What is the STARS Symposium?
UIS has a tradition of celebrating our students’ talents. Each year, we invite our graduate and undergraduate students from all academic disciplines to showcase their scholarly and creative works at the symposium. At STARS, students experience an opportunity to professionally present their work, interact with other scholars, and engage with UIS and surrounding community members and invited speakers.
- Student researchers, under the guidance of faculty, will present at STARS in conference-style format on a variety of topics related to business, the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and technology.
- Students of visual arts, under the guidance of faculty, will display and discuss their creative scholarly projects in an exhibition format.
- Student musicians, under the guidance of faculty, will offer live concert performances.
All students (graduate and undergraduate) involved in research or creative works are invited to participate in the 2027 STARS event on April 8th and 9th 2027. You can elect to give a short oral presentation, a poster presentation, an art exhibition, or a performance of your work. STARS will be in-Person this year, but we are open to online presentations for online students.
Abstract Submission & Registration Deadline (Submission Link TBA): February 22, 2027
STARS 2027 Photo Contest Deadline (Submission Link): November 23, 2026
InfoReady Announcement
For STARS 2027, we are introducing a combined form that will replace the separate abstract submission, registration, and presentation submission systems.
Who needs to register?
Student presenters, faculty, judges, and STARS committee members must complete the registration form. Attendees who do not fall into one of these categories do not need to register.
Student Presenter Requirements
Student presenters must include their abstract in the designated field on the form. Once submitted, the form will automatically be routed to their faculty mentor for review. Faculty mentors must complete a brief reviewer form before the submission can be received by the STARS planning team and included in the event agenda.
Please note that faculty mentors must also register if they plan to attend the event and would like to receive lunch and/or a T-shirt.
Poster and Presentation Submission Deadlines
After submitting the registration form, students will receive a confirmation message containing a link to upload their completed poster or presentation. All files must be submitted by the specified deadlines to allow sufficient time for poster printing and ensure the event runs smoothly. Late submissions will not be included in the event.
STARS Core Planning Team
Lucia Vazquez, (2027 Chair), Associate VC for Research & Innovation, Professor of Biology
Sahar Farshadkhah, Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
Anne-Marie Hanson, Associate Dean, College of Health Science and Technology
Carissa Isenberg, Associate Director of Pre-Award
Hua Chen, Professor of Ecology
Cheng-Chia (Brian) Chen, Associate Professor of Public Health
Hannah Karl, Research & Innovation Coordinator
Steven Feldman, Associate Director of Assessment and Accreditation
Isabel Skinner, Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs
STARS 2026 Schedule
Thursday, Apr. 9
- 4:00-5:00 p.m. Violet Margin, Online
- 6:00-7:00 p.m. Oral Online presentations
- 7:00-8:00 p.m. Poster set up
Friday, Apr. 10
- 8:30-11:00 a.m. Oral presentations
- 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Lunch and Keynote Speaker
- 12:30-1:30 p.m. Poster Presentations
- 1:30-1:40: p.m. Presentation of the Outstanding Master’s Project Award
- 1:40-2:10: p.m. Presentation by Outstanding Master’s Project Awardee
- 2:10-2:30 p.m. Faculty Mentor Awards
- 2:30-2:50 p.m. Student Awards
- 2:50-3:00 p.m. Closing remarks
FAQs
What does STARS stand for?
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Student Technology, Arts and Research Symposium
When are abstract submissions due?
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The final deadline for your abstract submission is 5:00 p.m., February 22, 2027.
I’ve never presented my research before - is STARS a good “first” symposium?
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Yes! This is a great chance to practice your presentation skills in a supportive environment. We strongly encourage all first-time presenters to submit an abstract.
Who should submit?
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Any student (undergraduate or graduate) doing research or creative works with a professor should participate! Students can elect to give a short oral presentation, a poster presentation of research, a performance, or exhibition of creative work.
Can graduate students present?
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Yes. STARS will honor both graduate and undergraduate student achievement.
Can online students present?
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Yes, STARS will honor online student achievement. Electronic presentation options will be available.
Can recent graduates present?
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Students who graduated in August or December of the previous year are welcome to present, provided that the work was done while they were enrolled as UIS students.
What do I get out of presenting?
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There are many benefits to presenting. For example, a presentation is a good way to build your resume/CV or graduate school application. A presentation allows you to show off your creative ability, and to discuss your ideas with other scholars. Ideas for new projects often come out of questions you are asked, and opportunities for new collaboration are often found.
Is ongoing work eligible for presentation, or is the conference just for completed work?
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Yes, ongoing work may be presented, but it must have reached a level that your faculty mentor is comfortable with and will approve. If there is any question, please discuss this with your faculty mentor.
How do I submit?
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Students’ abstracts must be reviewed and approved by their faculty mentor(s), and will automatically route to them for review after a student submits. Abstracts are limited to a maximum of 250 words and will only be accepted if approved by individuals who hold faculty/instructor appointments.
What is the required format for posters?
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The dimensions of your poster should be 48 inches (width) x 36 inches (height). To set your poster dimensions in PowerPoint, go to the “Design” menu item and select “Page Setup”.
Note: This page previously indicated (incorrectly) a width of 46 inches. If students have already formatted with those dimensions for STARS 2026, it should still print with no issues. If re-formatting is required, the STARS committee will handle this on the student's behalf.