Engineering graduate students are strongly encouraged to disseminate their research. However, many graduate students either do not pursue or are not successful in such endeavors. Informal discussions among graduate students in the civil engineering department at Iowa State University identified three primary impediments: inexperience with research poster preparations, lack of confidence with oral communication skills, and limited time resources. To enhance the success of professional dissemination efforts, graduate student leaders in the department organized and conducted a research showcase and poster competition. It was designed to catalyze dissemination by providing students an opportunity to practice poster preparation, improve oral communication skills, and build confidence. The inter-divisional research showcase closely mimicked poster sessions at professional conferences. The event was publicized extensively to an audience that included faculty, research staff, undergraduate and graduate students. A panel of judges (senior faculty from the civil engineering department and practitioners who represented the state of Iowa's Departments of Natural Resources and Transportation) were provided an evaluation rubric to assess the presentations and they provided formal critique of each presenter's ability to communicate their research. Surveys were designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the event, and they were administered prior to, during, and after the event. An analysis of the 185 responses that were received reflects the event's success: 94 percent indicated that the department should support the event in the future, and all respondents stated that the showcase was valuable for the presenters. In addition, 75 percent of presenters reported that they had plans to present or had already presented their research at a professional conference. Although the inaugural competition was successful in catalyzing graduate student research dissemination, future efforts are needed to translate participation in the departmental event to presentations at professional conferences and publications through topical peer-reviewed outlets.
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