Overview of the Process
- UMass Lowell student participants must first submit an abstract (up to 250 words) through the InfoReady portal by Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 11:59 p.m. All abstracts must be approved by a UMass Lowell project advisor in order to present a poster.
- Once the abstract is approved by the UMass Lowell project advisor, the student who submitted the abstract (lead author) will receive an email with instructions for how to submit their poster. If it is a team submission, the lead author will need to inform all members of the team of the next steps.
- Students should thoroughly review and edit their posters before submitting a final version. We will not be able to accept revisions after the poster is submitted.
- The Student Symposium Committee will print posters for student participants. Posters will be available for pick-up at check-in at the Student Symposium on April 2, 2024 at University Crossing. Volunteers at the event will direct students to their assigned poster area.
Poster Guidelines
- All posters must be submitted in the following dimensions: 36” (width) X 24” (height). Poster files should be sent in PDF format.
- Students presenting their research should consider including the following in their posters:
- Title
- Your name and institutional affiliation
- Background/introduction
- Research question/problem/hypothesis
- Methodology
- Data
- Results/conclusions and future studies
- Acknowledgements/references
- Students presenting their experiential learning should consider including the following in their posters:
- Title
- Your name and institutional affiliation
- Background/introduction: What was the purpose of your experience? What were your goals? What was your motivation?
- Approach: What was your approach to the problem/purpose? What was your approach to meeting your goals?
- Results: What have you accomplished? What are the key outcomes?
- Conclusion: What did you learn? What are the recommendations for future experiences/efforts?
- Acknowledgements
Poster Presentations
- All poster presenters will be assigned a time block during the Student Symposium when they must be available to present their posters to a set of judges and other attendees. The poster submission form will allow students to indicate the times they are available.
- Students should practice presenting their posters in five minutes or under. During and after presentations, judges will have the opportunity to ask questions.
- Practice speaking loudly and clearly as other students will be presenting in close proximity.
Tips for Creating Your Poster
- Students may use different programs such as PowerPoint, Canva, Adobe Express, etc. to design their posters. Please ensure you input the correct dimensions for the design: landscape orientation, 36” (width) X 24” (height).
- Divide the poster into several (3-5) columns. The layout of the poster should be consistent and clean.
- Choose appropriate colors and fonts. You want to ensure your poster is legible from three to five feet away. Please avoid backgrounds with patterns or gradients. A white or light-colored background with black or dark-colored font is a good choice.
- Use headings to identify sections. Use bullets and numbering in the text body as needed to make the poster easy to read.
- Be consistent with your formatting. For example, all headings should be in the same size, font, and color.
- Be selective about text. You do not want to clutter your poster. A poster is not an enlarged journal article – be brief and concise. Remember, you will be presenting with your poster so think about the information that needs to be displayed versus information that you can include in your presentation.
- Add compelling visuals to help illustrate your project. Break up text with pictures, tables, figures, etc. Keep in mind that graphics may appear fine on screen but may not print as well. Graphics should have a resolution of at least 300dpi. Try to avoid screenshots as they are often under 300dpi.