MGRS Volunteers & Judges
Thank you for graciously donating your time to the Midwest Graduate Research Symposium! On this webpage, you will find helpful information as you prepare for the symposium. Stay tuned as this webpage will be updated with additional information as we near the symposium!
Directions, Parking, and ArrivalJudge InformationVolunteer InformationFrequently Asked Questions
Directions, Parking, & Arrival
Click here for our Main Campus map! Below you'll find maps of Memorial Field House. Maps are posted around the building and will be provided to you via email prior to the symposium.
We recommend parking in Area 13. Accessible parking is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Building Map
First Floor Map
Second Floor Map
Arrival
Please use the east entrance of the Memorial Field House (facing Centennial Mall) to enter the building. Please note all other entrances will remain locked.
Judges: When you arrive, you will check in at our registration tables to receive your judge badge lanyard, program, and information packet.
Volunteers: When you arrive, you will check in at our registration tables to receive your volunteer lanyard and information packet.
Schedule
Below is what you can expect on the day of MGRS. We invite you to stay for the full event!
MGRS Schedule at a Glance
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Memorial Field House 2100
Registration, Judge & Presenter Preparation
Light Breakfast
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Memorial Field House 2100
Opening Remarks
Keynote Address
Overview of Symposium Layout
10:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Memorial Field House Second Floor
Seminar & Lightning Talk Sessions
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunchtime Professional Development Session
The Three Minute Thesis Experience: A Panel Discussion
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Field House Atrium
Poster Session 1 (1:00 - 1:45 PM)
Poster Session 2 (1:45 - 2:30 PM)
2:30 - 3:30 PM
Memorial Field House
Networking Mixer
2:30 - 3:30 PM
Memorial Field House 2100
Recognition & Award Ceremony
Closing Remarks
Information for Judges
Below you will find information for each judging category including lists of all 2026 presentations.
Morning Session Judges: Seminar & Lightning Talks
What to Expect
If possible, please arrive at least 20 minutes before your session begins.
When you arrive, you will check in at the registration table. Our registration volunteers will provide you with a program and your room assignment.
When the opening remarks and keynote address conclude, judges and presenters will be directed to their assigned seminar rooms and prepared by the room moderator.
Do I need to bring anything? Nope! Our volunteers will provide you rubrics pre-filled with presenter information. You will not need to bring anything with you.
Rubrics
You can view the rubrics for the various seminar presentations below:
2026 Presentations
Visit the 2026 list of all seminar and lightning talk presentations below:
Afternoon Session Judges: Posters
What to Expect
If possible, please arrive at least 20 minutes before your session begins.
When you arrive, you will check in at the registration table. Our registration volunteers will provide you with a program, your poster assignments, and a clipboard with all rubrics of presentations you will judge.
If you are judging Poster Session 1 (1-1:45 PM):
At 12:45 p.m., you will proceed to Room 1030 just past the registration table. You will be in a judging group including a moderator who will keep time and guide you to each poster you will judge.
If you are judging Poster Session 2 (1:45 - 2:30 PM):
At 1:30 p.m., you will proceed to Room 1030 just past the registration table. You will be in a judging group including a moderator who will keep time and guide you to each poster you will judge.
Do I need to bring anything? Nope! Your clipboard will have your rubrics prepared and pre-filled with presenter information. You will not need to bring anything with you.
Rubrics
2026 Presentations
You can view 2026 poster presentations here.
Upcoming Information Sessions
Join us at an optional Microsoft Teams information session for more information on what to expect as a judge (click the link to save to your calendar):
Information for Volunteers
Volunteer Roles
Learn more about the different ways our volunteers support the MGRS. Expand each role for more details.
Registration Table Support
Our registration table volunteers provide attendees, presenters, judges, and fellow volunteers with helpful information as they check in including MGRS programs and guiding packets.
Floaters & Greeters
Our floaters and greeters assist attendees, presenters, and judges with directions, answer questions, and connect participants with other volunteers and event coordinators.
Session Moderators
During the morning presentations, our session moderators introduce presenters, keep track of time, and collect scoring sheets from judges to provide to tabulation volunteers.
During the afternoon posters, our session moderators will keep track of time, guide judges to posters, and hand scoring sheets to judge support volunteers.
Setup/Teardown Support
Our setup and teardown support volunteers may join us on the evening of April 10th or the morning of April 11th for venue setup. They may also assist with cleanup following the event.
Dress Code
We do not have a firm dress code, but we recommend dress how they would normally dress for a conference (and wear comfortable shoes!).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to register as an attendee?
Nope! You will not have to complete the attendee registration.
Can undergraduate students volunteer?
Yes! We welcome all UToledo students, faculty, and staff to join us as volunteers and appreciate your support.
Contact Us
Should you have any questions or like additional information, we are happy to help.
MGRS Planning Committee
The University of Toledo
Graduate Student Association
GSA@utoledo.edu
Yasmeen Hamdah, M.Ed.
Program Manager & GSA Advisor
College of Graduate Studies
419.530.2633
GradSuccess@utoledo.edu