July 7, 2017

Fall 2017 Virtual Poster Showcase is now open for registration and abstract submission

Posted by AGU Career Center

In an effort to allow interested participants to submit abstracts related to summer projects while the work is still fresh in their mind, the Fall 2017 Virtual Poster Showcase will open for abstract submissions early this year in early July.  The following post discusses some of the benefits of participation.

While many college students conduct research with faculty in organized summer programs or as part of their course work, they often face barriers in traveling to present that research, especially at national and international conferences. The Virtual Poster Showcase (VPS) allows participation by those students, especially the ones who can’t travel.

VPS increases engagement with undergraduate and graduate Earth and space science (ESS) students who are unable to attend meetings in person to present their research. In each showcase, students present their research to a panel of their peers, and in the second and third round to an expert panel of judges. These sessions bring together student presenters with faculty co-authors to highlight Earth, atmospheric, ocean, and space science research experiences and outreach efforts. 

For students, there is a series of benefits associated with presenting in VPS. It is an opportunity to boost career potential and build a resume as well as alleviates any barriers due to cost and time constraints for a student to present their research. VPS also offers students a platform to practice presenting their research and get quality feedback from experts in their field prior to presenting at a larger meeting in front of their more experienced colleagues. They not only give feedback to their peers, but learn from their peers through the peer-to-peer review process. All abstracts submitted will have the option to be citable so long as it fulfills all necessary requirements.

There are also benefits to being a judge. Judges have the flexibility to schedule their own time to review a poster and give back as mentors who want to encourage the future generation of Earth and space scientists. They are also helping diversify the workforce in all respects, including ethnicity, location and gender, without having to devote too much time or resources.  If you are a professional in the Earth and space sciences and looking for ways to impact the next generation, volunteer to be an Expert Judge in the upcoming showcase.  The expert judging phase will occur in mid-to-late November.

If you are a faculty member and are interested in learning more about how Virtual Poster Showcase can be added to your curriculum, you can find out more at the Virtual Poster Showcase “Information for Faculty” page.

The Fall 2017 VPS showcase is now open for registration and abstract submission.  The deadline for submitting abstracts will be 30 September. Both graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to participate! For further information and answers to your questions, please visit our FAQ page or contact us.

Cecilia Hurtado is a summer intern at the American Geophysical Union.  She recently graduated from the Department of Geology at the College of William and Mary.