTER TO THE EXHIBITION?
Creating a poster from your research or EMS projects and experiences will help you in future academic and professional settings. By creating a poster, you'll accomplish the following goals:
- Learn how to summarize information and present it in a visually attractive manner;
- Gain more sophistication in your presentation skills by concisely and accurately explaining and defending your work;
- Demonstrate poise and mental agility before faculty and peers;
- Discuss your educational growth and maximize your networking opportunities;
- Become better prepared to participate in the spring University-wide Undergraduate Exhibition and develop a more complete EMSAGE application.
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WIN CASH AWARDS!
If you act quickly, the RFSC will cover the cost of printing!
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- What can the poster be about?
- Who can enter?
- When are the deadlines?
- What are the guidelines?
- Where is the Registration Form?
- What will I get if I enter the Exhibition?
- What is the tentative Schedule of Events?
WHAT CAN THE POSTER BE ABOUT?
Research, experiential learning, creative activity, and educational experience relevant to the study of Earth and Mineral Sciences may serve as the subject of a poster entered for exhibition. This exhibition is not only for students working in a lab collecting data. You can use capstone projects and other educational experiences too. As long as the topic is EMS related, it can be the subject of your poster.
It is not necessary to have completed the entire project either. If a well-defined part of the project is complete, you can use the information to create a poster. It is also okay if the poster contains information that has been presented at other regional or national meetings.
WHO CAN ENTER?
A student must be in his/her first-year or higher of attendance as an undergraduate in good academic standing in an EMS major to enter the exhibition.
While the project to be presented may have been accomplished with the support and guidance of a research adviser or instructor, the student participant(s) must be the principal contributor(s). Individual or team projects may be entered; however, all contributors must be EMS students. For example, if you have completed a poster with non-EMS students during an internship, you may use the experience to redesign and submit a new poster for this Exhibition as long as you have ethically participated sufficiently in developing the work.
WHEN ARE THE DEADLINES?
The Registration Form, an abstract, and an electronic file (PDF) of the poster must be submitted online no later than November 13, 2013.
Abstracts are limited to 50 words and should contain a brief description of your poster. This information is used for the Exhibition brochure, so write it carefully.
Also, you will upload a PDF of your poster at the time of your entry into the Exhibition, but you will need a PowerPoint file to print your poster with high quality. Make sure to save your poster in the appropriate format.
Online Registration Form with Abstract and Poster
(link to form)
WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES?
Entries will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis; students are encouraged to submit their entries as early as possible. The Ryan Family Student Center will provide "free poster printing" for a limited number of participants. If it becomes necessary to limit the number of entries, the Ryan Family Student Center Poster Exhibition Committee will be empowered to make that decision. Notification of acceptance of an entry will be made by November 2013.
Poster Guidelines
Judges will review posters with the contestant present. Contestants should prepare a brief (no more than two minute) explanation of the poster including background, process, techniques, and results. Explain the role(s) of student(s) in the project too. Both the oral presentation and the response to judges’ questions are part of the overall evaluation of the entry.
The presentation and the poster should be geared toward an educated, general audience.
Poster Boards
A poster board area of 3 feet in height by 4 feet in width will be provided to each contestant. None of the material (labels, abstract, figures, charts, tables, summary, etc.) shall extend beyond the border of the 3' x 4' poster board surface. (Keep in mind, this means allowing for margins and the actual poster content.)
For more information on poster design, refer to the Giles Writer-in-Residence Blog. Kimberly Del Bright has written extensively on this topic, and she’s also available to help you if you’d like to make an appointment. You can request an appointment by sending an email to kdb9@psu.edu. Plan ahead as her appointments often book a couple weeks in advance.
There are many free templates for poster design. By far the most common is PowerPoint. If you wish to use other programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop, check with the Engineering Copy Center (863-1612) to make sure you do not encounter problems when printing your poster.
Contestants will also be provided with mounting materials, easels, and clips.
Poster judging sessions will be held on Wednesday, December 4, 2013. Entrants are required to set up posters between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. on December 4.
There will be three judging sessions: 9:30 – 11:00 am, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm, and 12:30 – 2:00 pm. Participants are asked to indicate on the entry form the sessions for which they are available and are required to be present for the judging session to which they are assigned.
Evaluating the Posters
- Judges will evaluate posters using the Poster Exhibit Judging Form. Display, content, and oral presentation are included in the criteria.
- The Ryan Family Student Center Poster Exhibition Committee will tabulate scores, and announce the winners at the awards ceremony on Thursday, December 5 at 12:30 p.m.
WHAT WILL I GET IF I ENTER THE EXHIBITION?
In addition to the academic and professional skills you will develop, you may get some cash for your wallet!
Awards
The prizes are as follows:
| First Place | $500.00 |
| Second Place | $300.00 |
| Third Place | $200.00 |
The judges will select first, second, and third place awards based on the merit of the poster in three areas: display, content, and oral presentation. A special Freshman Award will also be awarded.
Additional Prize Category
A Student-Choice Award will also be selected through a fundraising event with all the proceeds donated to EMS THON and Relay for Life. A collection jar for votes using coins and currency will be placed next to each poster. The participant receiving the most votes (i.e., the most amount of money) is the winner and will receive $25.00 gift certificate.
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STUDENT CHOICE AWARD
$25.00 Gift Certificate
Money raised will be donated to EMS THON and Relay for Life.
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WHAT IS THE TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS?
| date and time | event | location |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday, October 9, 2013 | ||
| 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. | Poster Workshop | TBA |
| Wednesday, October 16, 2013 | ||
| 6:00 p.m. | Poster Workshop | 22 Deike Building (with the Student Council Meeting) |
| Wednesday, November 13, 2013 | ||
| Registration Form, Abstract, and Electronic Submission of Poster |
DEADLINE | |
| Wednesday, December 4, 2013 | ||
| 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. | Poster Set-Up | Ground Floor, Deike Building |
| 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. | Judging Session 1 | Ground Floor, Deike Building |
| 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Judging Session 2 | Ground Floor, Deike Building |
| 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. | Judging Session 3 | Ground Floor, Deike Building |
| Thursday, December 5, 2013 | ||
| 12:30 p.m. | Awards Celebration | Ryan Family Student Center |
Read About Last Year's Exhibition