Background
Penn State's annual Undergraduate Exhibition communicates and celebrates the participation of undergraduate students from across the University in scholarly inquiry, research, and creative endeavors.
Undergraduates from all Penn State campuses are eligible to enter one of four 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)
- Engagement Experience Poster Exhibition
- Posters highlighting and reflecting on student engagement achievements (NOT a research poster)
In addition to the Undergraduate Exhibition at University Park, exhibitions and research fairs are regularly hosted across the Commonwealth. Please see our Getting Help section for campus-specific resources.
Eligibility
- Current undergraduate
- Endorsed by a Penn State research mentor
Application
The application deadline for the 2023 Undergraduate Exhibition for Research, Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Engagement Experiences has passed.
Questions about the Exhibitions should be directed to Alan Rieck, associate vice president and associate dean for undergraduate education, at 814-863-1864 or ajr83@psu.edu.
Timeline
The application for the 2023 Undergraduate Exhibition closed on Monday, March 20, 2023 at 11:59 p.m.
Please note the Exhibition formats and schedule:
- Monday, April 10–Wednesday, April 12, 2023 — Required online virtual Exhibition (all participants and all formats)
- Wednesday, April 12, 2023 — In-person poster presentations in Alumni Hall, Hetzel Union Building at University Park; space is limited for each session and assignments are first come, first served based on the date and time the completed application was submitted through InfoReady.
Judge Registration
Judge sign up requires login through Symposium.
- If you have used Symposium previously, navigate to our judge registration form, enter your email and click “Next” to enter the password (click “Forgot Password?” if assistance is needed with password).
- If you have not used Symposium, visit symposium.foragerone.com/signup and complete the sign-up process.
- Then register using our judge registration form. (Note that after completing the sign-up process you may not be automatically directed to the judge registration form. You may need to again click our judge registration form link.)
Volunteer judges are asked to sign up by April 2, and judges will receive judging assignments by April 7.
Awards
Gerard A. Hauser Award
The Gerald A. Hauser Award is given to the exhibition entry judged to be the best overall. Named in honor of a former director of Penn State's honors program, it is accompanied by a $500 prize.
Category Awards
First, second, and third place is awarded in each of the Exhibition’s entry categories, including arts and humanities, course-based projects, engineering, health and life sciences, physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and oral presentations and performances.
Peter T. Luckie Award for Outstanding Juniors
The Peter T. Luckie Award for Outstanding Juniors is sponsored by the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring office and the Penn State Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. The award recognizes an outstanding junior entry in each of the three following areas: health and life sciences, humanities and social sciences, and physical sciences and engineering. Each award is accompanied by a $200 prize.
Information about the Penn State chapter may be found at www.phikappaphi.psu.edu.
University Libraries' John Sr. and Kimlyn Patishnock Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy
The University Libraries' John Sr. and Kimlyn Patishnock Undergraduate Research Award: Excellence in Information Literacy recognizes scholarly work based on a foundation of careful background research and literature review. The award is given to entries that demonstrate excellence in information literacy through the following: showcasing your research process and strategies; selection of sources that contribute to your argument and ideas; social, ethical, or economic considerations in accessing information; and credit and proper citation for any quotes, tables, graphs, images, and other content displayed.
Information on this award and the judging rubric may be found at the Libraries' website or by contacting Student Engagement Librarian Danica White (dew5422@psu.edu).