Graduate Student Symposium

February 27, 2026

7th Annual Graduate Student Symposium

Hosted by the College of Engineering’s Graduate Student Advisory Board (GeSAB)
Friday, February 27, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Willa Cather Dining Complex – Red Cloud Suite & Pioneers Rooms

3in5Pitch

The College of Engineering’s Graduate Student Advisory Board (GeSAB) is hosting the 6th annual Graduate Student Symposium on Friday, February 27, 2026 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Willa Cather Dining Complex (Red Cloud Suite & Pioneers Rooms), during Engineer's Week (E-Week) 2025.

Engineering graduate students will present session talks, compete in a 3-in-5 pitch competition, and conduct a research poster fair. To view the 2024 schedule and topics click on the 'Symposium Schedule' button above. Registration for the event will open in January 2025. Registrants for the symposium will receive a meal ticket at check-in for the Willa Cather Dining Hall.

Now accepted abstract submissions to participate in the 2026 Symposium. Submissions are due Friday, December 13 at 11:59 pm

 


 

Session Talks

A series of 15-minute presentations that share a commonality. These sessions are open to showcase research at all stages. Examples include: research ideas, review of a topic, proposals, and research results.

Executive Team

Zina Ebrahim

Ph.D., Construction Engineering & Management

Abdelrahman Awawdeh

Ph.D., Construction Engineering & Management

Matthew Boeding

Ph.D., Computer Engineering

Members

Euclides Brandao Maluf

Ph.D., Engineering Education Research

Abrham Osinuga

Ph.D., Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering

Kal Sahu

Ph.D., Computer Science

Benjamin Zwiener

M.S., Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics

Now Accepting Abstract Submissions

Deadline: Friday, December 12, 2025 at 11:59 PM

We’re accepting abstracts for:

  • Session Talks (15-minute research presentations)
  • 3-in-5 Pitch Competition (3 slides, 5 minutes, $500 prize)
  • Poster Session (visually showcase your work, $500 prize)

Presentations can include research ideas, proposals, reviews, or results—work at any stage is welcome!

Contact

Questions? Please contact Dr. Kayla Person (Director of Engineering Graduate Programs) at kperson4@unl.edu, or Cameron Adams (Administrative Associate) at cadams@unl.edu

Competitions & Prizes

3-in-5 Pitch Competition:

You’ll have 3 slides and 5 minutes to wow a panel of judges.
Grand Prize: $500

Research Poster Session:

Present your research in a visual, interactive format.
Grand Prize: $500

Judges will be drawn from across multiple engineering disciplines.

2026 Graduate Symposium Schedule (tentative)
 

Time

Room

Sessions

9:00am - 11:00am

Red Cloud B / Pioneers A & B

Break

11:00am - 11:15am

Welcome

11:15am - 11:30am

Red Cloud A

Keynote #1

11:30 - 12:30pm

Red Cloud A

Lunch

12:30pm - 1:30pm

Willa Cather Dining Hall

Keynote #2

1:30pm - 2:30pm

Red Cloud A

Break

2:30pm - 2:45pm

3-in-5 Pitch Competition

2:45pm - 4:00pm

Pioneers A & B

Poster Session

3:30pm - 5:00pm

Red Cloud A & B