The Office of Undergraduate Research Scholars & UHS Presents
The 2024 fall Undergraduate Research Symposium
september 24, 2024
Fall 2024 Symposium Recap
Congratulations to the 2024 fall Undergraduate Research Symposium poster winners!
#1 | Jordan Estridge, Senior, CBE | Mentors: Jessica Lawson, Ramya Kumar, CBE | “Synthesis and Characterization of a Statistical Terpolymer Library for Synthetic Gene Delivery Systems”
#2 | Elijah Paiz, Senior, Mechanical Engineering; Remi Jones, Junior, Mechanical Engineering | Mentor: George Kontoudis, Mechanical Engineering | “Design and Development of a Human-Like Robot Hand for Grasping and In-Hand Manipulation”
#3 (tie) | Maya Maes-Johnson, Senior, AMS | Mentor: Carson Miller, University of Texas, Austin | “Impacts of Dredging and Storm Events on Subaqueous Estuarine Dunes in Port Aransas, Texas”
#3 (tie) | Emma Gjester, Junior, Physics | Mentor: Michael McGuirk, Hannah Martin, Chemistry | “Chalcogen-Bonded Conductive Networks”
People’s Choice Award | Isa Watkins, Senior, CEE | Mentors: Tzahi Cath, Elliese Wright, CEE | “Data-Driven Process Control Investigation into Direct Potable Reuse Turbidimeters”
#1 Jordan Estridge
#2 Elijah Paiz and Remi Jones
#3 (tie) Maya Maes-Johnson
#3 (tie) Emma Gjester
People’s Choice: Isa Watkins
What do Undergraduate Researchers have to say About the Symposium?
“Having the chance to present at a symposium with my peers helped me become a better presenter, bolstered my relationship with my advisor, and gave me opportunities to communicate the value of my research to a large audience. I left the symposium a more confident and experienced researcher.”
“The Mines Undergraduate Research Symposium gave me the opportunity to practice my communication skills and learn how to talk about my research effectively to people from a wide variety of fields. In addition, I truly enjoyed seeing everyone else’s research projects and exploring how one issue can be tackled and studied through a variety of approaches. Being a part of the symposium was a really amazing experience, and I’m looking forward to the next one!”
“I really enjoyed participating in the Undergraduate Research Symposium. It allowed me to represent my research project in an inclusive and educative way. It gave me the opportunity to learn how to share my technical knowledge with others. It was interesting to learn about other people’s research project, network with them, and find parallels between our research. I would recommend presenting at Symposiums to any researcher who wants to share their passion with others and learn how to communicate technical research.”
2024 Presenter, Judge & Volunteer Registration Form
The registration form for Judging, Volunteering and Presenting is currently open.
More about the Symposium
Timeline
Student Registration Deadline: August 30, 2024
Final Registration Form for Judges & Volunteers: Rolling until filled
Posters Printed: September 1st – 22nd, 2024
Symposium (1-hour poster session): Tuesday, September 24th, 2-3pm
If you are a student presenter, you must complete the registration form by August 30, 2024 at 11:59pm. This form is where student presenters will submit their final project information and abstract. Once students submit a form, an email containing their abstract will be sent to their faculty mentor and any accompanying undergraduate student researchers they listed in the form. Students must revise their work thoroughly and get approval from their mentor and any accompanying undergraduate student researchers before submitting. The information students submit in the final form will be featured in the printed Undergraduate Research Symposium Booklet of Abstracts and will be published to this website following the Symposium.
Students’ posters should be shared with their research mentor for approval before they send the poster to print. Please select the toggles below to learn more about guidance for poster recommendations and how to submit a poster to be printed.
