Student Poster Award

General Criteria

SGS Annual Student Awards are open to any SGS Student Member who is submitting scholarly work for presentation at the SGS Annual Meeting.
Students who are nominated for Student Awards must have submitted abstracts along with the general Call for Abstracts. If a student’s Abstract is not accepted for presentation at the Annual Meeting, the student’s nomination for a Student Award will be forfeited.
Nominations for Student Awards must include the Nomination Form as well as any required information as described on each SGS Student Award Nomination Form.
Students are expected to register for the Annual Meeting and to present their work at the Annual Meeting. Students who cannot register and attend the Annual Meeting will not be considered.
A student may be nominated for both the Student Poster Award and one of the Paper Awards. However, a student may be awarded either the Student Poster Award or one of the Student Paper Awards.

Eligibility

Any SGS Student Member who is submitting scholarly work for presentation at the SGS Annual Conference.
All authors must be students currently enrolled in an academic program with an emphasis in gerontology.
Research ideas must be substantially those of the students.
Application process must be completed per specific instructions of the Awards Committee.
Awards are made available to all disciplines within the student membership of SGS.
All authors must indicate academic level.

Specific Criteria

This award will provide preference to graduate or undergraduate students whose posters demonstrate excellence in Content, Appeal, and Poster Session Presentation.

Appeal: Exceptional overall organization, easy to follow structure, correct grammar and spelling, and references are listed or available. | Images, charts, graphs, and other visuals are useful in describing the research. | Title is large enough to read from 4-6 feet away, other text is large enough to read from a comfortable distance.
Content: Research purpose or applied approach is sufficiently stated and explained. | Research process or applied approach and methods are clearly described. | Analysis or outcomes are accurately and completely explained. | Findings/Results and implications of the project are stated.
Presentation: Professional attire and manner. | Well-prepared and easily conveys ideas; adequately answers questions. | Eye contact, posture, and tone of voice.

Scoring Rubric

If the above criteria has been met and you have all necessary information and supporting documentation you can submit your nomination for this award by completing the form below.

Submissions for this award are currently closed.

When submissions for the Student Poster Award are open, the submission form will appear here!

Previous Award Winners

2026 – 1st Place – Lena Simon, Clemson University, Poster Title: “The Associations between Perceived Stress, Protective Factors, and Cognition” | 2nd Place – Isaiah Junior Osei Duah, North Carolina A & T State University, Poster Title: “Exploring the Role of Electroretinography (ERG) for Predicting Cognitive Change” | 3rd Place – Lauren Saurbaugh, Clemson University, Poster Title: “Leisure Activities as Modifiable Correlates of Objective Sleep in Older Adults”
2025 – 1st Place – Douglas Gyamfi, University of Maryland Baltimore, Poster Title: “Staff Physical Patterns Influence Function Focused Care Implementation” | 2nd Place – Jasmine Sampson, Clemson University, Poster Title: “The Relationship Between Leisure Activity, Cognitive Function, & Spirituality in Middle-Aged and Older Black Adults” | 3rd Place – Natalia Babenko, University of South Florida, Poster Title: “The Benefits of Social Connection and Engagement in Combatting Depressive Symptoms Among Older Adults”
2024 – 1st Place – Gracie Ellington, The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Poster Title: “A Qualitative Study Comparing Medicare and Medicaid-Based Skilled Nursing Facilities: Improving the Quality of Care” | 2nd Place – Sarah Cho, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Poster Title: “Comfort, Care, & Companionship: Multidimensional Health Benefits of Social Robot Use in Memory Care” | 3rd Place – Tejan Mansaray, East Tennessee State University, Poster Title: “Factors Associated with Sense of Community Among Older Adults Aging in Place in Northeast Tennessee: A Cross-Sectional Study”
2023 – 1st Place – Emerald Gibbs, Georgia State University, Poster Title: “Household Food Security of Custodial Grandparents: Examination of the Social Determinants of Health, Sleep Quality, and Disability” | 2nd Place – Victoria Helmly, Georgia State University, Poster Title: “Examining a Person-Centered Model of Community Supervision for Older Adults” | 3rd Place Tie – Jessica Yauk, University of South Florida, Poster Title: “Does timing of retirement affect cognition or risk of dementia: A systematic review” | 3rd Place Tie – Alfred Boakye, Georgia State University, Poster Title: “Trauma and Resilience among Direct Care Workers in Long-Term Care Institutions”
2022 – 1st Place – Isabel Soto: – University of North Texas Health Science Center, Poster Title: “Exercise is a Protective Factor for Motor and Cognitive Function in Early-Stage Parkinson’s Disease” | 2nd Place – Alexa Allan: – Pennsylvania State University, Poster Title: “Area Deprivation Index Effects on Objective and Subjective Reports of Physical Health” | 3rd Place – Deanna Dragan: University of Alabama, Poster Title: “Engaging and Supporting Community Hospice Providers in Managing Mental Health Needs of Vets at End of life.”
2019 – 1st Place – Mijung Lee: – “Exploring the challenges and impact on how caregivers of older adults with dementia manage medical/nursing tasks at home: An integrative review.” | 2nd Place – Asmita Karanjit, Nidhi Joshi, and Adabale Olanrewaju: – “Creating a survey process for benchmarking person-centered care in nursing homes.” | 3rd Place – Delia Regalado: “Using existential counseling techniques to work with older Latino adults.”
2018 – 1st Place – Emily Nelson: – “Nursing Home Vulnerability Attributable to Physical Location” | 2nd Place – Cheyann Kazemian: – “Pressure Ulcers Awareness and Prevention Among the Elderly” | 3rd Place – Carol Jacobs: “Care Givers Care – Who cares for you, while you are caring for your loved one?”
2017 – Undergraduate Student Poster Awards – Haley Williford and Luar Mercado Lopez, Barton College: “The Bridge: A guide with first step resources for patients, families and caregivers dealing with Alzheimer’s disease.” | Wei Chang, The College of William and Mary, Elizabeth Yost, PhD, Washington College: “Cross National Study on Building Aging Communities in Japan and the U.S.”
2017 – Graduate Student Poster Awards – Mihee Chung and Ishan Canty Williams, University of Virginia, College of Nursing: “Stigma among Korean-American Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia: Impact and Coping Strategies” | Weizhou Tang, Kate Olscamp, Seul Ki Choi and Daniela B. Friedman, University of South Carolina: “Alzheimer’s Disease Messages on YouTube”
2016 – Jennifer Bellingtier, Lauren Catlett, & Cynthia Southard
2015 – Sherry Lind & Hannah Elliott
2014 – 1st Place – Amy Correll – Western Kentucky University | 2nd Place – Lacy Will, Virginia Commonwealth University
2013 – 1st Place – Alix Unwin | 2nd Place – Wendy Myers | 3rd Place – Ivette Valenzuela
2011 – Jessica Hellerstein
2010 – Andrea M. Shamaskin