Students invited to showcase research and creative work during virtual Expo

Ohio University is moving its annual Student Expo online and inviting all OHIO students involved with research, scholarship and creative activity to participate.

The new event, #OUVirtualExpo, still will be held on Thursday, April 9, but on Twitter and Instagram in lieu of the Convocation Center.

Instead of posters, presentations and demonstrations, participants should share an image, GIF or short video (30 seconds to 1 minute) of their research or creative work along with a brief lay person explanation of their project.

University faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends are encouraged to like, comment on and share posts from the @bobcatsdiscover Twitter and Instagram accounts. 

“When Ohio University moved to a virtual learning environment this spring, we talked to students and faculty mentors involved with our annual Student Expo about how we could translate this activity online as well. We received enthusiastic support for the #OUVirtualExpo concept and are excited that we can still provide a way to celebrate the efforts of our student researchers, scholars and creatives,” said Roxanne Malé-Brune, director of grant development and projects for the Research Division and lead organizer of the Expo.

Students who participate will receive an event t-shirt; small prizes (including TweetTreats -- 7 oz. Hershey’s Kisses) will be awarded for creative and high engagement posts.

The Center for Entrepreneurship also is proceeding with The Expo Video Pitch Competition, with $5,000 in prizes. For more information, visit: https://www.ohio.edu/entrepreneurship/expo.

No pre-registration for the Virtual Expo is necessary. Participation rules are below. For more information, visit www.ohio.edu/studentexpo or contact Roxanne Malé-Brune at male-bru@ohio.edu.

#OUVirtualExpo 2020

Who can participate?

All Ohio University students engaged in research, scholarship or creative activity. Students did not need to be previously registered for the Student Expo to participate.

All students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends are encouraged to join us @bobcatsdiscover (Twitter) and @bobcatsdiscover (Instagram) to view, retweet/regram and comment on posts.

You do not need a social media account to view the posts, which can be seen here:

Twitter

Instagram

How can students post about their work?

On Thursday, April 9, students will post about their research and creative works to their Twitter and/or Instagram accounts. They should tag @bobcatsdiscover and others (such as relevant departments, schools, colleges, team members and faculty mentors) and include #OUVirtualExpo in the post. Twitter and Instagram handles for departments, colleges and various programs are posted at www.ohio.edu/studentexpo.

Submissions should feature 1 or more images of the student work (or the student(s) at work), GIFs and/or a short video of 30 seconds to 1 minute. The research/creative work should be explained in lay terms for a general audience. Academic posters, PowerPoint presentations or long videos are discouraged.

Students can post at any time on April 9. Expo staff will retweet/regram via the @bobcatsdiscover accounts.

Can students win prizes?

Students who post about their research or creative activity and use the #OUVirtualExpo hashtag will get a t-shirt mailed to them after the event.

While the #OUVirtualExpo will not have traditional judging sessions, small prizes and TweetTreats (7 oz. Hershey’s Kisses), will be awarded for creative and high engagement posts.

Who is sponsoring this event?

The #OUVirtualExpo is sponsored by the Research Division, Offices of the President and Provost, and University Libraries. The Expo Video Pitch Competition is sponsored by the Center for Entrepreneurship, OhioHealth, Office of Corporate Engagement and the Research Division.