1. By Alma Moran & Alexandro Robles Southwestern College June 9, 2011

2. ◦ Length of time: begin preparing from the moment you start your internship ◦ Preparation: talk to your mentor about what you need to do and what you need for the presentation, including:  Materials needed  Information needed  Photos ◦ Confidentiality: be sure to ask your mentor if any pictures or information are allowed for publication

3. ◦ This is a team poster, so there might be some challenges on working in teams, on different projects (or both!) ◦ The best thing to do is discuss and communicate with your team members

4. Required sections  Intro: very short; where are you researching, what are you doing  Methods: how is it being done, what materials are you using  Results: what was accomplished  Conclusion: what did you get out of this internship  Acknowledgements: industry, mentor, dean, NSF, Lipp Foundation, colleagues, family…  [Template @ http://alliance.sdccmesa.com/]

5.  Decide what it should look like: images, text, headings…  Font size should each section be (24-32 points)  Use of white space: leave room around pictures and text, don’t crowd the poster  The poster should have a nice flow and coalescence  The topics should be organized  Most importantly, be creative  Remember that the poster is just an aid

6. ◦ Length of presentation: aprox. 15 min, depending on your audience ◦ Keep in mind that you might speak as a group or individually ◦ Most people are not familiar with research (technicalities) ◦ It’s possible you might present to one or to a group of people at once ◦ FAQ: the questions were varied, ranging from very educated to just general information ◦ Bringing a resume is not required, however it is highly recommended

7.  Absolutely no jeans  Dress business casual/office attire: slacks or skirt, dress shoes, ironed shirt, tie…  You will be on your feet the entire period ( high heels not recommended)

8.  No slouching, swaying, arms crossed or in pockets  Don’t stand in front of your poster, stay to the side to point as necessary  Stand up straight, find a comfortable and relaxed position  Maintain visual contact with everybody, not just the person paying attention  Lastly, rehearse your presentation

9. And good luck!