Celebrate Research, Innovation, and Discovery
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences invites you to attend CALS Research Day 2026 on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at the Student Innovation Center.
CALS Research Day brings together undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff to celebrate the breadth and impact of research taking place across the college.
This annual event provides an opportunity to:
- Explore innovative research from across CALS
- Connect with students, faculty, and staff.
- Learn about emerging discoveries and scholarly activities
- Recognize outstanding student and postdoctoral research achievements
All members of the Iowa State University community and invited guests are welcome to attend.
Schedule
Student Innovation Center
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
The schedule is subject to change based on scheduling needs and event developments.
12:30 - 1:00 - Opening remarks
1:00 - 2:15 - 1st poster session
2:15 - 2:30 - Break
2:30 - 3:45 - 2nd poster session
3:45 - 4:30 - Networking and Hors d'Oeuvres
4:30 - 5:00 - Closing remarks and Awards Ceremony
CALS Research Day 2026 Industry & Partner Invitation
Join us for CALS Research Day 2026, a showcase of undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Network with students, faculty, and fellow industry professionals while exploring opportunities for partnership, innovation, and talent recruitment. Please RSVP here: CALS Research Day - Industry & Partner Invitation RSVP
Poster Presentations
Undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars are invited to present their research through a poster presentation.
Poster Submission Information
- Poster submission requests open: September 1, 2026
- Submission deadline: October 13, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
- Posters will be reviewed and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Due to venue capacity, poster presentations are limited to 50 participants.
Once the 50-poster limit has been reached, up to 10 additional submissions will be placed on an alternate list. Alternate presenters may be invited to participate if presentation spaces become available due to cancellations.
Awards will be presented for outstanding poster presentations.
Interested in Being a Judge?
Faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars, and alumni are encouraged to volunteer as judges.
Judges play an important role in recognizing excellence in undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral research. No prior judging experience is necessary. We will provide evaluation criteria and instructions before the event.
Judging is a great opportunity to support student and postdoctoral scholar development while learning about the exciting research taking place across CALS.
Judge Responsibilities
- Review assigned posters during CALS Research Day
- Engage with presenters and learn about their research
- Evaluate presentations using the provided scoring rubric
- Help recognize outstanding research achievements
New for 2026: All poster evaluations will take place during CALS Research Day. Judges will not be asked to review posters before the event.
Judges will be assigned a group of posters to review during the event.
Questions?
For questions regarding poster presentations, judging, or the event, please contact:
Carla Harris
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Office of Research and Development
Iowa State University
charris@iastate.edu