Distinguished Scholar Awards
Each year, undergraduate students submit their undergraduate research, creative works, or service learning projects to compete for awards at the Engaged Scholar Symposium (ES2).
Projects may be submitted into four divisions: Research, Creative Works, Community Engagement, and Sustainability. To be eligible to compete, the project-lead and first author must be a current UTRGV student. (NOTE: Recent graduates, i.e., within 1 year of graduation, and first-year graduate students may submit projects from their undergraduate career as the first author). Graduate students, faculty, and other contributors may provide academic or mentor support and, if applicable, be listed as authors.
The Poster Presentation division is open to undergraduate-lead research or service learning projects across all disciplines. Typically, each poster will be judged by 2-3 professional members from academia or industry. Presenters must present at the scheduled time (see below). Awards will be presented to the top 5% of poster presentations in each area. See our Call for Abstracts and Presentation Guidelines for more details about the Poster Session and Poster Requirements. Session times may be removed, reduced, or combined with other categories based on the number of eligible submissions.
Categories:
- Applied Science - Distinguished Scholars & Honorable Mentions
- Life & Health Science - Distinguished Scholar & Honorable Mention
- Community Engagement - Rising Scholar & Distinguished Sustainability Graduate Scholar & Honorable Mention
- Humanities & Social Science - Distinguished Scholar & Honorable Mention
The Oral Presentation division is open to any undergraduate research or creative works. Authors are encouraged to provide a detailed submission of 500-1000 words elaborating on key discussion points. See our Call for Abstracts and Presentation Guidelines for recommendations on abstract content. The top three abstracts, based on reviewer feedback, will be invited to present in the final judging round. One project will be awarded by each discipline. Session times may be removed, reduced, or combined with other categories based on the number of eligible submissions.
Categories:- Applied Science - Distinguished Scholar & Honorable Mention
- Humanities - Distinguished Scholar & Honorable Mention
- Social Science - Distinguished Scholar & Honorable Mention
- Life & Health Science - Distinguished Scholar & Honorable Mention
- Physical Science - Distinguished Sustainability Scholar
The Art Gallery is open to Studio Art, including Painting, Prints/Graphic Design, Drawing, Sculpture, and Ceramics. Typically, each submission will be judged by 2-3 professional members from academia or industry. Artists must be available to discuss their work with judges during the "Meet the Artist" session. Awards will be presented to the top 5% of submissions in each sub-area.
Category:
Creative Works - Distinguished Scholar & Honorable Mention
The Performance division is open to any type of creative work in all categories of performing arts (e.g., Music, Theatre, Dance, and interdisciplinary). See our Call for Abstracts and Presentation Guidelines for more details about the Performance Hall and Submission Requirements. Venue accommodations can be made around entry needs. For those who wish to compete, performances will be judged by 2-3 professional members from academia or industry.
The lead performing artist (at least one per team) must be available to discuss their work with judges during a brief 10-minute interview. Awards will be presented to the top 5% of performances. Late performances will not be accepted. Session times may be removed, reduced, or combined with other categories based on the number of eligible submissions.
Category:
- Creative Works - Distinguished Scholar & Honorable Mention