Poster and Talk Instructions

Below is information for prepating your talk or poster.

There are two options for talks: 

1.  Presentation:  10 minute (max) oral presentation plus time for one to two questions.  This format is best for describing a large project, including one that is advanced enough to have findings, conclusions, and/or implications.
2. Project Blitz: 5 minute (max) oral presentation, with one slide, no text on slide, and no questions.  This format is best for highlighting one part of your project or one that is in progress.  

Please follow these instructions to prepare your talk if you plan to give an oral presentation at CUSRR.

If you are unfamiliar with creating visual aids for oral presentations using PowerPoint, we recommend having a look at the instructional videos available at lynda.com.

The time allotted for each talk will be about 12 minutes including time for questions.  Keep in mind that your audience will represent a wide range of disciplines, so it is important that your talk be accessible to a general audience. Please work with your mentor in the development of your presentation.  Giving timed practice talks to friends who don’t work in the same department is strongly recommended.

Please prepare your presentation in PowerPoint or Google Slides with a maximum file size of 100 MB, and upload it at the link below. The A/V system will allow you to play audio from your presentation if you need it.  Please do not include video in your presentation. If you have any other questions or concerns about the A/V system, please email Martha Arterberry ([email protected]).

Please name your file with the first author’s last name, underscore, and first name to easily distinguish it from others’ files (for example: Doe_Jane.pptx). Please submit your presentation by emailing it to Martha Arterberry ([email protected]) by 5 pm on Wednesday, July 24.  Note that all presentations will be downloaded prior to the start of the symposium and that there is unreliable internet access at The Forks , so you cannot plan to download your presentation after arriving!! 

 A poster is a visual support for a small group conversation.  You do not want to put everything that you will say on your poster.  In fact, the best posters have the fewest words possible.  If you are unfamiliar with creating files for posters using PowerPoint or Google Presentation, we recommend having a look at the instructional videos available at lynda.com as well as the academic poster guidelines for Colby students.  The first thing to do is to set the size of the poster to 48 x 36 inches, not the default of 8.5 x 11 inches.

As you prepare your poster, please keep in mind that your audience will represent a wide range of disciplines, so it is important that your poster be accessible to a general audience. Please work with your mentor in the development of your poster presentation. While there’s no one way to design a poster, it’s best to remember that it’s meant to be a visual aid for a brief oral presentation. Therefore, large quantities of text typically aren’t the best way to convey your message. Diagrams, pictures, graphs, and short captions work better. It’s also helpful to remember that you’ll present your poster differently depending on the expertise and level of interest of the person visiting your poster. If you’re a computer scientist, for example, and a computer scientist wants to hear your poster, you can certainly get into specific details. If a chemist asks you to present your work, you’ll need to give a much more simplified version.

Regarding poster printing, please upload your poster files at this website, which includes some instructions and helpful tips.  You must upload your poster file by 5 PM on Friday, 7/19!  Please don’t forget that your files should be sized appropriately (48 x 36 inches, not 8.5 x 11).

On the day of the symposium, your poster will be assigned a number that corresponds to your poster session (there will be three sessions) and easel. Please have your poster set up at least 15 minutes before the start of your assigned session.  For all sessions, please take down your poster at the session’s conclusion.  Each session will last approximately 2 hours.