The MSSU Student Research Symposium is a public, in‑person event where students present their research posters to faculty judges, peers, and community members. The symposium is open to students from all disciplines—including master’s and dual‑credit students—and provides an opportunity to showcase research beyond the classroom.
Who Can Participate
Students involved in faculty‑guided research or creative activity are eligible to participate, whether the work was completed through a class, internship, or independent project. All actively enrolled students are encouraged to submit an abstract.
Presentation Format
All final entries must be presented as a poster. Posters may represent current or past work, including:
Students may compete in one of seven categories
Students and their faculty mentors are responsible for selecting the appropriate category.
**All final entries must be in the form of a poster** (The poster template is provided below).
First and second‑place winners will be recognized in each category:
Abstracts should follow the required word limit and reflect professional conference standards.
There is no cost to attend or participate. The event is open to all students, faculty, staff, and community members. The Student Research Symposium is open to the public on April 22, 2026, from 12:30-1:30PM.
Please evaluate the student's INTRODUCTION based on the following criteria:
- Poor (1-3 points): The topic is unclear and the introduction does not orient the reader as to how the rest of the paper will follow. There is no mention of the research question or literature. There is no theoretical framework and the student does not incorporate secondary sources.
- Acceptable (4-6 points): Shows some organization, but is not clear on how the rest of the paper will follow. The research question is confusing and ambiguous. Does not elaborate on prior studies or literature related to the research question.
- Good (7-9 points): The research question is defined. Goals and objectives are stated. The student mentions the literature, but does not go into specifics regarding a gap in the literature/field.
- Outstanding (10 points): Presents a clearly articulated research question that directly addresses the specific questions the student will answer, as well as addresses a gap in the literature/field. Goals and objectives are explained and the student presents them within a theoretical framework that includes secondary sources.
Please evaluate the student's METHODOLOGY based on the following criteria:
- Poor (1-3 points): Is not explained in a logical, cohesive manner. The student mentions some connections with the research topic, but they are not applied well. There is little understanding of how or why certain steps and processes were initiated.
- Acceptable (4-6 points): Is confusing and unclear, especially with how it relates to the research topic. The student’s reasoning is simplistic or not explained well. There is not a clear understanding of the process involved and how or why one step proceeds to the next.
- Good (7-9 points): Is clear and logical. The student discusses how the data was collected, measured, and administered. There is a clear relationship between methodology and research topic.
- Outstanding (10 points): Is appropriate to the discipline and is explained clearly and documented in detail. Addresses the research question and possible biases are identified. Is so well-defined that the study could be replicated based on the speaker’s explanation.
Please evaluate the student's RESULTS/DISCUSSION based on the following criteria:
- Poor (1-3 points): The findings are confusing and unclear, and it is not understood how they relate to the research topic. The conclusions do not demonstrate any independent or original thought.
- Acceptable (4-6 points): States the findings, but does not explain them in any detail or mention any implications as they relate to the topic. There is no mention of possible applications for future studies.
- Good (7-9 points): Explains the findings, but does not go into detail regarding the implications as they relate to the topic or any possible applications for future studies.
- Outstanding (10 points): Explains in specific detail the findings and the range of implications as they relate to the topic. The student addresses any obstacles, as well as possible applications of said results for future studies. The conclusions demonstrate independent and original thought.
Please evaluate the student's POSTER PRESENTATION based on the following criteria:
- Poor (1-3 points): Poster is not visually appealing. The poster is cluttered and the use of colors and font impair readability. The visuals do not enhance the text. The content arrangement is extremely confusing. Errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar repeatedly distract the viewer. Speaks too softly or loudly.
- Acceptable (4-6 points): Poster’s visual appeal is adequate; is cluttered and some colors and font sizes distract from the readability; displays visuals that adequately enhance the text; and the content arrangement is somewhat confusing. Spelling, punctuation, and grammar errors distract or impair readability. The speaker speaks in a monotone voice. The use of filler words (um, like, well…) is distracting.
- Good (7-9 points): Poster is not cluttered and includes colors and fonts that support readability; displays visuals that enhance the text and are arranged so the viewer can understand their order without narration; is clearly written with little or no editing required for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Speaker speaks faster or slower than necessary, or too quietly.
- Outstanding (10 points): Poster is not cluttered and includes colors and fonts that enhance readability; displays clear tables, graphs, or images that engage the viewer and are arranged so the viewer can understand their order without narration; is written with no errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Is confident, clear, engaging, and organized. Speaks at a good rate and volume.
Research Symposium Timeline
This timeline is intended to give students and their mentors an idea of the Student Research Symposium submission and presentation process.
January
February
March
April
Dr. Betsy Adelizzi
Email: Adelizzi-b@mssu.edu
Dr. Brian Neugebauer
Email: Neugebauer-b@mssu.edu
