Posters

Poster sessions are appropriate for works-in-progress as well as completed projects. Whenever you make any kind of presentation, including a poster, you can apply for a Rackham travel grant to cover the cost of the conference.

Where to present your poster:

  • The MAA Mathfest (held yearly in August) has a poster session specifically for young researchers.
  • Conferences in your Research Area
  • If there is a conference you want to attend, but they do not mention a poster session, you can email the organizers and suggest it to them. Often they think this is a great idea.

Preparing your poster:

Printing your poster:

  • At the University of Michigan, you can print your poster in the Angell Hall Courtyard. The cost may be around $20 (remember that as a UM student you get a free printing allowance).
  • You can carry it to the conference in a special tube for this purpose.
How to Present a Poster

  • Stand to the left of your poster (where people will start reading)
  • When people approach your poster, take initiative. Smile! If they come closer, say “hello” and shake hands.
  • Do introductions: say your name, get their name. Say that you are a student at the University of Michigan and (if you think it would be helpful in this situation) say your advisor and/or year.
  • Ask if they’d like you to “walk them through the poster.”

How to “Walk Someone Through a Poster”

Practice a 1-3 minute speech that explains the big picture in your poster.  Think about how you can adapt this speech based on the background and interests of the person you are talking to. Pay attention to your audience! Ask them about their interests, or if they have any questions. Make sure you are not rushing through technical jargon, leaving them in the dust. They may want to read and ask questions; this is fine. Have an example or easier-to-understand special cases ready. During your speech, avoid pointing pointlessly at your poster—only point if you want to draw attention to a specific theorem, equation, or figure.

This speech is NOT a classroom lecture on your research! It is intended to be the start of an informal conversation.

  • Give credit where credit is due (mention coauthors, explain if this is the dissertation problem that your advisor gave you, if this project was made possible by a special program then say so)
  • Optional: ask some questions to gauge how familiar this person is with your field of research
  • Introduction.  This should include a statement of your question—but maybe after some background. How does your problem relate to the most well-known problems in sector of mathematics represented at this poster session? Why should people care about your problem? What made you start studying this problem? What key concepts are needed to state your theorem but are likely unfamiliar to most people at this session, and what is the easiest way to understand these concepts?
  • Results. State your main theorem. What are the key techniques in the proof? What were the challenges in proving it? What is new in the approach you use?
  • Conclusion. What are potential applications of your theorem? How could your techniques be extended to solve other problems?
  • Any questions?

Adapted from UC Berkley’s Undergraduate Research Center’s slide show “How To Make an Effective Poster”