Student Participation
Student Ambassador Program
Undergraduate Scholars Conference
Competitive Graduate Posters
Application for Student Ambassador Program
The ECA Student Ambassador Program is designed to provide Undergraduate students with the opportunity to, without paying registration fees, attend and participate in the ECA convention and experience an academic service opportunity. It is a wonderful chance to learn about academia while adding a service element to the Ambassador’s résumé or graduate school application.
Please CLICK HERE to submit your application.
This is a competitive selection process and a limited number of Ambassador slots are available.
James C. McCroskey and Virginia P. Richmond
Undergraduate Scholars Conference
held concurrently with the
Eastern Communication Association annual convention
Hyatt Regency Boston/Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts
March 20–24, 2024
Call for undergraduate submissions: We invite you to attend and present your scholarly work at the 14th annual James C. McCroskey and Virginia P. Richmond Undergraduate Scholars Conference (USC), to be held concurrently with the ECA’s 115th annual convention. The USC runs from Thursday evening through Saturday evening, and will include a welcome reception on Thursday evening, an opening breakfast on Friday morning, a graduate student fair, and a closing dinner/awards ceremony on Saturday evening.
The 2024 USC will focus on the convention theme, Currents, which represents our convention location on the banks of the Charles River in Cambridge while serving as a metaphor for how ideas are the currents that shape our discipline in this contemporary moment. While all communication studies topics will be considered, The USC particularly invites submissions that focus on Currents across communication contexts and the ways that we share, communicate, foster, initiate, understand, inspire, celebrate, critique, learn, and find hope in our current moment.
This is an exciting opportunity to showcase your undergraduate work, receive beneficial feedback, network with other students and scholars, and learn more about the many opportunities within the Communication Studies discipline.
There are two submission options for this year’s conference: paper submissions and poster presentation submissions, which are explained below. All submissions, whether a paper or a poster presentation, will be blind-reviewed by three reviewers as part of the selection process for the USC. You can submit a maximum of one paper and a maximum of one poster presentation.
Paper submissions should be finished papers (i.e., not a work in progress, not a research paper
prospectus). Accepted paper submissions will require a 10-12 minute oral presentation and will be scheduled as part of a panel consisting of 4-5 papers. These presentations will be followed by a response from a communication scholar who has read each submitted paper.
Each paper should (a) be a maximum of 25 double-spaced pages (not including the references and any tables or figures), (b) be typed in Times Roman 12-point font with 1-inch margins, and (c) follow either the University of Chicago Manual of Style or the American Psychological Association style for reference citation.
In conjunction with the National Communication Association, the USC will recognize the Lambda Pi Eta Top Paper Award. Created in 2017, the Lambda Pi Eta Top Paper Award recognizes the outstanding research of undergraduates at the regional level. This award will be presented to the highest ranked student paper authored by a current member(s) of Lambda Pi Eta.
Poster presentation submissions can be either a finished research paper or a research project that is currently in progress. Poster presentations are ideal for those research projects that would benefit from a visual display. Accepted poster presentation submissions will be scheduled as part of a poster session consisting of 15-20 posters.
For all submissions, make sure that any identifying information (i.e., your name, school, faculty mentor or course instructor, contact information) is NOT contained anywhere within the document. Be sure to also inspect the document and remove all personal information from the document properties, including file names, before submitting.
Submission Guidelines: All submissions must be uploaded through Attendee Interactive, which can be accessed here. If you do not already have an ECA Attendee Interactive account, you will be prompted to create an account with a new User ID and Password to submit your work.
When submitting a paper for consideration through Attendee Interactive, the following fields must be
completed:
- Title (select Undergraduate Paper as the option);
- Author(s);
- A 100-150 word abstract of your paper, followed verbatim by the ECA Statement of Professional Responsibility: In submitting the attached paper or poster presentation, I/We recognize that this submission is considered a professional I/We agree to present this paper or poster if it is accepted and programmed. I/We further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay required fees;
- Categories, which is where you indicate whether you (and any coauthors) are all members ofLambda Pi Eta;
- Additional Information (e.g., LCD projector, Internet access; at this time, please note that any technology request is not guaranteed);
- Documents (i.e., the paper; accepted file types are Word and PDF);
- Preview, which enables you to review the information you provided in the prior fields; and
- Finalize, which directs you to upload your submission.
When submitting a poster presentation for consideration through Attendee Interactive, the following fields must be completed:
- Title (select Undergraduate Poster as the option);
- Author(s);
- A 100-150 word abstract of your poster, followed verbatim by the ECA Statement of Professional Responsibility: In submitting the attached paper or poster presentation, I/We recognize that this submission is considered a professional I/We agree to present this paper or poster if it is accepted and programmed. I/We further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay required fees;
- Additional Information (e.g., any special request; please note that this request is not guaranteed);
- Documents (i.e., a 1-2 page outline of the major points you plan to display on your poster; accepted file types are Word and PDF);
- Preview, which enables you to review the information you provided in the prior fields; and
- Finalize, which directs you to upload your submission.
