Undergraduate Exhibition

The 2026 Undergraduate Exhibition for Research, Inquiry and Creative Activity

The virtual Exhibition will be held April 20–22, 2026.

An Evening of Creative Inquiry in Music will be held April 21, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. in Recital Hall, University Park.
For information on this event, contact Dr. Jacob Holster at jdholster@psu.edu.

The in-person poster presentations will be held April 22, 2026, in Alumni Hall, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park.
Session 1: 10:00 –11:30 a.m. 
Session 2: Noon–1:30 p.m.

Registration is open now through March 17, 2026.  See the instructions below to submit your application.

 

The 2025 Undergraduate Exhibition
Steve Tressler

Eligibility

Current undergraduates from all Penn State campuses and all majors are eligible to enter one of three formats for sharing research and creative inquiry:

Undergraduate Exhibition for Research, Inquiry, and Creative Activity

  • Traditional research poster
  • Oral research presentation – five-minute presentation for disciplines or projects for which traditional research posters are not traditionally used (e.g., an original piece of visual art)
  • Performance – five-minute performance (e.g., music; writing or poetry reading; dance, theatre)

How to Apply

Step 1: Register intent to participate: Deadline is March 17, 2026

Complete the Symposium Presentation Submission Form to register for the Penn State 2026 Undergraduate Exhibition — both in-person and virtual participants must register. 

You may use placeholders for posters and video links when you register. All final materials are due by April 6, 2026.

Posters

By March 17: Upload a placeholder PDF with just your name on it.

By April 6: Replace the placeholder with your final poster and a video voiceover explaining your work.

Presentations & Performances

By March 17: Paste the following placeholder link to complete your registration: https://youtu.be/BJxGScdXMII

By April 6: Upload your video to YouTube and paste the link in the Symposium portal (instructions are in the portal).

Important Reminders

All submissions require a video in order to be judged — this applies even if you are presenting in person. The deadline for all final materials is April 6, 2026.

Symposium Presentation Submission Form-Use this Form to Register for the 2026 Undergraduate Exhibition

Step 2: Finalize materials: Deadline is April 6, 2026

After submitting draft materials as part of the registration of intent to participate, students will be able to continue to update materials. All registered participants will receive email instructions and relevant deadlines.

Materials Required for Participation

  • Abstract Title: (Example: Integrating Behavioral Insights into Public Health Interventions: A Data-Driven Approach to Reducing Health Disparities)
     
  • Primary and co-presenter information: You will be asked to enter first name, last name, Penn State email address for each recognized co-author.
     
  • Biographical Information
     
  • Abstract (Word count: 0/75): A short description of the research project. This can be edited up until the final deadline.
     
  • Poster or Presentation Type: Research Poster, Oral Presentation, or Performance
     
  • Discipline Area: If you are unsure of which subject to choose, please consult with your mentor to determine the best subject for your abstract.
     
  • Mentor: A mentor should be a professor who is familiar with your work. You will be asked to provide your mentor's name and email.
     
  • Intention to participate in the in-person Exhibition: All Exhibition participants are required to upload a presentation for the virtual exhibition. NOTE: Anyone participating in the in-person Exhibition must reserve their spot in advance.
     
  • A PDF of Poster: You must upload a draft of the poster by the registration of intent to participate deadline but you will be able to make edits or upload new versions all the way up until the final deadline.

Guidelines for Posters and Presentations

Virtual Presentations

  • All Exhibition participants must submit a presentation for the virtual Exhibition.
     
  • Poster presentations for research, inquiry, or creative activity must be recorded and submitted to Symposium. Applicants will receive an email with login information for Symposium.
     
  • Presentations require a PDF image of the poster and an accompanying video or audio narration of you describing your poster and project that is no more than five minutes in length. 
     
  • Posters should include all the elements of a traditional research poster in your field. The video or audio narration should be no more than five minutes in length and must be submitted to Symposium as a YouTube link (set as UNLISTED).

In-Person Posters and Presentations

  • Participants must indicate their intent to present at the in-person Exhibition in advance.
     
  • All in-person presenters must have their poster displayed at their assigned spot by the start of the Exhibition.  
     
  • Posters must be 36"x 48".
     
  • Presenters are required to be present for the entirety of the in-person event. The judges may stop by your poster at any time during the session. Judges assigned to assess your poster and presentation are from all academic disciplines, and you should be prepared to give a three to five-minute presentation on your project to each judge.
     
  • All posters must remain on display for the entirety of the Exhibition. Posters that remain displayed after the end of the event will be recycled.
     
  • Information on how to create an effective poster can for found on the Libraries website.
     
  • URFM will host events on how to create a poster. See the URFM event calendar for upcoming workshops
     

Undergraduates are encouraged to attend the Graduate Exhibition on Friday, March 28, to get a better understanding of academic exhibitions. Learn more about the virtual and in-person components of the Graduate Exhibition at gradschool.psu.edu.

Information for Judges

Eligibility

  • Faculty, Post-Docs and graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. in all disciplines are welcome to volunteer to serve as judges.
  • Efforts are made to assign judges to projects and posters within their field of study; however, judges should also be prepared to evaluate projects outside of their area of expertise.

Commitment

  • Judges should be prepared to assess 3-5 projects.
  • Judges are expected to review in-person presentations in the symposium space on the day of the in-person exhibition. If they are unable to attend, judges may instead review the virtual presentations.
  • Judges are expected to review judging materials and awarding criteria before assigning scores.

How to Register as an Exhibition judge

  • Register to be a judge here.
  • Judges must create or sign into their account in Symposium. If you have already created an account for a past exhibition, you should be able to log into symposium with your previous credentials.
  • Once logged into Symposium, new and returning judges must fill out the registration form.

Questions should be sent to UGExhibition@psu.edu

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321 Boucke Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-8199 | urfm@psu.edu

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