40th GPSS Research Symposium

40th Annual GPSS Research Symposium and Exposition
Wednesday March 27, 2024 at the Graduate Life Center Virginia Tech Graduate Life Center, Blacksburg, VA

Symposium Theme: Horizons of Tomorrow: Innovation, Diversity, Collaboration, and Advancement

ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

Volunteers Needed:

If you would like to volunteer for abstract review, day of operations, or both, please contact one of the symposium co-chairs. We are also in need of faculty judges for the day of.

Questions:

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact one of the symposium co-chairs (information below). More information will become available in mid-March.

Co-Chairs:
Jennifer - jennphill@vt.edu
Niveda - niveda@vt.edu 

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jennifer or Niveda at least 10 days before the event.

Call For Judges: We value the advice of our faculty, professional staff, researchers, and advisors. Please invite them to join us as judges! They, too, will receive a token of our regard (and free food during the live event), but more importantly, they will have the opportunity to give valuable professional feedback. We ask that our volunteer judges commit to at least one time slot from 9 am-4 pm on the day of the symposium (generally one hour long). 

Faculty from all departments are welcome to volunteer to judge posters, flash talks, and symposia. Please encourage your faculty to join us in this opportunity to mentor the next generation of scholars!

Judge responsibilities: evaluate presenters using the rubric provided, ask questions that encourage the presenters to deeply explain their research, create a safe and encouraging environment in which our researchers may develop necessary professional presentation skills.

Information on Presentation Formats

Poster

This presentation type is less structured and a great way to get involved in a presentation, especially if this is your first conference! If you select to present a poster, you will be required to print a poster (40 inches wide by 30 inches tall, maximum) and will be provided with materials to hang it up during your scheduled poster session. During your hour long poster session, you will be visited by a few judges, as well as colleagues and faculty who are attending the research symposium. Some may ask you to present your whole poster, some may read it and ask follow up questions, and some may ask you to describe specific questions about your poster. We recommend preparing a 2-3 minute “elevator pitch” to help present your poster. You should plan to stay at your entire poster session.

Note: Poster presenters are responsible for printing their own poster. We do not have funding for poster printing. The Virginia Tech library offers self-printing at $0.03 per square inch. We recommend checking with your department and faculty advisors to see if they have recommendations for poster printing. Some departments offer free printing for their own students and faculty sometimes have funds allotted for printing student posters. A template of a 30x40 inch poster can be downloaded here.

Symposium

This presentation type is more structured than a poster session. If you select to present a symposium, you will be grouped with 3-4 other students and present to a dedicated audience. You should prepare a PowerPoint presentation that should last no more than 15 minutes. After you present, the audience and judges will have a chance to ask you some questions. Each symposium session will last about 1 hour and we ask that you please stay at the session to watch and support the additional presentations from your colleagues. A projector and an HDMI cable will be provided for you to use to present, but you may be required to provide your own computer and adapters if you select a symposium presentation. More information will be provided once abstract submissions are complete.

Flash Talk

A flash talk is kind of a combination of a poster session and a symposium. Flash talk sessions are more structured than a poster session and presenters will be grouped with other students and present to a dedicated audience of judges and colleagues. Like a poster session, however, flash talks are much shorter in length. You should prepare a few slides or a virtual poster and your talk should last no more than 5 minutes. After you present, the audience and judges will have a chance to ask you some questions. Each flash talk session will last about 1 hour and we ask that you please stay at the session to watch and support the additional presentations from your colleagues. A projector and an HDMI cable will be provided for you to use to present, but you may be required to provide your own computer and adapters if you select a flash talk. More information will be provided once abstract submissions are complete.