Dear Political Science Students,

We are set to hold our 14th undergraduate research conference for political science students on Wednesday, April 9nd, 2025 from 11am to 1pm! All students who have written a strong research-oriented paper for any political science course or independent study are welcome to apply. Please note that it is not necessary for a student to be a member of Pi Sigma Alpha in order to participate. 

Conference presenters ususually present research that they have completed as a poster that they display on an easel to their visitors. Posters are made in Microsoft's Powerpoint. Normally, visitors study the poster for a few minutes and then interact with you about your work. It's a wonderful opportunity for you to disseminate your research and discuss your ideas to a larger audience. In addition, students often use this conference to prepare for their presentations at URCAD (Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day), which will take place one week later on April 16th. (Note that the due date to submit a proposal to URCAD is February 14th.)

Attached are a few photos from previous conferences to give you an idea of what the conference would look like. In the pictures, you can see an example of a poster; also look at URCAD's website to see additional examples and general advice (click on poster presentations).  

The UMBC Omicron Eta Pi Sigma Alpha group has received funding from the national organization of Pi Sigma Alpha to cover the costs associated with your participation in the conference, including the printing and mounting of your poster on a posterboard and lunch the day of the conference. Once we know who is participating, we will distribute information about how to make a poster in Powerpoint and, if there is enough interest, we will also hold a workshop on Monday, March 17th during the free hour. 

Please consider participating if you have a strong paper from a class or other research experience that you would like to present! It's a wonderful experience for everyone - for presenters and visitors alike. Also, please feel free to reach out to Professor Forestiere forestie@umbc.edu or to Professor Anson at iganson@umbc.edu if you have any questions.