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 2025 STARS event. 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 Deadline: March 07, 2025
STARS 2025 Registration Deadline: March 07, 2025
All faculties attending 2025 STARS must fill out the registration form above. If you are a UIS student, you must fill out the registration form above if you are presenting an artwork, or a poster or giving an oral presentation at 2025 STARS.
STARS 2025 Schedule
Thursday, April 10th
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 4:00-6:00 PM | Oral Online Presentations | Online |
| 6:00-8:00 PM | Poster Set-up for Friday | Student Union Central Ballroom |
Note: April 11th, Thursday, is the only day that includes an online event. On Friday, the presentations and events are in-person
Friday, April 11th
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 - Noon | Check-in / Registration | Student Union, Ballroom |
| 8:30 - 11:00 AM | Live Oral Presentations | Student Union Classrooms, 2nd Floor |
| 11:00 - 12:30 AM | Posters & Art Exhibition | Student Union, Ballroom |
| 12:30-1:30 PM | Keynote Speech & Luncheon | Student Union, Ballroom |
| 1:30-2:00 PM | Outstanding Master's Thesis Awardee Presentation | Student Union, Ballroom |
| 2:00 -2:30 PM | 2025 Faculty Mentor Awards | Student Union, Ballroom |
| 2:30- 3:00 PM | Students Awards: Best Oral Presentation, Best Poster Presentation & Best Art Piece | Student Union, Ballroom |
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Aleksander Ksiazkiewicz,
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Title: Sleepy Citizenship: The Biopolitics of Rest in American Democracy
Abstract:
Sleep inequality is a persistent problem in the United States. Over a third of American adults do not get sufficient sleep and that proportion is higher among members of marginalized groups. We argue that this disparity is consequential for the health of our democracy because sleep is an essential resource in political life akin to money, time, and civic skills. As such, we argue that promoting adequate sleep is a national imperative not only for health, educational, and economic reasons but also as a necessary condition of an active civic and political life—exhausted citizens are in a poor position to exert the effort needed to engage in politics and may be more susceptible to biases in their reasoning.
Check out the detailed program for 2025 STARS:
The students who won STARS 2025 awards in various categories by the vote of the judges are:
STARS Core Planning Team
Lucia Vazquez
Associate Vice Chancellor for Research & Innovation, Professor of Biology
Email: lvazq1@uis.edu
Sahar Farshadkhah
Assistant Professor of Management Information Systems
Email: sfars2@uis.edu
Te-wei Wang
Professor of Management Information Systems
Email: twang22@uis.edu
Anne-Marie Hanson
Associate Dean, College of Health Science and Technology
Email: ahans4@uis.edu
Eric Hadley-Ives
Associate Professor of Social Work
Email: hadleyiv@uis.edu
Isabel Skinner
Assistant Professor, School of Politics and International Affairs
Email: iwill21@uis.edu
Noah Reynolds
Assistant Professor of Biology
Email: nmreynol@uis.edu
Previous STARS Symposium Events
STARS Website
UIS hosts a website for STARS that contains abstracts, posters, creative works, music, and links to live sessions.
FAQs
What does STARS stand for?
Student Technology, Arts and Research Symposium
When is STARS?
Wednesday, April 12th through Friday, April 13th, 2023
When are abstract submissions due?
The submission system opens December 1st. The final deadline for your abstract submission is 5:00 p.m., February 17th, 2023. Registration information (abstract submissions must be confirmed prior to registration).
Why submit so early?
Early submission of faculty approved abstracts will guarantee you a spot in the conference (oral presentation, poster, performance or exhibition). Early submissions are also guaranteed free printing of posters (for poster session applicants).
I’ve never presented my research before- is STARS a good “first” symposium?
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?
Any student (undergraduate or graduate) doing research or creative works with a professor should participate! Students can elect to give a short oral presentation (spots will be limited on a competitive basis), or a poster presentation of research, or a performance, or exhibition of creative work.
Can graduate students present?
Yes. STARS will honor both graduate and undergraduate student achievement.
Can online students present?
Yes, STARS will honor online student achievement. Electronic presentation options will be available for both oral and poster presentations. Online students are welcome to attend the symposium virtually or in person.
Can recent graduates present?
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?
There are many benefits to presenting. For example, a presentation is a good way to build your resume 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?
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 issue with your faculty mentor.
How do I submit?
Students’ abstracts must be reviewed and approved by their faculty mentor(s), who will then submit the abstracts for the student(s) to the Abstract Submission System. Abstracts are limited to a maximum of 250 words and will only be accepted from individuals who hold faculty/instructor appointments at UIS or other institutions. If you have questions about your abstract, submit them via email to starsymposium@uis.edu. Read more about preparing & submitting abstracts.
What is the required format for posters?
If the printing costs of your poster are being covered by STARS, you will be asked to submit a PowerPoint file of your poster approximately two weeks before the symposium. The dimensions of your poster should be 46 inches (width) x 36 inches (height). To set your poster dimensions in PowerPoint, go to the “Design” menu item and select “Page Setup”.