Here are the requirements to present your research project at the 2022 Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium.
For Student Presenters
Presenting at the Fall Undergraduate Research Symposium is required for all undergraduate students receiving a summer research grant from the Charles Center, with the exception of Honors Fellowship recipients, who will present in the spring.
**Students not funded by the Charles Center but who have completed summer research are also encouraged to apply to present and will be accommodated based on space available.**
After reading the instructions for presentation formats below, you must apply for a preferred session time and format by completing the Symposium Registration Form. Students not able to attend the Symposium due to an unavoidable conflict should still submit the Registration Form to let the Charles Center know. On this form, you will also provide your name, major, mentor information, project title, and abstract exactly as you want it to appear on the Charles Center website.
Program Schedule:
Friday, September 30, 2022
10:15-10:45 am – Session 1 presenters arrive to check in and set up 10:45-11:00 am – Opening Remarks 11-12:30 pm – Poster Session 1 – Swem Library Read & Relax Room 12:30-1:00 pm – Session 2 presenters arrive to check in and set up 1:00-2:30 pm – Poster Session 2 – Swem Library Read & Relax Room 3:00-4:00 pm – Creative Session – Botetourt Gallery & Theatre Light refreshments will be provided during the Poster Sessions. NOTE: The Graduate & Professional Schools Fair will also be taking place September 30th 12-2 pm in Sadler Center. We recommend signing up to present in Poster Session 1 if you also wish to attend the Fair.
What is a poster session?
In a poster session, you will be one of many presenters in a large room. During your 90-minute time slot, you’ll have an assigned spot where you will set up your trifold board or will pull up your digital presentation on a monitor. People attending the session will be able to wander through the room and stop to talk to any presenters. If you have a trifold board, you will present a 1-2 minute elevator pitch. If you have a digital presentation, you will give your 5-slide presentation. Your audience should feel free to ask questions about your research and have a conversation with you. Information about your project and where you will be located in the Read & Relax Room will be uploaded to the Charles Center website before the Symposium.
Symposium Schedule
Friday, September 30, 2022
10:15-10:45 am – Session 1 presenters arrive to check in and set up 10:45-11:00 am – Opening Remarks 11-12:30 pm – Poster Session 1 – Swem Library Read & Relax Room 12:30-1:00 pm – Session 2 presenters arrive to check in and set up 1:00-2:30 pm – Poster Session 2 – Swem Library Read & Relax Room 3:00-4:00 pm – Creative Session – Botetourt Gallery & Theatre
Light refreshments will be provided during the Poster Sessions.
NOTE: The Graduate & Professional Schools Fair will also be taking place September 30th 12-2 pm in Sadler Center. We recommend signing up to present in Poster Session 1 if you also wish to attend the Fair.
What is a poster session?
In a poster session, you will be one of many presenters in a large room. During your 90-minute time slot, you’ll have an assigned spot where you will set up your trifold board or will pull up your digital presentation on a monitor. People attending the session will be able to wander through the room and stop to talk to any presenters. If you have a trifold board, you will present a 1-2 minute elevator pitch. If you have a digital presentation, you will give your 5-slide presentation. Your audience should feel free to ask questions about your research and have a conversation with you. Information about your project and where you will be located in the Read & Relax Room will be uploaded to the Charles Center website before the Symposium.
Presentation Format Options
Trifold Poster Board (default format): • You will be able to pick up a 36” x 48” trifold poster board from the Charles Center when classes resume, Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 pm. You will attach typed descriptive sections and graphics/images to your board. •
. Digital 5-slide Presentation (application only): • The digital presentation is a 5-slide Powerpoint shown on a monitor connected to your laptop. • We have 22 29” wide monitors available per session. When completing the Symposium Registration Form, you can choose to apply to use a monitor for a 5-slide digital presentation. You will need to provide an explanation why a monitor would be the best presentation format for your content. Approvals are subject to monitor availability. • Monitors have a standard HDMI port. If you are using a Mac or have a laptop without an HDMI port, we recommend you bring an adaptor. We will have a few on hand just in case. •
Creative Presentation (application only): • Students producing a creative work as the culmination of their summer research may apply to present during the Creative Hour in Botetourt Theatre and Gallery from 3-4 pm. You can request to do a Creative Presentation on the Symposium Registration Form instead of a poster/digital presentation. Students wishing to showcase a musical performance, creative work reading, visual artwork, etc produced during summer research are encouraged to apply. Approvals are subject to time and space availability. Group Presentations: If you and one or more other students collaborated on a research project, you are welcome to do one presentation together. Only one person from each group needs to fill out the Symposium Registration Form and will list the co-presenters’ names, WM email addresses and majors/minors. You can choose to present at one Poster Session or at both if presenters will switch off. Substitute Presentations: • Students with an unavoidable conflict (ie, studying abroad, not enrolled Fall 2022, family wedding, etc) can indicate this on the Symposium Registration Form and provide an explanation. • If you have class conflicts with the available presentation times, we encourage you to speak to your instructor at the start of the semester about being excused. However, we understand if this is not possible. • Students not attending the Symposium will create a 5-minute video presentation on YouTube to be uploaded to the Charles Center website.
The deadline to submit a link to the video presentation to this form is Friday, September 16th by 11:59 pm.
Trifold Poster Board
You will be able to pick up a 36” x 48” trifold poster board from the Charles Center when classes resume, Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 pm. You will attach typed descriptive sections and graphics/images to your board.
Digital 5-slide Presentation (**All digital presentation spots now full**)
The digital "poster" presentation is a 5-slide PowerPoint shown on a monitor connected to your laptop.
We have 22 29” wide monitors available per session. When completing the Symposium Registration Form, you can choose to apply to use a monitor for a 5-slide digital presentation. You will need to provide an explanation why a monitor would be the best presentation format for your content. Approvals are subject to monitor availability.
Monitors have a standard HDMI port. If you are using a Mac or have a laptop without an HDMI port, we recommend you bring an adaptor. We will have a few on hand just in case.
Students producing a creative work as the culmination of their summer research may apply to present during the Creative Hour in Botetourt Theatre and Gallery from 3-4 pm. You can request to do a Creative Presentation on the Symposium Registration Form instead of a poster/digital presentation. Students wishing to showcase a musical performance, creative work reading, visual artwork, etc produced during summer research are encouraged to apply.
Approvals are subject to time and space availability.
Substitute Presentations
Students with an unavoidable conflict (ie, studying abroad, not enrolled Fall 2022, family wedding, etc) can indicate this on the Symposium Registration Form and provide an explanation.
If you have class conflicts with the available presentation times, we encourage you to speak to your instructor at the start of the semester about being excused. However, we understand if this is not possible.
Students not attending the Symposium will create a 5-minute video presentation on YouTube to be uploaded to the Charles Center website. Please carefully review the instructions here. The deadline to submit a link to the video presentation to this form is Friday, September 16th by 11:59 pm.
Group Presentations
If you and one or more other students collaborated on a research project, you are welcome to do one presentation together. Only one person from each group needs to fill out the Symposium Registration Form and will list the co-presenters’ names, WM email addresses and majors/minors.
You can choose to present at one Poster Session or at both if presenters will switch off.
Deadline for Charles Center-funded students: Wednesday, August 25th at 5 pm Deadline for undergraduates not funded by the Charles Center: Friday, September 9th at 5 pm
