Undergraduate Symposium at the University of Wisconsin-Madison: A Comprehensive Guide

The annual Undergraduate Symposium at UW-Madison serves as a platform to showcase undergraduate research, creativity, service-learning, and other scholarly activities across all disciplines, spanning from humanities and fine arts to biological, physical, and social sciences. This event celebrates the achievements of undergraduate students and highlights their contributions to the campus community. The symposium is an exciting opportunity for students to present their undergraduate research, scholarly, or creative works to peers from across the Universities of Wisconsin.

Who Can Participate?

Any student who is currently enrolled at UW-Madison and holds undergraduate status is eligible to present at the Symposium.

Who Attends?

The symposium welcomes members of the Madison community, family, and friends. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Application Process

To apply, students need to click on the “Apply” button and complete the online application.

What to Present

Most presentations are rooted in projects developed for a class, but this isn't a strict requirement. Students are encouraged to present original work that would be of interest to others. Many students base their presentations on a term paper, a research paper, a thesis, an independent study, or a service-learning project. The work presented can be either completed or ongoing. You do not need your final results in order to present.

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Presentation Formats

The Symposium accommodates various presentation formats to suit different types of projects. In the application, students are asked to select their first, second, and third choice for presentation format. Notification of the assigned presentation format occurs in mid-March. The symposium organizers understand that undergraduate excellence comes in many colors.

Here's a breakdown of the available formats:

Poster: Project information is displayed on a 48" x 48" display board. Posters printed by College Library are 43" x 36". When designing a poster, include the official UW crest beside the title or in the acknowledgements. Print logos may be downloaded from the UW Communications web site. Your poster should be no larger than 48 inches in height and 48 inches in width. A typical organization for a poster will include: Title of your presentation, Your name, any co-authors’ names, and your faculty mentor’s name, Name of your university, Abstract, Introduction (Background information regarding your research, the research question that you asked/hypothesis or objective of your study), Methods (how you did your research or explored a particular topic), Findings/Results: tell us what you found and what results you obtained, Discussion: What do the results mean? How are they important? What additional questions have presented themselves? Conclusion/Summary. Limit the amount of text on your poster, and focus on key information. When presenting your poster, use your own words to elaborate upon the material and guide the audience on where you want them to focus on the poster. Engage in conversation with others while you’re at your poster. Invite people to your poster to learn more about the work that you’ve done! Use visuals/graphics…not only are they eye-catching, but they are a great point upon which you can elaborate and explain your points. Be sure, however, to describe what you are showing…don’t just skip over it! Focus on what you’ve done (or plan to do), the importance of the study, how you did the study, what results you’ve found, etc. Be sure to practice, practice, practice!!! Practicing will allow you to establish how long it will take you to present your material and will also allow for you to develop confidence in your presentation abilities!
Art, Digital or Project Display: Art, textiles, digital installations, or other tangible products can be displayed. These projects should be accompanied by artist’s statements or project descriptions. During Art or Project Displays, students will display their art, interactive projects, or demonstrations for the entire time that their session is scheduled. Similar to a poster presentation, students should share information about their project with attendees circulating the room. Art and Projects may be on display for longer than the scheduled session. Detailed Information regarding setup and scheduling for your display will be provided as the event nears.
Talk: An individual student or a project team delivers a ten-minute talk followed by a five-minute question and answer period about their project. A PC laptop, projector, and internet access are available. Presentations must be brought to the session on a USB storage drive. Oral presentations are limited to 10 minutes with 3 minutes for questions and answers. While PowerPoint is the preferred presentation format and will be available on all computers in the oral session rooms, you may certainly present without the use of PowerPoint if you would prefer to use other visuals (video, demonstrations, speeches, project display, etc). However, please be aware that presenters will be required to use the PC computer provided in the room. Please plan to bring your presentation on an external hard drive. You will be asked to arrive at the presentation room at least 10-15 minutes before the session to load your presentation on the PC computer provided in the room. More details on your presentation time and set-up time will be provided as we near the event. Plan the format of your presentation. A common organization for a talk will include the following components; however, prepare the presentation in a format that is logical for sharing your work. Title slide with the title of your presentation and your name, any co-authors' names, your mentor’s name, and the name of your university. Introduction (Preview of the topic and talk, the research question that you asked/hypothesis or objective of your study) Methods or Process (how you did your research or explored a particular topic) Findings/Results: tell us what you found and what results you obtained, Discussion: What do the results mean? How are they important? What additional questions have presented themselves? Conclusion: provide a summary of your presentation and provide some form of closing statement. Acknowledgement: provide an acknowledgement for any funding agencies and financial support, as well as any individuals (non-coauthors) who contributed to the research but did not provide substantial contribution to the project. Limit the amount of text that you put on slides, and focus on key information. Use your own words to elaborate upon the material on the slide. Limit the number of slides- too many slides can be overwhelming to the audience.
Performance: Live performances take place during an evening performance workshop. Performances are limited to 10 minutes and then are followed by a 5 minute discussion period to field questions about the creative process (15 minutes total). Basic lighting ("general wash") and sound are provided. Films and performances should generally be shorter than 20 minutes. If you plan to present a longer piece, consider sharing a clip/segment or shortened version of your work. Be sure to plan and practice how you will introduce and conclude your film/performance. Many students briefly share their project title, names of project members, and background.

