Undergraduate Poster Session

The Research and Innovation Week Undergraduate Poster Session will take place Wednesday, March 25, 2026 from 4-7 p.m. in the Moody Hall Atrium.  Prizes are awarded for the Top 3 posters overall.

Information for presenters

All SMU undergraduate students are eligible to present posters of their work.

The deadline to sign up is Monday, March 9.

Judging and prizes

Two judges will rate each poster for design and understandability. The Office of Engaged Learning will review their scores and comments to award the winners. The Top 3 posters win monetary awards; winners and Honorable Mentions present their posters again on the Graduate Poster Session on Thursday, March 26.

How do I design a poster?

Most people create academic posters with templates made in Powerpoint. There are numerous templates available online, including our . For this poster session, the poster must be smaller than 46x46 inches.

Check out 2023's winning posters for inspiration:

Posters will go on boards like these:

Where do I print a poster?

First, ask your professor if your department has a printer or funds for printing. You can have your poster printed through Copy Central or most local print shops. Posters generally run $50-75. 

What do I do during the session?

You are not required to be present the entire session, but do try to stand by your poster for the majority of the time. When people come by, you can give them an "elevator pitch" (3-4 sentences) so they get a general idea. Some may have questions for you! Any time it is slow, we encourage you to check out other posters.

Can you help me?

Yes! The Office of Engaged Learning is hosting several coaching sessions to help participants prepare for the session:

Coaching session: Research Poster Design Tips (in Clements G08)

  • How do you communicate research effectively on a poster? This workshop will show you templates, best practices, and provide feedback on posters-in-progress.
  • Two sessions to choose from. Click the buttons to register.

Coaching session: The Elevator Pitch - for Research  (in Clements G08)

  • Can you explain your research in 3 sentences? Learn how to explain what you do in a succinct and engaging way. Recommended for everyone presenting on Research and Innovation Week.
  • Two sessions to choose from. Click the buttons to register:

2025 Winners:

1st place: Regina Moreno Vera, “Neuropsychiatric Abnormalities in Kcna1 Mouse Models of Epilepsy and Ataxia.” Faculty mentor: Edward Glasscock, Biological Sciences

2nd place: Julian Cabrera, “From Prompts to Patterns: Exploring AI Responses with Text Analytics.” Faculty mentor: Monnie McGee, Statistics and Data Science

3rd place: Veda Ramakrishnan, “Disrupting Mental Health Stigma: Communication Strategies Used by Mental Health Professionals in South India.” Faculty mentors: Christopher Salinas, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, and Dr. Amy Brewster, Biological Sciences

Honorable mention: Alison Kellom, “Reversing Chemotherapy Resistance in Aggressive Forms of Cancer.” Faculty mentor: Pia Vogel, Biological Sciences

Honorable mention: Sahar Khan, “Exploring the Protein Levels of Astrocytes, Pericytes, and Blood Brain Barrier in WT and C3 Knockout Mice Following Seizure-Induced Brain Injury.” Faculty mentor: Amy Brewster, Biological Sciences

Honorable mention: Vivian Thai, “Paths to Parenthood: In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Narratives from Quy Nhon, Vietnam.” Faculty mentor: Elizabeth Berk, Anthropology