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[...] Academics Additional Learning Opportunities Scholarship & Research
Celebration of Scholarship & Creativity

Celebration of Scholarship & Creativity


Discover the important topics & issues Worcester State students are exploring.
IN THIS SECTION
  • Study Away
  • Internships, Practicums & Clinicals
  • Scholarship & Research
    • Celebration of Scholarship & Creativity
  • Service Learning
Contact Us
Provost's Office
Shaughnessy Administration Building
3rd floor
Suite A-361
508-929-8938
Henry Theriault
CSC Coordinator
Laura Reynolds
UMass Undergraduate Conference Coordinator

See students' passion or express your own with a project.

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

Established in 2008, the Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity is an annual tradition that gives the Worcester State University community the opportunity to showcase the outstanding research, scholarship, and creative projects that our undergraduate and graduate students are doing. With poster presentations, critical papers, panel discussions, performances, and exhibits, this event illuminates the best examples of work from across all academic disciplines on our campus and clearly reflects our commitment to student achievement in scholarship and creativity.

Presenting during the Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity

Students and faculty interested in presenting projects during the Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity are encouraged to attend one of five information sessions:

  • Friday, February 17 – 2-3pm via Zoom
  • Thursday, February 23 – 4:30-5:30pm, Administration Building Room 357 or Zoom
  • Tuesday, February 28 – 8-9am, Administration Building Room 357 or Zoom
  • Monday, March 6 – 7-8pm, via Zoom
  • Wednesday, March 8 – 10-11am, Administration Building Room 357 or Zoom

Apply to Present Your Project

Submission Deadline: The deadline for submissions has been extended to 11:59pm on Thursday, March 9, 2023.

  • 2022 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2021 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2020 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2019 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2018 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2017 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2016 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2015 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2014 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2013 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2012 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2011 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2010 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

    2009 Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity Booklet

Information for Presenters

If you are or are planning to present at the Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity, please review the following information to ensure that you meet all of the content requirements and deadlines for participation.
  • For students creating poster presentations, the following requirements must be followed for producing your poster on time:

    • Publications & Printing Services needs a minimum of two weeks lead time to produce the poster(s).
    • The PDF file(s) must be actual size (they cannot be printed at some percentage other than 100%) and the file must be a “High-res Print Ready” PDF file. Recommended size is 36”x 48”.
    • The posters cannot bleed off the edge of any sides of the paper. An allowance of approximately 1” of white space all around is required.
    • There will be no reprints once a poster is printed so please double and triple check for accuracy typos and layout. We can provide one (1) 8.5×11 color copy for proofing.
    • The posters cannot contain a solid color background or have a high coverage of ink. The posters can contain colored text and images, but the overall background needs to be white.
    • The posters will be printed on a satin heavyweight high quality inkjet paper. We cannot laminate or mount the posters.
    • Please see your department or faculty sponsor to submit your poster for printing.

    IMPORTANT: There is a strict deadline — all PDF files must be received no later than 4pm, Wednesday, April 13. Any files received after this deadline are not guaranteed in time for the event.

    Any questions can be sent to Annette LaHaye (alahaye@worcester.edu, 508-929-8132) or Mark LaCroix (mlacroix2@worcester.edu, 508-929-8532).

  • For students creating ePoster presentations, the following requirements must be followed:

    1. Design your ePoster using one of the formatted templates.
    2. Review the ePoster formatting guidelines & FAQ document.
    3. Upload your ePoster presentation.
    4. Reach out to the ePosterBoards technical support team: Kaitlyn Tambasco (kaitlyn.tambasco@eposterboards.com) or Kathrynn Phillippe (kathrynn.phillippe@eposterboards.com).

    IMPORTANT: There is a strict deadline — all ePosters files must be uploaded no later than 11:59pm, Friday, April 22.

  • Placement and resizing of the Worcester State University logo within your poster presentation must be done carefully to ensure it adheres to the university’s brand standards.

    Correct Logo Selection

    Please make sure you use the right version of the downloadable Worcester State logos:

    Worcester State University Seal (horizontal, blue)
    BEST!
    This logo is the right logo to use in most circumstances.
    Worcester State University Seal (horizontal, two-color)
    WRONG!
    This logo is reserved for stationery use (like letters and envelopes).

