Please check back frequently as we will continue to update the FAQs as we approach the conference. 

What is DEGS all about?

The spirit of the Drexel Emerging Graduate Scholars (DEGS) Conference is to showcase Drexel's graduate and professional students at all levels of study, stages of research, and across disciplines, and to celebrate the diverse and exciting research they contribute to Drexel’s research enterprise and status as an R1 research institution.

The conference challenges students in more technical fields to present their research to a general, interdisciplinary, and non-specialized audience helping them focus on the translational impact of their research while avoiding technical jargon and field-specific language. Further, the conference offers opportunities for students who may have little or no experience with abstract writing or conference presentation to hone their academic and professional skills in a free, low stakes, low stress, high impact environment.

The DEGS Conference is also a great opportunity to meet graduate and professional students outside of your program/college/school.

The conference is not meant to be a highly specialized academic or technical environment, such as annual meetings or conferences within a particular field. Those seeking a more specialized academic or technical experience may prefer not to participate in DEGS.

Volunteers Needed: We are in need of volunteers to serve in various roles prior to and during the conference, including abstract reviewers (beginning April 1 through April 16), conference judges (in person and virtual), and general volunteers to help set up the day prior to (May 6) and during the conference (May 7 & 8) to help with setup, check-in, distribution of materials, directing individuals and providing instructions, etc. Sign up here and thank you in advance!

Submission & Selection

Who can submit to present at DEGS?

All Drexel students who are currently enrolled in a graduate-level program (JD, MD, master’s, professional doctorate, PhD) in any field/department/college/school or who have recently graduated from a graduate program in the current academic year (including summer, fall, and winter) are welcome to submit to present at DEGS.

What is the deadline to submit an abstract to present?

The deadline to submit an abstract to present at this year’s conference is Monday, March 31. A review committee consisting of faculty and professional staff members will begin reviewing submissions the morning of Tuesday, April 1. A representative will be in touch with you regarding your submission no later than Friday, April 18.

What is the selection criteria? Is it competitive?

Generally, selection to present at the DEGS Conference is not highly competitive; however, there are limited spots available for the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition and for oral research presentations due to scheduling. We simply do not have enough time for everyone to present a 20-minute oral. We try and accommodate as many poster presentations as possible, space and schedule permitting.

Please keep in mind that the review committee will select abstracts at all levels of study, stages of research, and across disciplines in the spirit of the DEGS Conference based on the abstract submission and the evaluation criteria listed below and on the Submission and Presentation Guidelines page.

• Objective - Includes a clear summary of the project, methods, results, and conclusions
• Significance - Outlines the broader impact or significance of the work
• Novelty - Evidence of novel ideas, creative thinking, and/or collaboration
• Accessibility - Easily understood by a broad audience, such as outside of the field of study, avoiding or explaining technical jargon in lay language
• Quality - Free of spelling and grammatical errors, follows guidelines

Presentations will feature new and/or junior level graduate students with preliminary results and advanced level degree students who may be completing their dissertation.

When will I hear back about my submission?

A review committee consisting of faculty and professional staff members will begin reviewing submissions following the deadline of March 31. A representative will be in touch with you regarding your submission no later than Friday, April 18.

I am an accelerated degree program student (BS/MS). Can I present at DEGS?

It depends. Students enrolled in accelerated degree programs (BS/MS) must be fully converted to graduate level status (GR) at the time of the conference to be eligible to present at DEGS. If you are taking graduate-level courses but maintain undergraduate student status, unfortunately you are not eligible to submit to present at the DEGS Conference. The reason for this has to do with which student activity fee you contribute toward. If you are not sure about your student status, please contact graduatecollege@drexel.edu. With that being said, all are welcome and encouraged to engage with the conference as attendees. Registration will be available in April.

I recently graduated from a Drexel graduate program. Can I still participate in DEGS?

Drexel alumni who have recently graduated from a graduate program in the current academic year (including summer, fall, and winter) are welcome to submit to present at DEGS. All are welcome and encouraged to engage with the conference as attendees. Registration will be available in April.

