Information for Presenters

Symposium presenters may be undergraduates in any discipline who are undertaking substantial research and/or creative projects as part of a class, directed study, or other experience with a faculty mentor. In addition to projects nearing completion this spring, we welcome work already presented elsewhere and also work at the proposal stage (please consult your advisor about timing and what portion you might present).

URCAS will include a live poster session, exhibits, performances, and panels of presentations and readings. All forms of scholarship and creative activity in your field are eligible for presentation!  There may be virtual presentation opportunities for NMSU Global students and students enrolled at community college campuses outside Las Cruces--please email us to develop a plan.

 

Poster Session 

The poster session will take place in the Corbett Center 3rd floor ballroom (hours tba).  During these hours, poster presenters should be on hand to talk about their research and answer questions.  Lunch will be available after the session.

Our poster boards will accommodate posters that are 36" high by 48" wide.  Two posters can fit on each.  You will want to organize your information clearly and make sure that it is in a font that is legible from 5-8 feet away.  Some suggestions about how to create a poster can be found here.  Posters should be put up during registration from 8-8:30 on the day of the conference and should be taken down before 3:30pm, when the poster boards may be removed. 

How do I design a poster?  See the Resources page for advice on how to create your poster (start with powerpoint slide).  

How to print your poster?  Ask your advisor if there is a poster printer in your department or program.   If not, you can request to print your poster at the Center for Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity in Conroy Honors College. After signing up for a time slot (form link coming soon!), save your poster as a pdf file formatted for 36"x48" and email it to honors@nmsu.edu with your request to print. This online guide to printing to a plotter printer can help you ensure that your slide is formatted to the correct size. You can also bring your poster on a flashdrive as a pdf file formatted for 36"x48" and ask for Leann's or Roman's assistance when you arrive. Call ahead for available hours and to make sure that the printer is working: (575)646-2005. Note: you must sign up to print in advance, as this requires staff assistance, and printing is never possible on the day of the conference. 

Instacopy, downtown at 318 N. Main St. can also print your poster with advance notice. Contact them at (575)5216-6602 for current options. Last year's cost was $31 plus tax for water and tear resistant poly pro paper (a bit less for a 24 lb paper alternative). Email your poster as a pdf formatted to 36"x48" to copycenter@insta-copy.com at least 3 days before you will need to pick it up and follow up by phone.

Poster printing is also available at a higher cost from Fed Ex on University: last year's prices were $84 in store, $69 online, plus tax. Ask about timing--last year, this required 24 hours notice.

 

Talks/Performance Presentations

In-person oral presentations should be limited to 15 minutes in length. Talks will typically be organized into hour-long panels with 3 presentations followed by a short question and answer session.  CURCA staff and volunteers will covene and monitor these sessions.  Please bring your presentation slides or other visual aids to be projected for the audience on a USB and also email them to yourself as a back-up plan.  If you can bring a laptop, that would be good third back-up.  Please arrive early to load your presentation prior to the start of the session.

Each presenter will have a maximum of 15 minutes for both presentation and questions, so do please plan accordingly.  The schedule will be posted online in advance so you will know your time slot and how many sessions are scheduled within the hour. The moderator for each session will be responsible for keeping presentations on schedule.

When preparing your work for presentation, please remember that your audience comprises students and faculty of a variety of different disciplines.  Therefore, you should strive to present your work in a clear and simple language that is accessible to the entire audience.  For presenters drawing from a larger project, please remember that you may only be able to present the highlights from your work.

Organize and practice your presentation in advance with a timer.  Your faculty advisor is your best source of guidance for what your presentation should look like given the nature of your work.  

If you will be performing, please contact the organizers to share your particular needs.  More time and space may be available upon request.

All presenters assigned to a session should plan to stay through the entire session.  You are also part of the audience for the others in your time slot! Please do invite others to attend the session to see your work and the work of your peers.  Some sessions may be recorded for later viewing by friends and family who are not able to attend URCAS. If zoom recording is available, recording links will be added to the conference schedule on the main URCAS page.

 

Virtual Posters & Talks: NMSU Global and Community College Students Outside Las Cruces; Students with Accommodations

Those enrolled at NMSU Global or a campus outside Las Cruces who need to present virtually can post a research poster, pre-recorded poster presentation (max. 4 slides, 5 mins.), pre-recorded short talk (5-10 mins.), or livestream a talk (15 mins.). The same options are available to any student with university accommodations for alternatives to public speaking assignments. ALL presentations for virtual posting must be shared in timely fashion for posting--refer to the email you receive after signing up for a deadline. Here are protocols for virtual posting:

  1. To share a poster without audio or video, send a powerpoint slide
  2. To share a pre-recorded poster presentation (max. 4 slides, 5 mins) or pre-recorded short talk (max. 10 mins), upload your video to YouTube as unlisted or public and send that link.

Here is a short guide to uploading video to YouTube for an unlisted link:

Please also see the information on posters and talks elsewhere on this page. Indicate how you plan to present when registering. We look forward to your contribution.

 

Abstract Guidelines

Presenters must submit a registration form which includes an abstract of no more than 150 words, excluding header information (name(s), title, faculty mentor, major, any program that supported your work). Abstracts should conform to the disciplinary conventions of your field. The proposal will be made available to conference attendees via the website.

Advice on Abstracts

A typical research-based abstract addresses 5 core questions: 

  1. What (broader) problem/topic are you studying? (Context)
  2. What specific part of this problem does your study investigate? (Research Question/Objective)
  3. What did you do? (Methods)
  4. What did you find? (Results)
  5. What does it mean and why does it matter? (Conclusion/Significance)

Here is an example with these components identified:

[Context] Climate change is expected to alter precipitation patterns across the southwestern United States, potentially affecting regional water availability. [Research Question] This study examines how seasonal rainfall variability has changed in central New Mexico over the past 40 years. [Methods] Historical precipitation records from 1980–2020 were obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and trend analysis and linear regression were used to evaluate long-term changes in seasonal rainfall. [Results] Results show a statistically significant decline in winter precipitation (p < 0.05), while summer monsoon rainfall exhibits increased variability without a consistent long-term trend. [Conclusion/Significance] These findings suggest increasing uncertainty in regional water resources and highlight the need for adaptive water-management strategies in arid environments.

Abstracts in the arts and humanities are typically freer in form. They usually address context, significance, objectives, and methods in some form. Here, too, try to be as specific as possible and to avoid generalizations or sweeping claims. For creative work, artistic context will be welcome--what artistic conversations are you entering and what traditions are you invoking or revising?  What are your artistic goals? Here are some examples of past URCAS abstracts:

Karla B example Abstract (Biology)

Xodia C. example Abstract (Theatre Arts)

Pablo P. Georgina L. Abstract (Music)

A few last pointers:

  • Write one paragraph only unless guidelines say otherwise.
  • Avoid citations unless specifically allowed.
  • Focus on what you actually did and found.
  • Use past tense for methods/results.
  • Avoid phrases like “this paper will discuss.”
  • If presenting research in progress or at proposal stage for URCAS, expand in the areas other than results and indicate when the research will be performed.

Registration

Those who submit abstracts will automatically be registered for URCAS.  Non-presenting attendees can use the same link. As this free event is part of NMSU Research & Creativity Week, you may be asked also to register at the RCW portal.

Email Tracey Miller-Tomlinson at tomlin@nmsu.edu with questions.