    Correct Logo Usage

    Please make sure if the Worcester State logo is correctly used and it is proportionally scaled:

    Worcester State University Seal (horizontal, blue)
    CORRECT!
    The height and width are scaled proportionally.
    Worcester State University Seal (horizontal, blue)
    WRONG!
    The height is out of proportion with the width.
    Worcester State University Seal (horizontal, blue)
    WRONG!
    The width is out of proportion with the height.

    Resizing a Logo in Microsoft Office Programs (PowerPoint/Word/Publisher)

    You should avoid scaling the logo disproportionately. To ensure that you keep the logo in proportion as you resize it in your Microsoft document, use the Size group located under Picture Tools on the Format tab.

    Activate the Format Tab and Picture Tools by double clicking on the logo image, which highlights the cropping handles around the sides of the image. (DO NOT use the cropping handles to resize the logo; you will lose proportion.)

    Choose the height or width box in the Size Group to make your adjustment. Click the down or up arrow on the right of the measurement. When you are satisfied with the size, click elsewhere on the document and save your work.

  • Poster Layout & Format

    Do… Don’t…
    Title text
    • Make the title’s font size large enough to be read from a distance of 25-50 feet (e.g. 72-120 point font).
    • Make the title’s font size too large or too small.
    • Use all capital letters in your title (they are harder to read).
    Body text
    • Use a font size for the body text that can easily be read at a distance of 4-6 feet (e.g. 24-48 point font).
    • Use a small font size for the body text (e.g. 10 or 12 point font). This is the most common error.
    Font selection
    • Use serif fonts like Times New Roman, Baskerville, Century Schoolbook, or Palatino. These fonts promote readability and comprehension.
    • Select fonts and sizes that work well together and use them consistently throughout the poster.
    • Use a small font size for the body text (e.g. 10 or 12 point font). This is the most common error.
    • Vary the type sizes and/or type faces excessively throughout the poster.
    Layout
    • Layout poster segments in logical order, so reading proceeds in a sequential linear fashion.
    • Use columnar format, so that the reader proceeds vertically first and then from left to right.
    • Consider numbering your poster pieces (1,2,3) so a reading sequence is clear.
    • Make sure all figure legends are located adjacent to the relevant figures.
    • Make poster in a large number of separate sections (all of roughly comparable size).
    • Leave adequate white space to promote readability and legibility.
    • Make your reader jump around to follow your presentation.
    • Segregate your text, figures, and legends in separate areas.
    Colors
    • Use colors to convey additional meaning.
    • Use colors sparingly.
    • Have high contrast between the background and text (e.g. lighter background with darker text).
    • Use unwarranted colors that can attract attention, but detract from your message.
    • Use red and green colors, as some readers may be colorblind.

    Poster Content

    Do… Don’t…
    Title
    • Keep title short, concise, and relevant while still highlighting your research.
    • Write a overlong title with excess jargon.
    • Write your conclusion in your title.
    Credibility
    • Put all names of authors and institutional affiliations just below or next to your title with a font size smaller than your title’s font size.
    Organizing content
    • Break your poster up into sections similar to a scientific article.
    • Label all sections with titles.
    • Begin with an abstract that can be easily read and comprehended.
    • Follow abstract with the aims, methods, results, conclusions, and references.
    • Write poster as if it were a long scientific article.
    Content
    • Use clear jargon-free languageto explain:
      1. The problem What’s the question?
      2. Its significance Why should we care?
      3. How your experiment addresses the problem What is your strategy?
      4. The experiments performed What did you do?
      5. Results obtained What did you find?
      6. Conclusions What does your findings mean?
      7. Caveats/Limitations
      8. Future prospects Where do you go from here?
    • Use bold take-home points or arrows to highlight takeaway messages.
    • Use visual images to facilitate comprehension.
    • Use too much jargon.
    Acknowledgements
    • Give credit where credit is due.
    • Give credit to support from grants (if applicable).
    • Write section containing sources of financial support and everyone who helped in the process of your research.
    • Leave out acknowledgements.
    References
    • Block, S. M. (1996). Do’s and don’ts of poster presentation. Biophysical Journal. 71(6), 3527-3529.
    • Sherman, R. O. (2010). How to create an effective poster presentation. American Nurse Today. 5(9).
    • Learning technology and innovation: Poster design tips. Retrieved from: http://lti.lse.ac.uk/poster-design/
    • Volz, T. Poster presentations. Rice University.
  • The Worcester State Celebration of Scholarship and Creativity (CSC) is your opportunity to showcase an outstanding research, scholarly or creative project. To participate, you will need to submit a precise summary or “abstract”. This short but well-structured blurb will be published in the event program and will better enable attendees to make decisions about which presentations, critical papers, panel discussions, performances, and exhibits they would like to see. Use this guide to help you compose an abstract specifically for this event.

