GENERAL INFORMATION:  The TSM meeting offers the perfect setting for students to present research efforts, whether the findings reported are preliminary or from a completed study. The setting is informal, and the audience simultaneously offers encouragement and constructive criticism. Our members represent considerable expertise covering a broad array of mammalian biology, providing a wonderful opportunity for students to discuss their projects with established mammalogists.

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The TSM meetings allow students two types of opportunities for presenting their research, oral presentations and poster presentations. 

 

ABSTRACTS AND REGISTRATION:  The deadline for abstract submission is 29 January 2021 - you must also register at this time. All abstracts will be reviewed and chosen on a first come, first served basis, so please submit your abstract early. We will only be able to accommodate 20 posters and 20 oral presentations this year. Because of the restricted number of posters, priority will be given to the first 5 abstracts for each of our judging categories for the poster session. After the submission deadline, if any of the poster categories do not have 5 submissions, then open slots will be filled based on submission time and date regardless of category (the posters will be judged in the appropriate category). Students will be limited to one poster or one oral presentation. We will not be allowing both an oral and a poster presentation by the same student this year. Primary presenters get the following waived for the meeting: student registration fee ($10) and t-shirt fee ($15). Primary presenters must still pay the $10 membership fee. Secondary presenters get the t-shirt fee waived ($10). If a presenter registers late, all waivers are forfeited. Please submit abstracts for oral and poster presentations using the abstract submission form. 

 

PRESENTATION INFORMATION:  For more developed research presentations, students may choose to provide an oral presentation. These presentations are given via PowerPoint (or similar programs). Each student has 15 minutes per presentation and should plan for 12 minutes of speaking and 3 minutes for questions. Students must record their presentation and upload their recording by midnight on 5 February 2021. You will be contacted with further instructions for oral presentation submission once your abstract has been accepted. Please make sure that you have a distraction-free background for your recording. Also, please be aware that you will not be judged on production quality of the video. However, your PowerPoint will still be judged for figure clarity. Students will be given the option to release their submission to meeting registrants early. Regardless, the pre-recorded presentation will be shown to all meeting registrants during a designated 15-minute time slot. Students must be available during that time to answer audience questions. Please make sure that you have access to a reliable internet connection during your presentation time.

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For research that is still in development, students may choose to present using a poster. Presenters must upload their posters by midnight on 5 February 2021. You will be contacted with further instructions for poster submission once your abstract has been accepted. Posters will be released to meeting registrants prior to the meeting. During the poster session, presenters must be available to answer questions from judges and meeting participants. Please make sure that you have access to a reliable internet connection for the question and answer session.

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AWARDS:  Students are strongly encouraged to compete for one of the many award categories. All student presenters are eligible to compete for awards (unless they have already won that award). For more information on awards visit our award page. Please note that you can compete for only one award.  All competing oral presentations automatically compete for the Robert Packard Award.

Oral Presentations

All Students (automatic eligibility for all oral presentations)

 Robert Packard Award ($500 award) – given for the overall outstanding oral presentation

Graduate Students – each with $400 award

 William B. Davis Award – best oral presentation pertaining to classical mammalogy with study conducted at the organismal level

 TSM Award – best oral presentation on studies pertaining to molecular biology, evolution, and systematics

Undergraduate Students – each with $400 award

 Rollin H. Baker Award – best oral presentation in classical mammalogy at the organismal level

 Bobby Baker Award – best oral presentation in molecular biology, evolution, and systematics

Poster presentations

All Categories – each with $400 award

 Vernon Bailey Award – separated into two separate categories for undergraduate and graduate students, this is for the best poster presentation pertaining to classical mammalogy conducted at the organismal level

 Clyde Jones Award – separated into two separate categories for undergraduate and graduate students, this is for the best poster presentation pertaining to molecular biology, evolution, and systematics 

 

Judging of the presentations, by a committee of TSM members, is based on the quality of the science (e.g., methods, design, interpretation) and of the presentation (e.g., oral presentation, visual aids, handling of questions). Visual aid media available for oral presentations include a PC laptop for running MS PowerPoint presentations. Award winners will be announced during the Saturday evening banquet. Students are not eligible to receive the same award more than once.