The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is sponsoring a poster competition once again this year.

The first place winner receives a $500 scholarship to be applied to next year’s student fees. Second place is awarded $300, third place is awarded $150, and honorable mention is awarded $50.

The competition is open to all LAS undergraduate majors, but not faculty members, said Dave Gieseke, public relations manager for the LAS college.

Original research must be conducted by students, and the poster must fit on a 4′ by 4′ poster board space. The poster may be pre-formatted or have individual materials, he said.

The competitor or representative must also be present to answer judges’ questions during the judging.

Competitors must also provide a one-page pre-poster abstract by April 16 to be previewed by judges. Only one poster is allowed for individual participants, but competitors may be on as many as two team entries, Gieseke said.

Three entries are allowed for every academic department and program in the LAS college and need to be turned in by April 6. Gieseke said entries must be submitted through academic departments/programs, which will then select three finalists to submit to the competition.

The preliminary round will be April 19 in the Molecular Biology Building lobby. Posters will be judged by the LAS Faculty Development Committee from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and general public viewing is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Finalists will be announced at approximately 5 p.m., Gieseke said.

Finals judging on April 20 will be done by the LAS Dean’s Council, and winners will be announced at the LAS Spring Events Convocation at an unannounced date. Judging will be held in Catt Hall, room 302.

“The competition promotes undergraduate programs,” Gieseke said. “Last year we had 30 entries. We had everything from humanities to natural and social sciences. The winner last year was a senior in meteorology whose poster was about the genesis of tornados.”

Bill Gallus, assistant professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, was a faculty sponsor and mentor for the winning student last year. Gieseke said the poster is a culmination of research from a variety of activities.

“I directed the student towards sources of information and led the student through the research,” Gallus said. “The sponsor also helps to find the money. In our case last year, we used departmental funds.”

While expenses depend on the materials used, Gallus said cost is usually not an issue. “The average cost of making a poster is about $20,” he said, “however, the cost depends on resources available in the department.”