OVERVIEW

The Pennsylvania Council of Professional Geologists (PCPG) is announcing our 2022 Undergraduate Student Research Poster Session and Competition.  Students pursuing undergraduate degrees in the geosciences at colleges and universities located within Pennsylvania, and contiguous states, are eligible.

The poster session will be held during PCPG’s Annual General Membership Meeting on April 13, 2022, at the Central Hotel & Conference Center in Harrisburg, PA. 

PCPG hosts this event as part of the organization’s efforts to more fully engage with geoscience students studying at universities and colleges. Presenting a poster at the event is a tremendous opportunity to directly interact with individuals and companies that provide geoscience services throughout Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Our members include consultants, oil and gas geoscientists, university professors, regulators, and others.

The posters must be illustrative of research performed and presented by the entrant with oversight by their advisor. The poster topic shall generally fall within the disciplines of the geosciences (geology, geochemistry, geophysics, etc.). PCPG anticipates entrants will submit abstracts covering a wide range of topics. 

Enter the competition by submitting an abstract to Steve Zbur, P.G., PCPG Poster Committee Chair by March 16, 2022.  Ten students will be selected from the abstracts to present posters at PCPG’s Annual General Membership Meeting on April 13, 2022.  

Each successful entrant shall be awarded a $300 check from PCPG the day of the meeting, which is in recognition of being selected for the session and can be used for lodging, travel and reproduction services.  In addition, prizes will be awarded at the end of the meeting for Best Poster ($1500) and Runner-Up ($750).

Guidelines for entering PCPG’s 2022 Undergraduate Research Poster Session and Competition are as follow:

• Correctly following these guidelines is a criterion for being selected to present your poster at PCPG’s Annual Meeting.
• Abstracts must be 300 words or less.
• Abstracts must be signed and dated by the student and their advisor.
• Abstracts must be submitted to PCPG by emailing Steve Zbur, P.G. by midnight, March 16, 2022.  The Email subject line must contain the sender’s last name and the phrase 2022 Poster Abstract so it appears as (for example), Smith 2022 Poster Abstract.
• A cover page containing the following information must be attached to the signed abstract submission:  Entrant’s full name, university, full mailing address, phone number, Email address, and Advisor’s name and Email address. (Advisor’s signature must appear on the abstract document, not the cover page.)
• Ten students will be selected to present their posters at PCPG’s Annual Meeting on April 13, 2022, to be held at the Central Hotel & Conference Center, 800 East Park Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17111.
• Posters should be on heavy stock paper (preferred) or foam board, in landscape orientation, 4 feet by 8 feet in size. Mounting frames will be provided for presenting posters at the venue.
• Presentation will begin in the morning and continue throughout the day (details pending).
• Posters will be judged by a panel of Professional Geologists (PGs) who are members of PCPG.
• Judging of the posters will be based on:

1. A clear statement of research objectives.
2. Overall poster appearance (organization, effective use of illustrations, proper grammar).
3. Clear presentation of poster title, author and co-authors, and school affiliation.
4. Logic of the presentation of research.
5. Author’s ability to explain the poster to the judges.

Prizes:  The author of the “Best Poster” will be awarded a prize of $1,500 and the author of the Runner-Up poster will be awarded a prize of $750 at the close of the Annual General Membership Meeting.

Please email Steve Zbur, P.G. or telephone 412-977-2737 with any questions regarding the PCPG 2022 Student Poster Session and Competition.