Key Takeaways
- • Arkansas State University's 16th Annual Create@State Symposium will convene on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the Carl R. Reng Student Union, showcasing over 180 poster presentations and faculty-mentored research across multiple academic disciplines.
- • The event features competitive components including a business pitch competition and a 3MT® (Three-Minute Thesis) competition, with prizes awarded across multiple categories during a formal awards ceremony on Friday, April 17.
- • Create@State encompasses undergraduate and graduate student work spanning STEM, arts, business, education, and interdisciplinary fields, representing a campus-wide celebration of applied learning and research engagement since the program's inception in 2011.
- • The symposium serves as the culmination of year-long faculty-mentored projects, providing both traditional and online students with professional, conference-style presentation opportunities and community networking exposure.
- • The event is open to the public, attracting future students, alumni, local partners, and volunteer judges including A-State staff, faculty, and community members, positioned as a showcase of institutional academic strengths.
Summary
Arkansas State University will host the 16th Annual Create@State Symposium on Thursday, April 16, 2026, at the Carl R. Reng Student Union. Established as a spring semester tradition since 2011, Create@State has evolved into the institution's signature student research and creativity showcase, featuring over 180 poster presentations spanning multiple academic disciplines and organizational campuses.
The symposium highlights faculty-mentored research, scholarship, and creative works completed by undergraduate and graduate students across all of A-State's academic colleges. According to Dr. Kari Harris, director of student research and scholarship, the event "showcases the co-curricular scholarly and creative work of high-achieving students in a professional, conference-style setting and serves as the culmination of their year-long efforts." The platform extends participation opportunities to both traditional and online students, emphasizing engagement in applied learning throughout the academic year.
Beyond traditional poster presentations, the 2026 symposium will feature a business pitch competition and a 3MT® (Three-Minute Thesis) competition, introducing competitive assessment of student work. Presentation areas will span STEM, arts, business, education, and interdisciplinary creative collaborations, including design, media, performance, and hands-on demonstrations. The full-day schedule includes social engagement components and poster session blocks, with volunteer judges drawn from A-State faculty, staff, and community members evaluating submissions across multiple award categories. Prize announcements will occur during a formal awards celebration scheduled for Friday, April 17, at the Woodard McAlister Family Club in Centennial Bank Stadium.
The event's open-to-public positioning targets recruitment and community engagement, inviting prospective students, alumni, and local partners to experience institutional academic strengths and observe direct student-faculty collaboration outcomes in a professional setting.
The symposium highlights faculty-mentored research, scholarship, and creative works completed by undergraduate and graduate students across all of A-State's academic colleges. According to Dr. Kari Harris, director of student research and scholarship, the event "showcases the co-curricular scholarly and creative work of high-achieving students in a professional, conference-style setting and serves as the culmination of their year-long efforts." The platform extends participation opportunities to both traditional and online students, emphasizing engagement in applied learning throughout the academic year.
Beyond traditional poster presentations, the 2026 symposium will feature a business pitch competition and a 3MT® (Three-Minute Thesis) competition, introducing competitive assessment of student work. Presentation areas will span STEM, arts, business, education, and interdisciplinary creative collaborations, including design, media, performance, and hands-on demonstrations. The full-day schedule includes social engagement components and poster session blocks, with volunteer judges drawn from A-State faculty, staff, and community members evaluating submissions across multiple award categories. Prize announcements will occur during a formal awards celebration scheduled for Friday, April 17, at the Woodard McAlister Family Club in Centennial Bank Stadium.
The event's open-to-public positioning targets recruitment and community engagement, inviting prospective students, alumni, and local partners to experience institutional academic strengths and observe direct student-faculty collaboration outcomes in a professional setting.
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