MURALS Purpose
MURALS was designed to close opportunity gaps in the research field by allowing undergraduate students from all academic and personal backgrounds a platform to present their independent research projects, or give new perspectives and insights on existing research on campus and in the world.
Any undergraduate student can present at MURALS.
See here for a MURALS Project Overview and which categories students can submit their projects under.
Required MURALS Due Dates:
Links to submit materials can be found in the timeline towards the bottom of the page.
- Register between November 18th and February 19th
- Submit 250 word Abstract by February 19th
- Submit 3ft x 4ft (36in x 48in) Poster by March 12th (then print it!)
- Submit 5-7 minute Oral Presentation digital materials by March 24th (there is no link for this, you will get an email in March with instructions)
Where to Start
MURALS can seem like an overwhelming task, but breaking is effective in accomplishing this milestone! We recommend tackling MURALS in this order:
- Attend an Info Session
- Here, you’ll get to Brain Storm project ideas
- Consider doing your MURALS project with a friend or group of friends (we don’t recommend groups larger than 8)
- Complete the Intent to Submit (HERE) if this is your first time doing MURALS, you need a Faculty Guide, and/or are looking for support creating MURALS materials
- Start doing your Research if you haven’t already! This can look like:
- A Literature Review
- An Observational Study
- A Preliminary Survey
- Collecting Documentation
- Working in a lab setting
- Hosting an art gallery and getting feedback
- And More!
- Watch the MURALS Work Shop videos (HERE) to get advice writing your Abstract, designing your Poster, and giving your Oral Presentation
- Attend our MURALS Grad Coordinators’ Office Hours (all virtual HERE). They be able to help review your project, your MURALS materials, and help keep you on track to present
Once you’re ready to start submitting MURALS materials, watch the video on the right of the screen to see how. See our timeline below for all deadlines and more links to resources.
Register to Present at MURALS
All MURALS presenters must register through the Cvent website to submit MURALS materials and present at MURALS. If you are presenting in a group, every group member must register separately.
Create and Submit an Abstract
Begin constructing your MURALS Abstract. This should be a 250 word description of your project. Please see our resources here for tips on how to write an abstract.
Once you've written your abstract in a separate document and ensured the word count is appropriate (only 250 words will be read), submit your Abstract to Symposium. It will also ask you to submit your PDF Poster file, but that is not due until March 12th. You may submit a blank PDF, or a PDF of your abstract as a placeholder until you are ready to submit your poster. If you are still confused, please watch the video at the top of this page for clarification.
*** Only ONE submission per group. If Kyle, Annie, and Blake are in a group, choose one person to submitted the Abstract.
Create and Submit a 3ft x 4ft Poster
Begin constructing your MURALS 3ft by 4ft (36in x 48in) Poster. This is an opportunity to show case your project in a visual way, so make sure to have a balance between images and text. This can be oriented horizontally or vertically. Please see our resources here for tips on how to design a poster, as well as poster templates you can download.
Once you've created your poster:
- Login to Symposium
- Click on the Account Icon on the top right corner of the screen
- Select "My Submissions"
- Find your MURALS submission and the yellow/ orange Pencil Icon on the far left of your submission
- Once your submission form is open, you can replace the placeholder PDF with your final MURALS poster
*** Only ONE submission per group. If Kyle, Annie, and Blake are in a group, and Annie submitted the Abstract, Annie will also need to submit the Poster. Kyle and Blake only need to register for MURALS.
If you are still confused, please watch the video at the top of this page for clarification.
Then, navigate to our Poster Printing page here to find the instructions on how to print your poster within your Academic College. Your poster needs to be printed and brought to MURALS at the morning check-in.
Create and Submit a 5-7 minute Oral Presentation
Begin constructing your 5-7 minute MURALS Oral Presentation. This is an opportunity to show case your project in a verbal way, accompanied by visuals and text. Most students opt for the traditional PowerPoint slideshow, but you can do a live demo (if it's safe), show a video, display art, etc. Please see our resources here for tips on how to design an oral presentation. Each presentation will be allotted 10 minutes, but we recommend leaving room for the audience to ask questions.
Once you've created your presentation, if there are any digital materials, we ask that you submit them to your assigned folder. Rickey Frierson will be emailing you in February with instructions and the link to your assigned folder. Once your materials are submitted, you will not need to bring a laptop or USB, as the room moderators for MURALS will pull up your presentation on a shared laptop in the room.
*** Only ONE submission per group. If Kyle, Annie, and Blake are in a group, and Annie submitted the Abstract, Annie will also need to submit the Poster. Kyle and Blake only need to register for MURALS.
Attend MURALS
MURALS starts bright and early at 7:30am in the Lory Student Center Grand Ballroom! There will be check-in tables for you to get your name tag and swag.
Head into the Ballroom to pin up your poster, before joining us for a light breakfast and opening overview of the day.
Oral Presentation sessions will start at 9:15am for the GREEN session. Be sure you are in the appropriate room if this is your session. These sessions are then followed by the GOLD sessions which start at 10:20am. These sessions are open to the public, so invite friends and family! Also, understand that other will invite friends and family- therefore many people might be in your room.
We will have a closed lunch. Due to the size of MURALS, we cannot accommodate seating and feeding friends and family, but there are plenty of locations in our food court on the 2nd floor, or the bar area on the 1st floor for them to grab a bite to eat. During lunch, we will have an official welcome to MURALS from several CSU Administrators who are invested in your success.
Afterwards, we will have a MURALS Alumni deliver a Keynote on their journey post-graduation from CSU. This keynote will be followed by the Poster Gallery, which is again open to the public. Presenters will stand by their posters while guests roam the Ballroom and ask questions!
Lastly, we will have a MURALS Alumni Panel where attendees can ask these graduates what life after CSU has been like and how their MURALS experience has contributed to their success.
We will close out the day by awarding our top MURALS participants by category and the Overall Winner.
Be sure to pick up your poster and the written feedback from MURALS judges and attendees on your way out.
See here for frequently asked questions such as what to wear.