Presentation Format Details

Poster Presentations

Preparing your poster: The poster should include a statement of the idea investigated, a description of the method or approach used, findings or progress to date, and a summary. Learn more about poster presentations HERE. Students presenting a poster should keep in mind the following information:

• Size requirements for posters are 36" x 48" (H x W)
• Your poster should be ready to display on poster boards we will provide at the event. Your poster should not be free-standing or  mounted on anything (e.g., foam core board)
• Printing your poster:
  • The best options (and usually the most cost-effective) for large-format poster printing are:
    • Staples, FedEx Kinko's, ZIPrint, your department (yes - many UVA departments have printers for academic posters!)
  • You should submit your printing request to your vendor of choice at least 10 days in advance of the event to guarantee your poster is ready on the day of the Symposium (we recommend you do this no later than April 13).
  • Communicate with your faculty mentor early in the process to discuss getting your poster printed.

Presenting your poster: You should be prepared with a three- to five-minute summary for visitors, using your poster as a visual guide, and be prepared to take questions.

On the day of the Symposium: Presenters will be assigned to a morning or afternoon poster presentation session - each session will allow the poster to be on display for 2.5 hours. Presenters should check in at the tables in front of Newcomb Hall Ballroom with their printed poster at least 15-30 minutes before the start of their assigned session time. Presenters should spend at least one hour during their assigned block of time (this can be at any point during the 2.5 hour block that works for your schedule) standing with their poster in order to present to and engage with attendees. Presenters are responsible for removing their poster at the end of the session; any posters remaining at the end of the poster sessions will be discarded.

Oral Presentations

Preparing your oral presentation: Oral presentations should be tailored to an educationed, non-field expert audience, and may be accompanied by a slide show, handouts, live demonstrations, performance, or audience participation. Learn more about preparing an oral presentation HERE. Students preparing and oral presentation should keep the following information in mind:

• Your presentation should be exactly 10 minutes long. There will be an additional 2-3 minutes for Q&A with your audience immediately following your presentation.
• Your presentation may be accompanied by visual aids.
• Please practice and time your presentation prior to the day of the Symposium.

Technology: Each room will have a projector or digital display screen and computer; presenters will be asked to upload their presentation to the room computer before the session begins. You may not use your own device.

• The computer will be a PC running the newest version of Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint.
• You may not have access to "Presenter View" during your presentation - we strongly recommend you plan to not have access to this feature.
• Naming convention: please name your file as "Lastname_Firstname" so it is easily accessible during the session in which you are presenting.
• You should have a way to easily access and upload your presentation to the computer provided for the session. This may include a USB flash drive or a file stored in your UVA Box account.
• Students planning to use Google Slides or access their presentation using email should be prepared to share their presentation with the session moderator before the session begins to prevent login/logout delays during the session.
• All students are encouraged to have a PDF copy of their presentation as a back-up.
• All students should test their presentation on a PC before arriving at the Symposium
• Presentation visual aids should not include audio or video files.

On the day of the Symposium: You will give your oral presentation during your assigned concurrent session (communicated to you via email in March). Concurrent sessions are 60 minutes long and include 4 student presentations in each. A moderator will be present to guide questions, discussion, and presentation transitions. Presenters should check in at the tables in front of Newcomb Hall Ballroom 15-30 minutes before the start of their assigned session time and should plan to remain in their assigned session room for the entirety of the session, regardless of where they fall in the presentation order.

Performing, Visual Arts & Design

Abstract submission: Students should be prepared to clearly communicate how they intend to share their creative work(s). This includes relevant details such as how they intend to set up, perform, and/or display their work.

Preparing your presentation: Performances should be limited to 10 minutes and may include the use of props. A computer and digital display screen will be available for use in the session room for performance or presentation-based pieces. Students planning to share artistic or design-based works which do not require a performance should plan to have no more than 5 samples of their work and should address how their work will be displayed during abstract submission.

On the day of the Symposium: Presenters should check in at the tables in front of Newcomb Hall Ballroom 15-30 minutes before the start of their assigned session time and should plan to remain in their assigned session room for the entirety of the session, regardless of where they fall in the presentation order. There are 30-minutes scheduled in between session in each room to allow for any necessary set up.