Similar to presentation type, in the application you will be asked to select your first, second and third choice for presentation time.

Presenters giving individual talks must use the PC laptops and projectors provided in each concurrent session room. Presentations must be brought on a USB storage drive.

Group Presentations

Yes, both individual and collaborative efforts are encouraged. When a project has more than one author, the group should select one primary author for the symposium. The primary author will submit the abstract for the group using the abstract submission form. Please designate one individual as the primary author. The primary author will submit the abstract on behalf of the entire team.

Understanding the Role of a Mentor

A mentor is a faculty member or experienced researcher who guides you through the research process. He or she will help you organize your work into a project format. Your mentor can provide advice and help you determine if the project abstract is final or needs additional work. Students should work closely with their mentors or sponsors. A mentor can sponsor more than one student presentation.

Crafting an Effective Abstract

Each participant or team of participants will write a paragraph describing their project. For film, performance and art submissions students may elect to include an artist's statement instead of an abstract. All abstracts must be proof-read and approved by your mentor. Before submitting, save your abstract as a text file (such as Word or WordPerfect) and run the spell check. The Writing Center offers class schedules, abstract-writing workshops, and online resources to help you prepare. Check the Writing Center for class schedules, abstract-writing workshops, and online resources to help you prepare your application abstract.

Important Dates and Timeline

It is important to familiarize yourself with the Symposium and what you might want to present. The timeline involves completing your research or project, drafting and refining your abstract with the help of a mentor, and completing the online application. Don't wait until the last minute!

Receiving Updates

After applying, regular updates and information about the Symposium will be sent via email. It is crucial to monitor your email to ensure that the materials you need are available that day. Please note that the Symposium presenters may be able to be excused from a class with advance notice. Contact your professor to determine his/her policy. If you are aware of a conflict, please inform the Coordinator as soon as possible.

Symposium Day Logistics

Presentations will take place in Memorial Union on a specific date. Specific details for presentation times won't be available until after the abstract submission deadline has passed. A time for your presentation will be assigned after abstract submission has closed and a schedule has been finalized. Pushpins will be provided at the event.

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Post-Symposium

Materials must be removed immediately after the Symposium ends and the reception concludes. If you cannot remove your materials, arrange for someone to pick it up for you.

Benefits of Participation

The symposium provides students with an opportunity to showcase their work, develop presentation skills, inspire new ideas, engage with students from other universities, network with professionals, and gain feedback to refine their research.

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