Scholars Showcase Schedule

The Scholars Showcase refers to events hosted by the Scholars Week Planning Committee and are open to participants from any college, department, or program at Western. Students are welcomed and encouraged to present their research and creative work. The campus community, as well as visitors, are invited to attend and help celebrate Western students’ outstanding academic achievements as well as the exceptional mentorship by Western faculty and staff.

Scholars Week events that are hosted by one of Western’s seven colleges, or specific departments, or programs, are offered concurrently across campus during Scholars Week. These events may be open to the public or they may be exclusive to those affiliated with the hosting college, department or program. A schedule of such activities will be posted here as they are announced: Department-Hosted Events.

Scholars Showcase activities include four main events held during the week of May 12 – 16, 2025.

1. The Poster Session, featuring research and creative works from both undergraduates and graduate students.
2. Three-Minute Thesis Talks, featuring research and creative works by graduate student presenters, followed by a short Q&A session.
3. MFA/MA Creative Writing Presentations, featuring readings of creative works by graduate students.
4. Faculty/Student Group Collaborations, featuring presentations of research, creative work, or other academic projects that result from collaborative participation between students and their instructors.

Tuesday, May 13, 2025, Carver Hall of Fame Room, (CV 221) 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

This Scholars Showcase presentation category, which debuted in 2022, features academic projects resulting from collaborative participation between students and their instructors in the field, in a lab setting, studio or in some other collaborative setting or arrangement. (Western instructors interested in presenting in this category are encouraged to inquire by writing to The Scholars Week Planning Committee at scholars.week@wwu.edu.)

Poster Session (Undergraduate and Graduate Student Symposium):

Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Carver Gym, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Designed to resemble a centerpiece academic conference event, Western’s poster session provides an opportunity to prepare students for future presentations in their discipline. Students from all disciplines share their outstanding academic achievements — whether research, creative work, or a combination of the two — with the larger Western community, family, friends, and anyone interested in their discipline or specific project.

College of Fine and Performing Arts Musical Features

Wednesday, May 14, 2025, Carver Gym

• To be announced

Three-Minute Thesis Talks (graduate student presenters)

Thursday, May 15, 2025, 10 a.m. – noon & 3 – 4:30 p.m., Solarium, 590 Old Main

Three-Minute Thesis Talks challenge participants to explain their research to a general audience in three minutes or less, using a single PowerPoint slide.  

MFA/MA Creative Writing Presentations (graduate student presenters)

Thursday, May 15, 2025, 1 – 2 p.m., Solarium, 590 Old Main

The MFA/MA reading features Western graduate students presenting original poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and/or hybrid works.