Is DEGS only for STEM fields?

No! The spirit of the DEGS Conference is to showcase Drexel's graduate and professional students and the diverse and exciting research they conduct at all levels of study, stages of research, and across disciplines, including nursing, health professions, public health, social sciences, humanities, education, art, media, and design. Creativity is welcome.

Do I need to align my research presentation with a specific conference theme, or can I submit any research topic?

This year's conference does not have a specific theme and there is no requirement to align your abstract submission or research presentation with any theme. We welcome research topics from graduate and professional students at all levels of study, stages of research, and across disciplines to submit to present. Creativity is welcome.

What if I have never written an abstract?

Now is the time to try! The DEGS Conference offers a free, low stakes, low stress, high impact opportunity to practice writing an abstract and presenting your research at any stage, even if for the first time. Drexel faculty and professional staff abstract reviewers and conference judges will provide valuable and constructive feedback to help you improve throughout the process.

What resources and support are available to help me write my abstract?

We offer a series of pre-conference workshops to help you learn "How to Write and Effective Abstract." Register to participate live or to receive the recording and materials prior to submitting your abstract. Our pre-conference workshops facilitators and members of the Office of Graduate Studies can serve as mentors and review your abstract at any stage. If you'd like us to connect you with a mentor, just send us a note at graduatecollege@drexel.edu.

You may also wish to refer to abstract writing guides, such as this one from George Mason University or this one from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Further, Drexel faculty and professional staff abstract reviewers will provide valuable and constructive feedback to help you improve throughout the process. Many also offer their service as mentors throughout and beyond this process. (Say it with me, "Networking, networking, networking!")

Can I submit an abstract if I only have an outline for a study or preliminary findings?

Yes! We had had students present their outline or idea for a study and/or preliminary findings or results. It is a great way to get valuable and constructive feedback to help you improve throughout the process. The DEGS Conference offers a free, low stakes, low stress, high impact opportunity to practice writing an abstract and presenting your research at any stage, even if for the first time.

Can I submit multiple abstracts or present my research in more than one format?

Students will be asked to indicate their first and second choice formats for presentation for their abstract as part of the submission form. Students presenting a Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) or an oral research presentation may also present a research poster at the same conference either on the same or a different abstract/research topic; however, students may not present a 3MT and an oral at the same conference.

Further, students presenting a Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) or an oral research presentation may also present a research poster on a separate/different abstract/research topic; however, they should submit a separate abstract submission form for that topic and preferred presentation format.

Can I present my research with another student, a team, or a faculty member?

Students may submit to present with one or more eligible graduate students as co-author. All parties should submit their own abstract form with their personal information and the same abstract information so it can be matched during the review process. Please indicate who you would like to present with on the form.

Unfortunately, students who do not meet the eligibility criteria, including non-Drexel students, undergraduate students, faculty, professional staff members, postdoctoral trainees, and alumni who graduated prior to the current academic year (summer, fall, winter), are not eligible to present at the DEGS Conference, but we encourage them to attend and/or serve as abstract reviewers or judges.

Who are the abstract reviewers?

Drexel faculty and professional staff members, as well as graduate student alumni (prior to the current academic year) and postdoctoral trainees, will serve as abstract reviewers. We do our best to assign each abstract at least two reviewers/judges, including one from the same or a closely related field and one from an outside field.

Please keep in mind that the DEGS Conference is meant for a general, interdisciplinary, and non-specialized audience. It is not meant to be a highly specialized academic or technical environment, such as annual meetings or conferences within a particular field. Those seeking a more specialized academic or technical experience may prefer not to participate in DEGS.

Presenting at DEGS

What resources and support are available to help me prepare my presentation?

We offer a series of pre-conference workshops to help you learn best practices for "Communicating Your Scholarly Work." Register to participate live or to receive the recording and materials prior to presenting your work. Our pre-conference workshops facilitators and members of the Office of Graduate Studies can serve as mentors and review your presentation at any stage. If you'd like us to connect you with a mentor, just send us a note at graduatecollege@drexel.edu.

