Graduate Research Forum
Feb. 15, 2023 | Ford Alumni Center
The Division of Graduate Studies invites you to a one-day conference showcasing the research, scholarship, and creative expressions of UO graduate students.
Join us on Feb. 15, 2023, at the Ford Alumni Center to view work from more than 125 students representing 46 disciplines.

"Talking to people at the research forum about what I’m working on was a productive way to process my own ideas and reach the next level of clarity." — Christopher
"It was a positive challenge to explain my whole project in brief conversation and to explain it in a way that is accessible to people not in the field." — Annalise
"Preparing for the poster presentation helped me organize my thoughts and clarify my overall project. The forum is the ideal place to share these ideas." — Kathryn
The Graduate Research Forum provides an excellent professional development opportunity for graduate students to share their research with a broad audience of faculty, other graduate students, undergraduates, and members of the larger community. There are three different ways to get involved.
► Poster
► 3-Minute Thesis
► Panels
What to Expect
Graduate students can present at the Graduate Research Forum with a poster, three-minute thesis or as part of a panel.

POSTER
Research posters concisely summarize research and provide a starting place for discussion. Posters are typically a combination of brief text with tables, graphs, and/or pictures. Researchers will stand by their posters to discuss and answer questions.
To propose a poster, be ready to submit a title and a 200 word abstract describing your research. Posters previously developed for past presentations or in development for future presentation at other conferences are welcome. All posters should use inclusive language that avoids stereotypes, labeling, and pejorative comments.
The dimensions of the posters are to be no larger than 36x48 inches, do not exceed 48" in width or the poster will not fit on the partition. A convenient and affordable printing option on campus is at the College of Design Output Room.
Posters are categorized by field; first place in each category will win $300. There is also a People’s Choice Winner as voted by attendees with a prize of $100.

3-MINUTE THESIS
The Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition gives students no more than 3 minutes – and one slide – to present their research. This cultivates students’ capacity to effectively explain their research concisely in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.
To participate, be ready to submit a title and a 150-word abstract describing your research. All competitors should use inclusive language that avoids stereotypes, labeling, and pejorative comments. Competitors can expect to receive a feedback package after the event containing a video clip of their presentation and the judges' scoresheet/comments.
First place wins $500; second place $300; third place $200 and the People’s Choice gets $100. First, second and third place winners have the opportunity to compete in the regional Western Association of Graduate Schools 3MT competition.

PANELS
Panels are comprised of talks by three to five graduate students (total presentation time is 1 hour), and the talks must share a common theme or topic.
Each panel must designate a panel coordinator. This person will provide the overall panel title and the names of their fellow presenters in addition to the title and abstract (no more than 200 words) of their individual talk.
All other panelists will be asked to provide the name and email of the panel moderator, the title and abstract (no more than 200 words) of their individual talk. Winning Panels will win $150 for each panelist in their group.
Presenters are expected to use inclusive language that avoids stereotypes, labeling, and pejorative comments.
2023 Graduate Research Forum Winners

1st Place
Filip-Bogdan Serban-Dragan, Prevention Science
2nd Place
Austin Ricci, Human Physiology
3rd Place
Carla Consolini, Linguistics
People's Choice
Angelique Allen, Biology

Panel title:
What is missing in Feminist Philosophy? Three Critical Interventions
Panelists:
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Rhiannon Lindgren
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Annie Ring
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Tali Bitton

Kendra Taylor, Music Education
Heather Le Bleu, Biology
Hadil Abuhmaid, Media Studies
Xiaoqi Ma, Prevention Science
Cal Penkauskas, Biology
Cecelia Staggs, Linguistics
Mallory Pennington, Psychology
People's Choice
Sarah Jordan, Music Composition; Heather Le Bleu, Biology
The History of the Graduate Research Forum
The Forum began April 2010 in response to requests from graduate students for more opportunities for interdisciplinary intellectual exchange and networking. This will be the twelfth annual year of the Grad Forum, which regularly showcases the work of more than 100 graduate students representing more than 50 disciplines.
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2019
The 2019 event was composed of over 100 student presentations covering a wide variety of research topics including trauma in high school students, gender roles via Instagram, and how socioeconomic adversity affects brain development in children. With the addition of the fast-moving Three Minute Thesis presentations, the event was exciting, educational, and fun.
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2018
The 2018 event attracted student presentations covering a range of research topics including stress and coping in humans and related species, ethics in the digital age, and how socioeconomic adversity affects brain development in children. With the addition of the fast-moving Three Minute Thesis presentations, the event was lively, interesting, and fun.
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2017
See the event program here.
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2016
In 2016 more than 100 graduate students came together to present, network and compete for prizes. The 7th annual Grad Forum was centered around four themes that highlighted graduate student work from multiple disciplines: Crossing Borders, Crossing Cultures, Crossing Frontiers; Breaking New Ground in the Sciences; Challenges for a New Generation of Leaders; and In Our Own Backyard. The event featured 13 interdisciplinary panel sessions, two 5-minute blitz sessions, and a two-hour poster session, followed by a reception at the Barn Light. Twenty-seven graduate students received awards of $250 per person.
Around the O recapped the Grad Forum Poster Session with an article and video showcasing the breadth of research being done by grad students on our campus. And, read student reactions to the 2016 Grad Forum on the Language Teaching Studies Blog.
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2015
The 6th annual forum saw more than 150 graduate students come together to present, network and compete for over $14,000 in prizes. Four themes connected the work from multiple disciplines: Science and the Social Good; Academy, Race and (In)Equality: Bridging Research and Practice; Human Rights, Development and Sustainability; and Imaginative Design, Art, and Performance.
UO grad students share fruits of research, creative work
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2014
More than 100 UO graduate students came together to present, network and compete for over monetary prizes at the 5th annual Graduate Student Research Forum. Around the O recapped the 2015 Graduate Forum Poster Session with an article and video. Watch the video to sample the breadth of research being done by grad students on our campus.