Please note, there should be one application per project. If several undergraduate students worked in the same research group on the same project and they plan on presenting at the Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium together, the students should collaborate and submit one application and print one poster.
about the symposium
The 2024 Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium, a 1-hour poster session, will be held in person on Tuesday, September 24th in the CoorsTek Atrium. Judging will take place during the Poster presentations. Refreshments will be provided. All faculty, staff, and students are encouraged to join us in celebrating our hardworking undergraduate researchers and their dedicated mentors!
For further information, please contact the office of Undergraduate Research Scholars at ugresearch@mines.edu
Prepare to Present
Undergraduate Research Scholars has organized several workshops to help you participate in the symposium with as much confidence as possible!
Designing Scientific Posters
Date TBD
With your registration for the Mines Undergraduate Research Symposium confirmed, it’s time to enhance your skills in designing and presenting impactful scientific posters. This workshop aims to equip participants with strategies to prepare and showcase their research effectively. The session will delve into the advantages of employing a backward design strategy for poster creation and exploring poster layout principles that enhance readability and engagement with the audience. An interactive component will challenge participants to put their skills to the test by critiquing existing posters.
Presenting Your Scientific Poster
Date TBD
information for Judges and volunteers
Who’s eligible to be a judge or volunteer?
We encourage judges and volunteers from all departments to partake in this event. All interested faculty, staff, and graduate students are encouraged to judge and/or volunteer. Undergraduate student presenters are encouraged to present their research in a way that communicates their project effectively regardless of their audience’s background.
What is the time commitment of a judge or volunteer?
Judging will take an hour (during the one hour poster session). For volunteers, the time commitment depends on how much time you are able to spare. Our office will need the most help during set-up and clean-up during the morning and afternoon of the event.
How will student projects be evaluated?
Student projects will be evaluated differently depending on the format with which they chose to visually represent their work. Rubrics might ask judges to evaluate qualities such as visual organization, delivery, introduction, methods, conclusions, discussion, and interaction.
For further information, please contact the office of Undergraduate Research Scholars at ugresearch@mines.edu
Apply here to be a judge or volunteer!
guidelines, tips, & event resources
Tips when writing a scientific abstract
To register to participate in the Fall 2024 Undergraduate Research Symposium, you will need to w
How to print a poster at Mines
The Office of Undergraduate Research Scholars will cover the cost of the first poster printed by student researchers presenting at the Undergraduate Research Symposium. Though you can order your poster at any time via the HelpDesk ticket system, please note that the Mines Service Center states: “**PLEASE NOTE – the MSC requires 48 hour process time for poster printing (M-F, no weekends).**” Please follow the instructions below carefully:
- After you are finished making your poster, save it with a PDF file extension formatted for printing. Poster files should not be larger than 20mb. Prior to submitting a HelpDesk ticket, make sure your poster looks good. We recommend doing a scaled down test print on an 8.5″x11″ sheet of paper to make sure your poster looks presentable, legible, and the color is accurate.
- Once you have completed the final registration form, submit your poster for printing to ITS using the following instructions:
- Follow the link to the HelpDesk ticket for poster printing: ITS Poster Printing Ticket
- Click the orange button, “Request Poster Print”. Fill out, “Name of Project/Poster” with your poster title, “Requestor” with your name, and “Acct/Dept” with “Student”.
- Under “Select Payment Option”, select “Sponsored Group”. Under “Specify the group paying for the poster”, select “Undergraduate Research Symposium”. If you follow these steps, there is no cost to print your first poster. If your poster needs to be reprinted because of a formatting error, you will be responsible to cover the charges for printing it the second time.
- Lastly, under “Date and Time to Pick Up Requested Poster”, please give yourself enough time before the Symposium to pick it up and review it. Under “Poster Paper Widths Available” select the size of your PDF document. Posters should be 48 inches in width (left to right) and 36 inches in height (top to bottom).
- Once you have printed your poster, you can keep it with you until the day of the symposium. If needed, you can drop it off at our office (1704 Illinois St. Rm 105) for safe keeping until the Symposium.
