Research and Engagement Symposium - April 16, 2025
Explore, discover and celebrate at Weber State University's annual Research and Engagement Symposium—a showcase of undergraduate and graduate student research, creative works, innovation and engaged learning experiences. Held every April, this exciting event brings together students from all disciplines to share their learning opportunities through posters, performances, oral presentations, exhibits and more.
Come join us in celebrating the incredible work of our students and be inspired by the power of learning in action.
This event is open to everyone, including Weber State staff, faculty, students and the general public—no tickets are required.
Student Presentation Information
Apply to Present
- Submission deadline: March 26
- Free poster printing deadline: April 2 (students are not limited to poster presentations. Email researchengagement@weber.edu for additional formats)
- Full presentation schedule available the week of April 7
- Symposium event: April 16, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Shepherd Union, 3rd floor
- Awards ceremony and light luncheon: 11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. in the Shepherd Union ballrooms
Email researchengagement@weber.edu with questions.
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Traditional Poster
- Maximum poster size: 36 inches x 42 inches
- Session length: 90 minutes
- Poster sessions provide an opportunity for students to visually showcase their research projects on a large poster board, incorporating a mix of text, tables, graphs, and images to present findings in an engaging and accessible format. These posters serve as conversation starters, facilitating discussions with attendees.
- Students will stand by their posters to discuss their work and answer questions.
- Note: WSU will provide poster boards and push pins for display.
- To be eligible for free printing, please visit The Office of Undergraduate Research's poster page
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Oral Presentation
- Presentations in this category are scheduled alongside others in a 15-minute time slot, consisting of a 12-minute presentation followed by a 3-minute Q&A session.
- These are traditional research presentations, where students share their findings or projects with an audience using slides or other visual aids. Each presenter is given a designated time to speak, followed by an opportunity for audience questions.
- Presenters are expected to remain in the room for the entire session to show respect for fellow presenters. Sessions typically last 60-90 minutes.
- If you wish to utilize video media, please consider a Digital Presentation.
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Elevator Pitch Competition
- Exclusive to Wildcat Advantage students who have attended the Elevator Pitch Workshop, this competition challenges participants to deliver a compelling, two-minute (or less) pitch to a panel of employer judges. Students will highlight their High Impact Educational Experience (HIEE) in a concise and engaging manner.
- Session length: 50 minutes
- Participants: up to 16 pitches per session
- Awards: Winners will be announced during the Awards Ceremony & Luncheon on the same day
Sponsored by Weber State University’s Department of Professional Sales
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Exhibit
- Students can showcase their research or creative projects through visual arts displays, including paintings, sculptures, photography, digital art, and other visual media.
- Displays must not exceed a maximum size of 42 inches in width by 54 inches in height when unrolled or unfolded for presentation on a poster board.
- If you plan to display 3-dimensional media, please include any setup requests in the notes section when submitting your application to present.
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Performance
- Presentations in this category are scheduled alongside other performances in a 15-minute time slot, consisting of a 12-minute presentation—which may include a live performance or a recording—followed by a 3-minute Q&A session.
- This format allows students to showcase their research or creative projects through artistic performances, such as musical performances, theatrical acts, dance routines, spoken word, or other expressive works.
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Digital Presentation
- Digital presentations offer an interactive way to showcase research using a laptop display on a small bistro table during a 90 minute session.
- Presentations may include slides, videos, animations, or other digital media to effectively communicate research findings in a dynamic and engaging format.
- Students will stand by their laptops to discuss their work with conference attendees.
- Laptops should be fully charged before the session, as there is limited access to power outlets.
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Panel Discussion
- Class projects or group presentations may use the entire 75-minute session, including Q&A.
- Presentations may take the form of a panel discussion, where multiple students share insights on a common topic, or another collaborative format in which the majority of the class participates. This setup encourages dynamic discussion, diverse perspectives, and audience engagement.
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Zoom Presentation
- This format allows students to present their research or creative projects virtually via Zoom. Each presenter will have 12 minutes to share their work, followed by a 3-minute Q&A (15 minutes total). Presentations may include slides, videos, or other digital media to effectively communicate findings or creative expressions.
- This option is only available for out-of-area graduate students.
The poster/presentation session is an opportunity for students to present the results of their direct service, civic engagement and/or community research in the community.
Submissions should include the following:
- Description of purpose and the implementation of the project
- Description of the community outcomes for the project
- Outcomes for the student, academically and professionally
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Submission Guidelines for Education, Humanities, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- Clearly state the central research question and/or purpose of the project.
- Provide brief, relevant scholarly or research context (no actual citations required) that demonstrates its attempt to make a unique contribution to the area of inquiry.
- Provide a brief description of the research methodology.
- State conclusions or expected results and the context in which they will be discussed.
- Include text only. No images or graphics.
- Be well-written and well-organized.
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Submission Guidelines for Visual Arts
- Clearly state the central research question and/or purpose of the project. Provide an artist statement.
