Faculty Judging of Posters at Scientific Conferences

Introduction

• Caroline Kane introduces the topic and her colleague Professor Rudy Ortiz from UC Merced.
• Objective: Provide guidelines for faculty judging posters to ensure a pleasant experience for both judges and students.

Judging Process

• Faculty can choose which posters to judge.
• Use of stickers with student names and topics for organization.

Main Categories for Judging Posters

1. Poster Composition and Clarity

   • Assess visual layout and organization.
   • Clarity is critical for effective communication of science.

2. Student Presentation

   • Evaluate the student’s ability to explain their work and contextualize the science.
   • The student’s communication is often more important than the poster layout itself.

3. General Communication and Professionalism

   • Observe professionalism during the presentation.

Features of a Good Poster

• Layout: Should be open and logically organized.
• Clarity: Information must be easily digestible, even for those outside the discipline.
• Color Scheme: Aesthetic elements matter as they help in communication.
• Figures: Should be clear and legible from a distance.
• Font Size: Minimum 16-point font recommended for readability.
• Future Work and Acknowledgements: Important sections to include in the poster.

Judging Example

• Introduction of Stephen Chavez, a senior at UC Berkeley, presenting his poster.
• Judges question Stephen about his poster design and project choices.
  • Layout Rationale: Organized layout helps judges focus on the science.
  • Project Selection: Chosen due to personal interest in artificial photosynthesis.
  • Technical Terminology: Importance of making concepts understandable to a general audience.
  • Future Work: Outlined to advance materials design and efficiency.

Conclusion

• Judges finalize by marking the poster indicating it has been evaluated.
• Acknowledgements to Stephen for his work and the effort put into the presentation.
• Thanks to Rudy for participation and insights on judging.
• Emphasis on making poster sessions enjoyable for both judges and students.