Some colleges/schools, departments or programs may have specific guidance on poster layout, organization, etc. Please consult with your advisor. See an example poster from the College of Medicine. You may also wish to view the videos on the Discovery Day website under "Poster Presentation Guidelines & Resources". Please note that these are specific to the College of Medicine, but do offer some general guidance and advice which you may find useful.

Further, Drexel faculty and professional staff abstract reviewers will provide valuable and constructive feedback to help you improve throughout the process. Many also offer their service as mentors throughout and beyond this process. (Say it with me, "Networking, networking, networking!")

If selected to present a research poster, where can I print my poster for the conference?

Presenters are responsible for printing and bringing their posters to the conference. We will provide an easel with a foam core board, your poster number, and binder clips to mount your poster onto the board for presentation. We recommend allowing plenty of time to print your poster in advance. The preferred poster size for DEGS is 36 inches in height by 48 inches in width (landscape). The following are some options for printing your poster nearby:

The Westphal College of Media Arts & Design maintains a print center with large format printing capabilities through PaperCut, their print management software solution for print release and payment management services. Visit the Westphal Print Center website to submit a large format order. The price is $2 per square food for premium bond paper. We recommend 36 inches in size.

Instructional Media Services (IMS) is the audio/visual and poster printing service department for Drexel University. For large format printing, submit an order in Poster Landscape (48” x 36”) size and unmounted. You may mount your poster on the foam core board provided at the conference. The price is $4 per square foot for color printing on Luster 260 paper (semi-gloss). For more information about how to prepare and submit a poster for printing, visit the IMS Graphics Lab website.

Additional poster printing services are available through the College of Medicine.

Off campus, we recommend Campus Copy Center (3907 Walnut Street) on the University of Pennsylvania's campus. Get an estimate or submit a wide format order form in Bond (Matte) or Gloss in 36 X 48 size.

There is also a FedEx Office Print & Ship Center (3535 Market Street, Suite 10b)

Please refer to the DEGS Conference presentation guidelines for more information.

Who are the conference judges?

Drexel faculty and professional staff members, as well as graduate student alumni (prior to the current academic year) and postdoctoral trainees, will serve as conference judges. We do our best to assign each each poster presentation to at least two reviewers/judges, including one from the same or a closely related field and one from an outside field. Orals will have a series of three to five judges in the room.

Please keep in mind that the DEGS Conference is meant for a general, interdisciplinary, and non-specialized audience. It is not meant to be a highly specialized academic or technical environment, such as annual meetings or conferences within a particular field. Those seeking a more specialized academic or technical experience may prefer not to participate in DEGS.

How will I be evaluated by the judges?

Judges will use a rubric, which will be provided to both judges and student presenters in advance, outlining the evaluation criteria for the assigned presentation format (posters, orals [in person and virtual], and 3MT). They will submit their score forms at the conference for tabulation by the DEGS Conference Committee, consisting of members of the Office of Graduate Studies and Graduate Student Association. If student presenters wish to have access to their scores, we will request permission from the assigned judge(s) and may connect the student directly with the judge(s) to open a dialogue. We believe receiving supportive and constructive feedback and suggestions for improvement are important benefits of participating in the DEGS Conference.

How do I win a monetary award?

There are a series of monetary awards given out at the awards ceremony and reception following the conference. Awardees are selected by the DEGS Conference Committee, consisting of members of the Office of Graduate Studies and Graduate Student Association, based on judges’ scores for each presentation format (posters, orals [in person and virtual], 3MT). We will provide you with a copy of the judge’s rubric for your presentation format so you are aware of the criteria in advance.

Please keep in mind that presentations will include graduate and professional students at all levels of study, stages of research, and across disciplines, which means there will be a variety of award winners.

Attending the Conference

Who can attend the conference?

All are welcome and encouraged to engage with the conference as attendees, including Drexel undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, professional staff members, postdoctoral trainees, alumni, and the greater Drexel community (family, friends, etc.). Registration will be available in April. Attending is a great way to learn more about Drexel’s graduate programs and the diverse and exciting research being conducted here!