- Provide brief, relevant scholarly or research context (no actual citations required) that demonstrates its attempt to make a unique contribution to the area of inquiry. In the statement, cite your influences and inspirations: other established artists, movements that are referenced or serve as inspiration, political/ cultural/ social issues that the work responds to, personal events, adventures, medical diagnosis, etc.
- Provide a brief description of the research methodology. What techniques were used? It could be as basic as an oil painting on a primed canvas or a more in-depth explanation of the experimental process.
- State conclusions or expected results and the context in which they will be discussed. What did you learn? What was successful? What are things to be addressed in future pieces? How does this piece fit into your portfolio or future works?
- Include text only (no images or graphics)
- Be well-written and well-organized. If multiple areas are covered with a unique influence that alters the interpretation of the work, speak more to one or two components of your “research” in depth: was the work a response to Art History? Or was the focus the experimental process? While it is assumed you will very briefly respond to all of these requirements, it is also expected that only a few will be the central focus of your statement.
- Visual Arts presenters are required to upload three examples of work. For works in progress, you may substitute images of the work being submitted with images of past works that are representative of the artwork to be exhibited at NCUR 2024.
- If a video or performance documentation, no sample should exceed 2 minutes.
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Submission Guidelines for Architecture
- Clearly state the central research question and/or purpose of the project. What is it that you wish to study? This could be a building typology (i.e., the energy consumption of single family homes vs. duplex units or efficiency of one floor vs. two floor office), or it could be the evolution of a building typology, building material, building system, building technology, a place or an architectural theory.
- Provide brief, relevant scholarly or research context (no actual citations required) that demonstrates its attempt to make a unique contribution to the area of inquiry. Describe why this research is relevant today. What has changed, is changing, or is likely to change and how might this change affect people, places, design aspirations, building technology, etc.?
- Provide a brief description of the research methodology. How will you conduct the research (i.e., comparative, historical, evolutionary, inductive [analyze the observed phenomenon], deductive [verify an observed phenomenon], qualitative, experimental, simulation, case studies)
- State conclusions or expected results and the context in which they will be discussed. What do you expect the results to be, what do you expect to learn and what is likely to be the significance of your findings?
- Include text only (no images or graphics). We recognize that researching a “thing” in the built environment may be difficult, but do your best.
- Be well-written and well-organized. Follow the script you have been given (the steps above, in that order). Restate each topic and be specific in your response to each. Use complete sentences (bullet points can be used following a statement but never alone). Read what you have written aloud to see if it sounds clear and concise. Reread what you have written 24 hours later to identify typos, poor word usage, incomplete sentences, etc. Read what you have written to a friend and ask them if they can restate your proposal. If uncertain, take what you have written to the writing center.
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Submission Guidelines for Performing Arts
- Clearly state the central research question and/or purpose of the project. A statement discussing compositional or performance aspects of the work. Why did you compose this work or choose this work to perform? What aspects of music are you exploring?
- Provide brief, relevant scholarly or research context (no actual citations required) that demonstrates its attempt to make a unique contribution to the area of inquiry. How does the composition and/or performance advance the development of your creative output?
- Provide a brief description of the research methodology. Briefly describe the musical work from a compositional or performative standpoint.
- State conclusions or expected results and the context in which they will be discussed. How did the composition of the work or preparation for the performance affect your musical understanding and output?
- Include text only (no images or graphics). Include a link (Box, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.) to a recording of the work and a score of the work if required for performance.
- Be well-written and well-organized.
Rationale/Background
- Summary: Provide a summary of the nature and significance of the problem.
- Literature Review: Discuss the current understanding of the subject based on the literature review.
Methods
- Describe your graduate thesis, research, or project: Explain what you created or accomplished to address the identified gap in knowledge, leadership, or clinical practice.
- Framework, model, or theory: Identify and describe any framework, model, or theory that guided the development and implementation of your graduate thesis, research, or project.
- Interventions: Describe the interventions or actions undertaken as part of your thesis, research, or project.
- Assessment and evaluation methods: Detail the methods or metrics used to assess the impact of your interventions. Include an explanation of how your findings were evaluated, specifying (if applicable) the use of qualitative and/or quantitative methods to analyze and draw inferences from the data.
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Ethical considerations: Discuss the ethical principles and guidelines you adhered to during the development and execution of your thesis, research, or project.
Results
- Results: Describe the findings and outcomes of your thesis, research, or project, highlighting its potential impact and applicability in similar contexts or settings.
Conclusions
- Summarize the strengths and limitations of your thesis, research, or project, highlighting key areas of success and any challenges encountered.
- Discuss the potential dissemination of your findings to other contexts and their implications for practice. Emphasize the next steps for organizational policy, clinical, or educational practices, and provide recommendations for further research or future initiatives.
The Office of Graduate Studies is pleased to recognize and encourage excellence in student research and project work through this award program. Eligible nominees must be enrolled graduate students in good standing within their program. Awards are granted in the following categories:
- Student Research or Project Award: $200
- Team Research or Project Award: $300
- Faculty Mentor Award: $200