This year's meeting will follow the format we used last year. We are trying to reduce bias in judging by having a set template for each talk. You will find the instructions below. If any step in the process causes you hardship please reach out to us to let us know so we can discuss potential solutions.

Also, please note judging criteria are on the TSM website.

 

Oral Presentation

For oral presentations, you will need to create a powerpoint presentation, then record yourself presenting this using Zoom. 

 

 

1) host a zoom meeting with video

2) start the presentation

3) position your video image in top right of screen (your face must appear in your video during your talk)

4) choose record video (to the cloud or to the desktop doesn't matter - you will have to download it from the cloud to add it to drive)share screen 

5) chose share screen and select your powerpoint presentation

6) when you are done stop recording

7) please submit a 12 minute presentation, if it is over 12 minutes we will stop the playback at 12 minutes.

8) name the file Lastname_Firstname (of course using your own lastname and firstname)

9) upload the video to this drive folder 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cSbpp1jvQoqyAzVBdUG6hEytF8lUa-d1?usp=sharing

10) the day of the presentations you will have an attendee link and a presenter link. You will use the presenter link during the session your talk is in. This will be a webinar format. For the webinar your video will play during which time attendees will be able to ask questions through the Q/A function. At the end of your video you will have three minutes to answer submitted questions live. Once the next talk starts you will still be able to answer any remaining questions in the Q/A. You will need to join the session you are speaking in 15 minutes before to test the microphone and receive general instructions. We will provide more information next week with your session assignment.

 

 

For poster presentations

 

You will need to create your poster and save it in a PDF format. This file will be uploaded to our website for attendees to review. In addition, you should follow the instructions for oral presentations above, only at step 7 you should submit a 3 minute video. This will be the "poster talk" you would give summarizing your poster if you were standing in front of the poster live. This video will be uploaded along with the pdf file. On the night of the poster presentations we will play your video then give you 7 minutes to answer questions. Full instructions are below

 

1) start a zoom meeting with video

2) start the presentation

3) position your video image in top right of screen (your face must appear in your video during your talk)

4) choose record video (to the cloud or to the desktop doesn't matter - you will have to download it from the cloud to add it to drive)share screen 

5) chose share screen and select your powerpoint presentation

6) when you are done stop recording

7) please submit a 3 minute presentation, if it is over 3 minutes we will stop the playback at 3 minutes.

8) name the file Lastname_Firstname (of course using your own lastname and firstname)

9) upload the video to this drive folder 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FifWen_TVGtUfcJzedWJrR2crK-gcvkB?usp=sharing

10) the day of the presentations you will have an attendee link and a presenter link. You will use the presenter link during the session your talk is in. This will be a webinar format. For the webinar your video will play during which time attendees will be able to ask questions through the Q/A function. At the end of your video you will have seven minutes to answer submitted questions live . Once the next talk starts you will still be able to answer any remaining questions in the Q/A. You will need to join the session you are speaking in 15 minutes before to test the microphone and receive general instructions. We will provide more information next week with your session assignment.

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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), however, this does not include "production value" of recorded talks.  Students are not eligible to receive the same award more than once.