UMSS Presenters
UMSS26 – April, 17, 2026
New Balance Field House,
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2026 UMaine Student Symposium Timeline Wednesday, January 21, 2026: Abstract Submission Form Opens Friday, March 27, 2026: Abstract Submission Form Closes Friday, April 10, 2026: Posters due to Printing by noon Friday, April 17, 2026: Day of Event, New Balance Field House, UMaine
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Why Be a UMSS Student Presenter?

  • Sharpens presentation and communication skills
  • Practice talking about your work
  • A great addition to CV/resume
  • Network with peers
  • Connect with sponsors/future employers
  • Share what you have been working on with the campus community
  • Refine your thinking processes as a researcher, which can be used in your future career
  • Research skills are extremely valuable in any field
Judging Rubric
A photo of a student presenting at the symposium

How to become a UMSS Student Presenter

Step 1: Submit an Abstract

List of categories by major

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AI Tools Disclaimer: all students are required to be transparent about their use of AI tools in the drafting of material for Fellowships or the Symposium. Students are reminded that they are ultimately responsible for the accuracy of any and all content submitted for these opportunities: while AI tools are powerful and can be helpful, they can and often do return incorrect information (known as 鈥渉allucinations鈥) when asked to generate text.

Step 2: Choose and Develop your Presentation Method

A. Poster Presentation

  • You do not need your abstract number before beginning this process.
  • The Abstract number is not required to be on your poster.
  • Judges will be randomly assigned abstract numbers.
  • Presentation Posters are displayed on easels and Exhibit Posters are reserved with a 4-foot table section.
  • Printing Options and Information -Posters due to UMaine Printing Friday, April 10, 2026 by 12 noon!
  • For additional questions about accessible accommodations, please email um.symposium@maine.edu. 
B. Exhibit Presentation

What is an Exhibit?

  • An exhibit may contain demonstrative items beyond a poster (although a poster may be part of your exhibit but is not mandatory)
  • This may include items like artwork, models, digital presentation features, or other items that have never been seen at the Symposium before!
  • The Abstract number is not required to be on your exhibit.
  • Judges will be randomly assigned abstract numbers.

Presenters are responsible for their own exhibition components, and communication of their space and display needs to UMSS organizers in the abstract submission form.

For additional questions about accessible accommodations, please email um.symposium@maine.edu. 

  • Examples of needs might include a table, power, chairs, etc.
  • We will try to meet the needs to the best of our ability but items like screens, TVs, etc are not something we can supply. 
  • Contact us so we can talk about it! 
C. Oral Presentation

What is an oral presentation?

An oral presentation will consist of:

  • A slide deck students will use as a visual aid to their presentation.
  • Oral Presentations will be scheduled in 15-minute blocks, giving the student a few minutes to set up their technology, 5-7 minutes to talk about their slides, and a few minutes for questions.
  • There will be a UMSS volunteer in the room to keep an eye on the time, and who will notify the student when they need to start wrapping things up.
  • The Abstract number is not required to be on your oral presentation.
  • Judges will be randomly assigned abstract numbers.

Oral presenters will want to bring in their laptops, in order to hook into the system and access the slide deck for presentation.

After completing your slide deck, email it or give access to um.symposium@maine.edu. In the event that your laptop doesn鈥檛 connect to the system, a member of the UMSS team will be available with their laptop and can access the presentation.

For additional questions about accessible accommodations, please email um.symposium@maine.edu.