Tips when creating a poster presentation
Save your poster with a .pdf file extension. When you create your poster, also consider how you might verbally present your research. How you talk about your research to passersby should compliment your poster. Please view both the “Creating your Poster” and the “Talking About your Research” section of this toggle for general guidance. If you would like to view examples of posters, we encourage you visit our 2021 Virtual Undergraduate Research Symposium Project Gallery or search for additional examples online.
Creating your Poster
- Creating Your Content: When you distill your research into a poster ready format, first and foremost, please speak to your mentor. For additional help, you should consider scheduling an appointment at the Writing Center through their online scheduler. Generally, effective posters include:
- Title that effectively communicates subject matter
- Purpose/objectives clearly stated
- Applicability or relevance of work identified
- Concise explanation of methods/analysis used
- Methods used clearly conveyed
- Conclusions supported by data
- Funding sources acknowledged
- Choosing a Program (to Create Your Poster): There are many programs you can use to create a poster ranging in costs and discoverability. Regardless, make sure the program you’re using allows you to create a custom document size (not to exceed 48 inches wide by 36 inches tall). Many researchers use Microsoft PowerPoint or Publisher because these are inexpensive and easy to use. You can also use more advance programs like Adobe Illustrator or InDesign; but, these can have a steep learning curve and tend to be very expensive. Some free, open source options include LibreOffice, Gimp, or Inkscape.
- Height & Width: Posters printed at Mines should not exceed 48 inches in width (left to right) and 36 inches in height (top to bottom) at 72 – 300 DPI. Posters should be legible form a few feet away.
- Color: It is recommended you choose a lighter color for the poster background, preferably white. There are no other color restrictions for the text and images.
- Font: Make sure the poster title and the author names are clearly identified. Choose a font size such that text on your poster is legible when looked at from a distance. Here is a recommendation for font sizes:
- 85 pt for the title
- 56 pt for the authors
- 36 pt for the subtitles
- 24 pt for the main text
- 18 pt for image captions
- General Principles of Design: Avoid using excessive text as it makes it difficult to follow the poster. Use appropriate graphics wherever possible as they can convey information effectively and make the poster look appealing.
Talking About Your Research
- Length: The length of time you spend talking about your research will vary, but it’s advisable to prepare an elevator pitch to briefly summarize your research. Generally, this is a 1-2 minute summary discussing the most important and interesting parts of your project in a way that anyone can understand.
- Content: How you talk about your research should be planned and practiced. Keep it concise and make sure to touch on the tacit points of your research. Be mindful of your audience and pacing. The best poster presentations invite questions while still breaking down your research for an audience that might know very little about your project. Try answering the question, “What is your research about?” and “Why is it interesting?” in a way that makes sense to researchers and non-researchers alike.
Event Resources
Designing Scientific Posters
Date TBD
With your registration for the Mines Undergraduate Research Symposium confirmed, it’s time to enhance your skills in designing and presenting impactful scientific posters. This workshop aims to equip participants with strategies to prepare and showcase their research effectively. The session will delve into the advantages of employing a backward design strategy for poster creation and exploring poster layout principles that enhance readability and engagement with the audience. An interactive component will challenge participants to put their skills to the test by critiquing existing posters.
Presenting Your Scientific Poster
Date TBD
Myth Busters!
I have to have completed my research and collected all my data before presenting in the Undergraduate Research Symposium
False! You can participate in the Undergraduate Research Symposium even if your research is still in progress. When discussing the results of your research, share whatever data you do have, and consider discussing expected results.
The Undergraduate Research Symposium is only for very accomplished, upper-classmen undergraduate researchers
False! Any undergraduate student who has conducted research is more than welcome to present during the Undergraduate Research Symposium. It’s never too early to have this valuable experience.
Presenting at the Undergraduate Research Symposium will not benefit me
False! Presenting at the symposium is a valuable opportunity to develop your professional communication skills and can be discussed to your advantage on your resume or in a job interview!