If you have questions about the submission process or the conference, contact Dr. Kati Sudnick (sudnickk@uncw.edu) or Basak Guven (guvenb@duq.edu), the 2024 Undergraduate Scholars Conference Planners.
ECA USC Poster Guidelines - PowerPoint
ECA USC Poster Guidelines Word Document
Call for Competitive Graduate Posters
Eastern Communication Association Annual Convention
Hyatt Regency Boston/Cambridge, Cambridge, Massachusetts
March 20–24, 2024
Planner Email: William.burgess@gallaudet.edu
2024 ECA Graduate Poster Session Planner: William Burgess, Gallaudet University
Submission Format: ECA uses Attendee Interactive to manage submissions and reviews. This is the same system used by the National Communication Association so you may be familiar with it. The deadline for submissions is December 1st, 2023 at 11:59 PST. All submissions must be uploaded through Attendee Interactive, which can be accessed at https://ww4.aievolution.com/eca2401/. Please note that your Attendee Interactive login and your ECA Membership login may be different. If you do not already have an ECA Attendee Interactive account, you will be prompted to create an account with a new User ID and Password to submit your work.
Poster presentation submissions can be either a finished research paper or a research project that is currently in progress. Poster presentations are ideal for those research projects that would benefit from a visual display. Accepted poster presentation submissions will be scheduled as part of a poster session consisting of 15-20 posters.
For all submissions, make sure that any identifying information (i.e., your name, school, faculty mentor or course instructor, contact information) is NOT contained anywhere within the document. Be sure to also inspect the document and remove all personal information from the document properties, including file names, before submitting.
Submission Guidelines for Completed Submissions for Poster Presentation
- A title page
- Author(s)
- A 100-150 word abstract of your paper, followed verbatim by the ECA Statement of Professional Responsibility recognizing that you (and your coauthors) have read and agree to the following statement: In submitting the attached paper or poster presentation, I/We recognize that this submission is considered a professional I/We agree to present this paper or poster if it is accepted and programmed. I/We further recognize that all who attend and present at ECA’s annual meeting must register and pay required fees
- Mark "Debut" if the author(s) has not presented previously at a regional or national convention – to be considered a Debut, each author must have not presented previously.
- If you are not submitting a completed paper, please submit a 1 – 2-page description of the research to be depicted, including ideas/questions that will be discussed during your poster session and recommendations for future research.
If you have questions about the submission process or the conference, contact William Burgess (William.burgess@gallaudet.edu) the 2024 Graduate Poster planner.
General Poster information:
What is a poster session?
A poster session is a display of multiple research papers in poster/discussion format. Rather than a formal presentation, poster sessions allow authors to display their findings through both text and illustrations, and at the same time, discuss their research with participants attending the session. The idea is to get a large number of people to see your work in a quick, efficient, clear, organized, and professional manner.
Posters are comprised of small amounts of text along with charts, graphs, photographs, diagrams, and other visual representations of data and findings. The author(s) of each manuscript/poster stands adjacent to his/her poster, ready to discuss what is displayed in further depth with conventioneers who attend the session. Although there are formal starting and ending times to the session, attendees may visit the posters at any time during the session.
Will there be awards?
The Top Posters in the Undergraduate Poster Division will receive awards. No posters will be considered for these awards if they do not adhere to the “Poster Session Absolutes” listed below. Judges will be coming through the poster sessions on both days to evaluate the posters. All judge's decisions are final.
What must my poster have?
- The paper title (at the TOP of the poster) must be the same title you submitted with your accepted paper, even if you’ve made revisions since then.
- The author(s) name(s) and affiliation(s).
- The main findings of the paper – typed text and graphics.
- Absolutely NO handwritten text or free-hand drawings.
- Further suggestions for research are recommended but are not necessary.
Should I have a handout as well?
Although it is not necessary, we do recommend handouts for a more effective experience with your audience. Handouts should be no more than half a page to one page to provide to those who are interested in your poster. This assists in creating conversations after the poster session is over (include contact information for all authors) and helps you reach individuals you may have not been able to interact with.
Minimally, the handout should have the author(s) name(s) and contact information, the title of the paper, and the abstract. Images may be included but are not required. It is recommended to note on the handout that this was presented at the ECA 2023 Graduate Poster Session. Bring anywhere between 15-25 handouts and a sign-up sheet in case you run out of copies.
Any other information I should know about?
Information regarding your poster will be sent out once posters are accepted. This will include poster format, materials, dos and don’ts during the poster session, and professionalism. Should your poster be accepted, please look out for a follow-up email regarding this information.
