Carolyn & Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo
The 20th Annual Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo will be on TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 2026, from 9am-4pm in the EUC Cone Ballroom.
cLICK HERE TO rEGISTER FOR THE EXPO!
The registration/abstract portal will be open from January 21 – February 18, 2026
Need URSCO to print your poster for the Expo? Please submit the “Poster Print Request Form.” You may submit your request anytime between now and the deadline on Friday, March 20.
WHAT IS THE EXPO?
The Carolyn & Norwood Thomas Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo is the campus-wide celebration of undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative activities. All students engaged in faculty-mentored scholarly inquiry are encouraged to participate. Each of the seven categories will have first through third place prizes, which include monetary awards. To be eligible for an award, a student must select to be judged in that area.
Congratulations to the winners of the 19th annual Undergraduate Research and Creativity Expo!

PREPARING FOR THE EXPO:
All students participating in the EXPO must select one of the following categories for their project.
Category of your work (pick one):
- Business, Economics, Education, Behavioral and Social Sciences (Poster only)
- Humanities (Poster only)
- Mathematics, Life and Physical Sciences (Poster only)
- Visual Arts (Exhibit or Poster)
- Music, Theatre, and Dance (Performance or Poster)
- Optional themes that can be noted:
Judging is optional for all categories and themes. Students can participate in the EXPO without being judged. If they choose to be judged, they will be eligible to win monetary prizes.
Students may choose from the following three presentation formats:
1. Poster Presentations
- Who: Open to students from all majors
- What: Share your research, project, or creative work using a poster. This is the standard format for the event.
2. Performances
- Who: Performing Arts majors only (Dance, Theatre, Music)
- What: Present your work through a live performance (about 7 minutes max) that showcases your artistic talent.
3. Visual Arts Exhibit
What: Display visual artworks such as paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography, or mixed media in a curated exhibit.
Who: Visual Arts majors only
Frequently Asked Questions
Presentations will be scheduled in intervals. The duration of each Poster and Exhibit presentations will be about 1 hour. The duration of each Performance presentation will be about 7 minutes. You will be notified about your presentation time soon after the registration deadline.
Any undergraduate student currently enrolled at UNCG who has participated in a research/creative scholarship project may apply. The research/creative scholarship project could be from course work, a project developed for independent research/study, participation in the Undergraduate Research and Creativity Award (URCA) or other projects with a faculty mentor, and/or volunteer work.
No, you may present if the project is incomplete. At minimum, you should be able to explain the overall question, discuss how the question will be answered, and report any preliminary results.
No. For example, sometimes UNCG students travel during the summer to complete research on other university campuses, federal laboratories or in the private sector. Students may present as long as there is a faculty sponsor listed on the presentation who agrees that the research is of high quality.
Yes. Designate one individual as the primary student on the project. The primary student should register as a presenter, and then complete the entries for each co-presenter on the project. The co-presenters are NOT required to submit separate abstracts. Each group should only submit one abstract.
Undergraduate students and post-baccalaureates are the only presenters at this conference. They can present the work done in collaboration with faculty and/or graduate students and the faculty and grad students are encouraged to attend the conference to positively support the undergraduate presenters.
No, it is up to each student whether or not they want to be “judged”. The goal of the Expo is to provide a space for students to share their exciting research, scholarship, and creative works so a student can opt out of judging. However, to be eligible for an 1st-3rd place prize, which includes a monetary award, students must opt in to be judged.
Due to the support from groups outside of URSCO, students can now designate presentations as having a component related to Sustainability and/or Global Engagement. If students opt into these categories and choose to be judged in those areas, they have multiple options to win an award. Students must select one or both of those categories during abstract submission.
Evaluation Rubric
Students may choose whether to have their presentation judged. If you opt in, judges will score each criterion on a scale of 1–4.
Scale: 1 = Poor | 2 = Fair | 3 = Good | 4 = Excellent
