Poster Guidelines & Judging Criteria

Instructions to Exhibitors

The 2025 Gamma Sigma Delta Research Exhibition will take in the Life Science Bridge .

• Poster presenters must remain with their posters between 3:30 and 6:00 pm on March 27, 2025.
• Postdoctoral posters will be judged between 3:30 and 4:30 pm.
• Graduate posters will be judged between 3:30 and 4:30 pm.
• Undergraduate posters will judged between 5 and 6 pm.

Poster Details

• Poster size: Allowable space is 45 inches x 45 inches. Note*: posters wider than 45 inches will not fit on the board!
• Poster attachment:The boards are the soft foam type; please bring your own pins/thumbtacks to hang your poster.

Poster presenters are also expected to be present for the GSD Celebration of Excellence Reception and Ceremony on April 3. The reception will begin at at 3:30 p.m. in the Forest Resources Building Atrium and the Ceremony will follow at 4 pm in 112 Forest Resources Building (Auditorium). Advisers are strongly encouraged to attend the Ceremony with their advisees. The 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place winners in each category will be recognized at the celebration. Monetary awards will be distributed to undergraduate and graduate winners.

Exhibit Judging Criteria

Exhibits will be judged on their quality in three areas:

Abstract (10% of total score)

The purpose of the abstract is to summarize the significant findings of the research being presented.  The abstract is part of the registration process, and, once submitted it will not be available for any subsequent modifications, so be sure that your abstract is complete, concise, and reflective of the overall content of the submission. Abstracts are limited to maximum of 300 words and must be submitted using the provided template on the on-line form.

Content (40% of total score)

The purpose of an exhibit is to convey to a wide audience a research project's significance to scholars in the field and its potential significance to the general public.

The exhibit should testify to the careful design and execution of the research and present clear results that are well interpreted. It must include:

• title of the research poster
• student's name (or names, if more than one student is presenting the exhibit)
• collaborators, advisor(s), and department(s)
• funding sources
• proof of regulatory committee approval (if the project involves human or animal subjects or bio-hazardous materials)
• objectives
• significance to the field
• significance to society in general
• methods
• results
• interpretation of results and conclusions
• directions for future research

Display (30% of total score)

The core of each exhibit is a poster, with text and graphics intended for a more general audience with no prior knowledge in your specific discipline.

• The poster must presented in person. Students are reminded of limited hanging space on the poster boards. Allowable space is 45 inches x 45 inches.
• The poster should attract attention and convey information concisely.
• Language should be simple and descriptions brief. Jargon should be avoided; necessary technical terms should be defined.
• Spelling and grammar must be correct. All text should be large enough to be read on the computer screen.
• Photographs, drawings, charts, tables, or graphs should be simple, well organized, and carefully chosen to quickly explain complicated technical concepts to a wide audience.
• Pins, thumb tacks, or Velcro tape should be used to hang your poster.

Oral presentation (20% of total score)

Each poster presenter should prepare a 3-minute oral discussion of their poster. The oral presentation should be clear and concise and should include the major points presented on the poster:

• objectives
• significance to the field
• significance to society in general
• methods
• results
• interpretation of results and conclusions
• directions for future research

If the student worked with collaborators on the project, including his or her advisor, this presentation must clearly describe the student's role in the overall project.