Why Present a Poster?

By  Amy Juliana

The National Convention Poster Symposium is a great opportunity for presenters in all stages of their careers to connect their work to conference attendees. Whether you are a student presenting your research for the first time, or a seasoned professional spotlighting a program or case study, a poster presentation offers attendees the opportunity to interact one-on-one with professionals, engage with their content, and receive feedback.

A plus for student poster presenters is that they can also choose to participate in the Forest Science and Technology Board poster contest. Instituted at the 2002 SAF National Convention, the contest encourages students to present their research that helps answer the questions foresters ask every day. All interested students who are the primary author and present their own work are eligible to compete for the respective awards. Posters are judged on approach, findings, interpretation, clarity, and creativity and winners are awarded cash prizes through generous donations to the Kurt Gottschalk Science Fund.

Not sure if the 2023 SAF National Convention Poster Symposium is right for you? Hear from three of last year's student poster presenters:

The SAF National Convention served as an excellent platform to introduce the project and communicate its goals to a national audience with varied backgrounds. I had some engaging discussions during the poster session about different aspects of the research, including helpful comments and suggestions to help further enhance the research. It was gratifying and motivating to see a genuine interest in the subject matter among the attendees. I even developed a few contacts who might be able to assist with the research project. – Mandira Pokharel, PhD student at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Though this was my first in-person attendance and presentation at the SAF National Convention, I hope to attend and participate in future national events. After this convention, I am more excited for what the future holds for me in the forestry field. – Omoyemeh Jennifer Ile, graduate student at NC State University

For me, this platform has been a great way to hone better skills in scientific communication. During my presentation and discussion, not only did I receive a lot of constructive feedback on the “what,” “why,” and “how” the results led to the conclusion, but I was also able to analyze my own research questions in a different light. This boosted my morale and research motivation. – Nafisa Nowshin Ahmed, master’s student at Michigan State University

These quotes appeared in the December 2022 issue of The Forestry Source. Read the full article to hear these presenters’ first-hand experiences.

The 2023 poster symposium is scheduled to take place on Friday, October 27, 2023, 3–4 p.m. in the SAF National Convention Expo Hall. All accepted poster presenters are expected to attend and present at the symposium in person. The deadline for poster submissions is May 5 at 11:59 p.m. HST. Interested in presenting? We need your voices to create a diverse symposium that informs on a variety of subjects from A-Z. Submit today!

Amy Juliana is the Science and Technology Manager at SAF. For more information about the science and technical program, email [email protected].