Drinko Center for Undergraduate Research

The Undergraduate Research and Arts Celebration (URAC) is a day-long event showcasing the collaborative work between Westminster faculty and students.

Often interdisciplinary in nature, presentations take the form of posters, oral presentations, video productions, art studio pieces, poetry readings, live musical performances, and more. The Celebration is a dynamic and exciting opportunity to experience Westminster’s rich academic environment.

During URAC, Westminster suspends classes as nearly one out of every four students will present. Sessions are attended by faculty, current students, parents, and occasionally alumni and/or members of our Board of Trustees.

Are you interested in submitting to present your work during this year's URAC? Submit an abstract for consideration!

2024 URAC Abstract submission is open until March 1st, 2024 at 5 PM!

Submission Portal

What is an abstract?

An abstract is a summary of your research. A well-written abstract provides concise information about your thesis/hypothesis/research question, your methodology (how you conducted your research), and any conclusions you've reached. 

Your abstract should show the selection committee why your work is important and why it should be included in this year's URAC conference. It should also draw the attention and interest of URAC attendees - a good abstract will make them want to learn more about your work!

How to write an abstract

Title
The title is the first thing people will read. Because of this, it should be descriptive and interesting. Humor or a clever choice of words will probably bring attention to your work (e.g, You're Not all Wet, Design Inspired by Oceanography).

In most cases, less is more when it comes to titles. A shorter title is usually better than a long one.

The title may be the only chance you get to catch some interest in your hard work, time, and research, so make it a good one.

Body
Your abstract should clearly describe your research or scholarly activity. Write your abstract for people who have at least a partial understanding of the research that was conducted and the justifications behind it. In your abstract, you may want to include the following:

• an easy to understand identification or explanation of the inquiry or problem behind your research
• any important background information needed for the context of your inquiry
• techniques and procedures utilized for the collection of your data
• any conclusions, preliminary or final, which reached at the time of abstract preparation
• a short preview of what your potential audience can anticipate from your poster, talk, or paper.

If you have not completely finished your research/scholarly activity when you are working on your abstract, just include any preliminary findings. Just because your conclusions may change, does not mean they don't help the reader to understand why your research is valuable.

Lastly, try to limit the length of your abstract to 200 words or less.

How to submit your abstract

Abstracts should be submitted for consideration via the Drinko Center page on my.westminster.edu