     

    CSC Abstract Writing Basics

    Much like an abstract you might write for an academic publication or conference, your CSC abstract must be clear, concise and to the point. It should be written in the style of your longer work or presentation, but it should also be accessible to a general audience. So, avoid highly technical language, and use the three-part CSC abstract structure:

    • Context: Here’s the problem or issue
    • Project: Here’s what I/we did to understand or address it
    • Results: This what came out of my/our work

     

    CSC Abstract Length Requirements

    In order to ensure inclusion of the abstracts for all of the student presentations of the CSC, the length of any one abstract is limited to approximately 50-125 words.

     

    Abstract Checklist

    • Did you state the purpose/topic of your project?
    • Did you describe your main questions/goals?
    • Did you clearly describe you methods/what you did?
    • Did you describe your findings/product?
    • Did you state your conclusions/what was learned from your work?
    • Did you check your spelling and grammar?
    • Did you define any technical terms or abbreviations?

     

    Example Abstracts

    Helpful examples of past CSC abstracts from virtually every discipline are available in the “Past event booklets” section above. The following examples were selected from the 2018 CSC booklet as good representations of CSC abstract writing.

    If you’d like to sit one-on-one with a writing consultant to develop your draft for submission, email writingcenter@worcester.edu, stop by Sullivan 306, or call 508-929-8112.

    1. Science abstract example
      Analysis of Chloride, Nitrate, and Heavy Metals in Surface Water and Soil
      Student: Anna Haynes; Faculty Advisor: Kathleen C. Murphy, Ph.D.
      The concentration of contaminants in environmental waters has become a major focus with a wide range of contributing factors. The project’s goal was to assess the levels of nitrate, chloride, and heavy metals (Cd, Ni, Pb) in soil and surface water adjacent to roads. Ion-selective electrodes, graphite furnace, and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy were used. Water yielded low signals while soil was more concentrated, mainly with lead (Pb).
    2. Social science abstract example
      Social Engagement on a College Campus
      Student: Meghan Powers; Faculty Advisor: Joanne Gallagher-Worthley, Ed.D., OTR/L, CAPS
      Participation within one’s community has been shown to benefit individuals’ physical, psychological, and social well-being. Unfortunately, the majority of individuals experience a decrease in community engagement during early adulthood, specifically during the time spent in college. This study examined the factors preventing undergraduate students from engaging in campus life, as well as their feelings of belonging on campus.
    3. Humanities abstract example
      Exploring and Defining Black Identity in America Today
      Student: Elijah Grant; Faculty Advisor: Henry C. Theriault
      Through phenomenological and existentialist philosophical concepts, especially from black existentialism, this paper takes up the question of whether it is possible to identify a defining essence of black identity in the United States. The paper argues that any black identity has external determinants that undercut claims of an essence, and develops a concept of black identity that fits within this complex framework.
    4. Creative activity abstract example
      See/Say
      Student: Jeffrey Ellis; Faculty Advisor: Catherine Wilcox-Titus, Ph.D.
      Art has been vexed by a division between art for art’s sake and art made for commercial or propagandistic ends. This project uses a variety of printmaking techniques to project a clear political message while retaining a strong aesthetic content. The goal is to blur the line between art meant to advertise and art that is purely for visual consumption. The finished work informs without telling and speaks without words, while also being aesthetically compelling.

Need something clarified?

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Contact Us
Provost's Office
Shaughnessy Administration Building
3rd floor
Suite A-361
508-929-8938
Henry Theriault
CSC Coordinator
Laura Reynolds
UMass Undergraduate Conference Coordinator
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