Undergraduate Research Showcase
Share what you are working on and see what other students are discovering
The College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Showcase is your chance to present research, scholarship or creative work in a professional, supportive setting. You will meet other students in the College of Arts and Sciences who are asking big questions, making art, running analyses, building projects and pushing ideas forward. You can present work in progress or a finished project.
Open to any undergraduate student engaged in a faculty-mentored research, scholarly inquiry or creative projects in the College.
Friday, April 10, 2026
Time: 12:30–5 p.m.
Location: 215 Student Union
Register to present by Feb. 23 and register to attend by Mar. 20
This is a College of Arts and Sciences event that highlights undergraduate work across the arts, humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics. If you are doing faculty-mentored research, scholarly inquiry or creative work, this showcase is for you.
You will leave with a stronger story about your work and a clearer sense of what research can look like at UB.
Why present?
Presenting helps you turn your project into a clear message you can share with anyone, from classmates to faculty to future employers.
When you present, you can:
- Build confidence explaining your work to a mixed audience
- Strengthen your resume and grad school applications with real presentation experience
- Get feedback that helps you sharpen your project
- Meet students and faculty who share your interests
Why attend?
Not presenting this year? Come anyway. You will see what students are doing across the College and pick up ideas for your own next step.
When you attend, you can:
- Get inspired by student projects from many majors
- Learn how to get started in research by talking with presenters
- Meet faculty and student mentors in a low-pressure setting
- Discover opportunities for research, creative work and collaboration
Students who register to present will submit an abstract that will be reviewed. Top submissions will be selected to share their work at the UB Student Celebration of Academic Excellence on April 30, 2026.
Important dates
- Presenter registration closes: February 23
- Abstract submission deadline: February 28
- Attendee registration closes: March 20
- Event date: Friday, April 10
You can present if:
- You are a College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate doing research or creative work in the College or elsewhere or
- You are a non-College undergraduate doing a project with a College of Arts and Sciences faculty mentor
If you are working with a faculty mentor, whether on research, scholarly inquiry or creative work, you are doing research. We welcome and encourage you to present.
✅ Projects we can accept include:
- Full research papers or projects
- Short research papers or projects
- Projects in progress
- Collaborative projects
❌ Projects we cannot accept include:
- Literature reviews
- Projects that summarize existing information without original analysis
- Proposals
If you are not sure your project qualifies, email cas-ugresearch@buffalo.edu.
Get ready to share your work with confidence
All presenters must register and submit an abstract that is 150 to 250 words for either a poster or an oral presentation. Abstracts are reviewed, and oral presentations are approved based on quality and event capacity. If you are not selected for an oral presentation, you will be approved for a poster presentation.
Before you begin
Download the guides below for step-by-step tips on preparing for the showcase.
Final Checklists
Your checklist to help you prepare for the showcase.
Use this list before you submit.
Your abstract should:
- Clearly state your main question, goal or creative focus
- Briefly explain your approach, method or process
- Highlight key findings, insights or outcomes
- Explain why the work matters
- Use clear language that students and faculty from other fields can understand
- Stay within the required word limit
- Avoid jargon or explain it briefly when needed
Final check:
- Someone outside your major can summarize your project after reading it
- Every sentence adds new information
- The abstract matches what you will present
Use this list while designing and before printing.
Content
- Clear title that reflects your main message
- Short introduction that gives necessary background
- Methods or process explained clearly and briefly
- Results, insights or outcomes highlighted visually
- A clear takeaway or “Why this matters” message
Design
- Poster size is 36 by 41 inches
- Text is readable from at least three feet away
- Fonts and colors are consistent and easy to read
- Visuals support your message and are labeled clearly
- Layout flows top to bottom, left to right
- For inspiration, review the Better Scientific Poster
Before you print
- You can explain every section out loud
- Spelling and labels are correct
- The poster tells a clear story without you speaking
Use this list as you build and practice your talk.
Slide 1
- Short, clear title
- Your name, major and faculty mentor
- One sentence that states your question or creative focus
- Very brief explanation of your approach
Slide 2
- One key finding, insight or outcome
- One strong visual if applicable
- Clear statement of why your project matters
- Optional next step in one short line
Practice check
- You stay under two minutes
- You focus on one main idea
- You can explain your project in one sentence
If you are doing research or creative work, you belong at this showcase. If you are still figuring out what you want to explore, attending is a smart way to start.
For questions about undergraduate research showcase, please contact:
Smita Samanta
Director for Undergraduate Student Research
College of Arts and Sciences
Email: cas-ugresearch@buffalo.edu
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- Justin Read, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
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