Student Presentation Opportunities

The student competition remains one of the most dynamic and valued parts of the Annual Meeting. Participation has grown significantly over the past decade—we have nearly doubled the number of student competition sessions, increasing from 52 to 96. That growth reflects the strong interest and high-quality work students bring each year. Because of this continued demand, we want to be transparent about capacity for Entomology 2026 in Columbus, Ohio.

Presentation Capacity for 2026

• The conference can accommodate up to 616 submissions to the Student 10-Minute Oral Presentation Competition.
• We expect the number of Student 10‑Minute Oral Presentation Competition submissions to exceed the number of available slots. Therefore, not all students who select this option may be able to participate.
• Student 10-Minute Competition submissions will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, based on date and time of submission completion.
• Student Poster Display Competition submissions are not limited. Every student who selects the poster display competition will be able to participate.
• The Student Competition Co-Chairs will honor student preferences wherever possible. If the Student 10-Minute Presentation Oral Competition slots are filled, submissions will be assigned to the student’s second-choice format.
• All student competition sessions—10-Minute Oral Presentations and Poster Displays—will include 10–12 presentations. Each session will award 1st- and 2nd-place prizes.
• All session assignments are determined by the Student Competition Co‑Chairs and are considered final. Requests for changes to presentation type or session assignment will not be accommodated.
• Student presentations submitted after the May 31 deadline will not be eligible for inclusion in the student competition but will be placed in a non-competition session.

Student Submission Guidelines

• Students should select the “Student Presentation” submission category. Submissions to the regular (non-student) 10-Minute Presentation and Poster Display categories will not be considered for the student competition.
• Submit your first- and second-choice presentation formats. Options include:
  • Student Competition 10-Minute Presentation
  • Student Competition Poster Display
  • Student Non-Competition 10-Minute Presentation
  • Student Non-Competition Poster Display
• First- and second-choices may not be the same. Students who submit the same preference for first- and second-choice may be excluded from the competition.
• While students are welcome to submit one oral and one poster display presentation to the program, student competition participation is limited to one presentation or one poster.
• Abstracts are required at the time of submission, but may be edited through the May 31 submission deadline. After the submission deadline, presenters will have the ability to edit abstract text mid-August to mid-October.

Each year during the Annual Meeting, students are offered the opportunity to present their research and win valuable prizes. There are two components to the competition: 10-Minute Presentations (oral) and Poster Displays. All student competition sessions take place on Monday.

The Student Competition Co-Chairs will do their best to group presentations on these subjects into sessions together, although a perfect fit is not always possible. All student competition sessions—10-Minute Oral Presentations and Poster Displays—will include 10–12 presentations. Each session will award 1st- and 2nd-place prizes. Prizes include:

• First Place - Free ESA membership for the upcoming year, a $75 USD gift card, and a certificate
• Second Place - Free ESA membership for the upcoming year and a certificate

For additional information, including judging rubrics, please select from the following: 

• Information for 10-Minute Presentation Competitors
• Information for Poster Competitors
• View the Lists of Previous Winners

Note: Students are eligible for the competition for 12 months after the month of graduation, with current ESA student or student transition membership.

Gain the experience of presenting without the pressure of the student competition. Presenters in this program will present during a non-competition student only session. 

Student non-competition 10-Minute Presentations will be scheduled for Sunday. Student non-competition Poster Displays will be scheduled for Tuesday.