Poster competition to educate on women in science

Graduate and undergraduate women in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics will have the opportunity March 6 to display research in their respective fields.  

“The idea for a campus-wide poster competition came about 12 years ago,” said
Brooke Treadwell, coordinator of the Women in Science Program.  

Treadwell said the poster competition is a great way to display and highlight the research going unnoticed on campus.

The event is also a great way to address the shortage of females in the varying fields of science and assist females in completing their goals, said Steve Chaplin, director of University Communications.

Anyone who has done research, formal or informal, is encouraged to participate in this competition.  

Women who are interested have until Friday to register.

The arrangement of the competition is similar to an academic conference, where individuals demonstrate their research and findings on a poster board, Treadwell said.  

Each individual will then proceed for five to seven minutes with a panel of three judges, who will provide substantial feedback.  

“This is a great environment for young women to gain valuable experience in presenting and interviewing,” Chaplin said.  

With registration, there will also be an event Monday in which winners from previous years will be describing their experience and what the poster-making process entails.  

“Most of the winning posters include some text, but also embrace the visual components such as graphs and photos, which accurately display the most important findings of the research,” Treadwell said.

There are three categories for the competitors, including natural science, social science and mathematics, Treadwell said.

“The most amazing part about this experience is the ability to examine other individuals’ work from their particular discipline,” said former participant and graduate student Dayna Fischtein.

Each category will contain four winners, two undergraduate and two graduate students. Undergraduate and graduate students will not be competing against each other.  

“The first place winners will receive $100 and the second place winners will receive $75,” Treadwell said.  

The best way to experience success in this competition is to address the criteria as pre-determined and distributed by the judges, Fischtein said.  

Another advantage for the attendees includes an opportunity to interact with Ph.D students and partake in a more casual environment for the obtainment of feedback.  

“It truly is a warm, supportive environment, a place to present your work and get great feedback in order to prepare you for future endeavors,” Treadwell said.  

Anyone interested in participating in this event may contact wisp@indiana.edu to reserve a spot.