Poster Presentation & Elevator Speech Competition

The MD Anderson Summer Experience culminates in a final event featuring an academic poster presentation and an elevator speech competition. This poster session and elevator speech competition provide Summer Experience participants an opportunity to promote their research. MD Anderson faculty, staff and trainees are encouraged to attend this event. Students are encouraged to extend invitations to their research teams, families and friends.

All Summer Experience participants, including high school students, undergraduates, graduate research assistants, research interns and health professions students, are eligible to participate in the poster presentation and elevator speech competition.

The 2018 event will take place Thursday, Aug. 9.

8-9 a.m.: Poster Presenter Check-In
Participants must report to the Duncan Building (CPB), Floor 8, Rooms 1-8, for breakfast and to install their posters. All posters must be in place by 8:45 a.m.

9-11 a.m.: Poster Session
Students present posters on their summer research projects. All Summer Experience students are expected to participate.

11-11:30 a.m.: Elevator Speech Competition

11:30 a.m.-Noon: Intermission & Elevator Speech Judging

Noon: Announcement of Elevator Speech Winners & Closing Remarks
 

The final event opens to visitors at 9 a.m. All posters must be in place by 8:45 a.m. Posters are displayed in the exhibit area on stands that will be ready in time for poster installation. Students are stationed with their posters and should be prepared to present their work to visitors.

Students are advised not to be concerned if their data is not complete or otherwise ready for publication. The objectives of the poster presentation are as follows:

• Share background information about research conducted
• Present research project in an organized, logical manner
• Discuss pertinent information such as controls used or other approaches taken

Students are encouraged to practice their poster discussions with mentors, supervisors, lab mates and peers. Mentors and lab mates are encouraged to attend the event.

Posters should be created using the following instructions and template:

• Summer Experience Poster Instructions
• Summer Experience Poster Template (ppt)

Students should have their mentors and immediate supervisors review their draft posters and have the posters approved before submitting them for printing. It is advised that students give their mentors and supervisors a few days to review the poster. Cost of printing posters is underwritten by the MD Anderson Graduate Education Committee and the MD Anderson Summer Experience.

Deadline for students to submit posters for printing is Wednesday, Aug. 1. Posters should be proofread carefully before they are submitted. Posters with errors cannot be reprinted. Posters should be submitted to Nancy Strange and are submitted to Creative Services as a group.

Creative Services offers the following guidelines for poster preparation:

• File name must begin with the last name of your coordinator, followed by the student’s last name. Use hyphens to separate the names. Example: Melancon-Student-NanoImaging.ppt
• Do not change the page size or margin size of the PowerPoint template. Diameter of the page must remain 35.5 square inches.
• Do not delete, resize or otherwise change the MD Anderson logo in the upper right corner or the red color bar between the header and the content. These elements are part of MD Anderson’s branding and are required on all academic posters displayed here.
• Posters should be proofread carefully before they are submitted. Posters with errors cannot be reprinted. Preliminary drafts may be printed on an office printer using the 11x17 inches setting. Proofing a hard copy aids in noticing potential errors before printing. It also ensures that the file will print correctly after it is submitted.
• Students should free to change the column widths and body text of the template.
• Students should submit completed poster files as a PowerPoint file (ppt). Students are asked not to update the file format to PowerPoint 2013 (pptx).
• In addition, students should submit a pdf file of their posters. This will be used as a print proof.

• Finalists will be selected from pre-submitted videos and will compete during the final summer event.
• Finalists will compete in person on Thursday, Aug. 9, by presenting 90-second elevator speeches describing their research as part of the MD Anderson Summer Experience. Focus of the elevator speech is on communicating the significance of your work, rather than on reporting specific results.
• Instructional workshops for creating elevator speeches are offered (refer to Elevator Speech Workshops, Rehearsals & Deadlines below). It is highly recommended that those considering entering the competition attend these workshops to obtain handouts and related information.
• Any high school student, undergraduate, graduate, health professional (medical, Pharm.D., nursing, etc.) or research intern taking part in a summer program at MD Anderson is eligible to register and participate.
• Students do not need to submit a written abstract and need not have conclusive research results to compete.
• Cash prizes will be awarded for elevator speeches in the categories of Best Speech and People's Choice.

1. Commit to compete. Register by Friday, July 27, at 5 p.m. All registrants will receive an invitation to the designated box.com account to upload their video submission. 
2. Attend the free workshops. Learn to create effective elevator speeches, practice and get feedback. During the workshops, you will receive the following handouts: What is an elevator speech? and Elevator Speech: Elements, Styling and Tips. Be sure to bring your questions to the workshops. (Refer to Elevator Speech Workshops, Rehearsals and Deadlines below for times, dates and locations.)
3. Create your video. Create a 90-second video of a "preliminary" elevator speech on your tablet, laptop, camcorder, computer or smartphone. Acceptable video file formats are: 3g2, 3gp, avi, m2v, m4v, mov, mp4, mpeg, mpg and wmv. In this video, tell us about yourself and your summer research project. Be as creative and innovative as you wish.
4. Upload your video to box.com by Tuesday, July 31, at 5 p.m., with the your first and last name included within the video file name. Extensions will not be granted. 
5. Find out if you're a finalist. Finalists will be selected from submitted videos and notified via email by Monday, Aug. 6, at 5 p.m. 
6. Attend the Group Elevator Speech Rehearsal (for competition finalists only) on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 3-4 p.m., in the Duncan Building (CPB), Floor 8, Rooms 1-3 and 6-8.
7. Speak to compete. Finalists will compete by presenting their elevator speeches in person (not via video) on Thursday, Aug. 9, at 11 a.m.  
8. Claim your prize. Elevator speech competition winners will be announced at Thursday, Aug. 9, at noon. Cash prizes will be awarded for Best Speech ($200) and People's Choice ($100).

Those planning to enter the MD Anderson Summer Experience Elevator Speech Competition will have two (2) opportunities to attend each workshop. It is recommended that participants attend a Part A workshop and a Part B workshop.  For those who need extra help with their Elevator Speech video submission, may request a private rehearsal with Carrie Cameron, Ph.D. 

Elevator Speech Workshops

Part A: Basics & Structure (Choose 1)

• To be announced

OR

• To be announced
  

Part B: Styling & Presentation Tips (Choose 1)

• To be announced
  

OR

• To be announced

Private Elevator Speech Rehearsal 

• To be announced

Poster Presentation:

Nancy Strange (administrative questions)
Senior Administrative Assistant
Academic Affairs
713-792-2552
NDStrange@mdanderson.org

Marites P. Melancon, Ph.D. (content questions)
Program Director
Summer Experience Program
713-794-5387
MMelancon@mdanderson.org