Student poster competition opens for SPE Thermoset Topcon 2025
Graduate and undergraduate students interested in sharing their work on innovative thermoset composite technologies can submit abstracts by April 30, 2025, and posters by May 9.
TopCon 2022 student poster competition. Source | SPE Thermoset Division
The organizing committee for the SPE Thermoset Division (Bethel, Conn., U.S.) TopCon invites graduate and undergraduate students to submit abstracts on innovative thermoset composite technologies for its fourth annual student poster competition. The competition will be held during the SPE Thermoset TopCon Conference at the Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin May 13-14, 2025.
Judges — comprised of industry experts, SPE board members and members of the media — will review all posters with student authors on the first day of the conference, May 13. Awards will be presented to winners during a designated ceremony on the event’s second day, May 14.
Abstracts are now due by April 30, 2025, and digital PDF copies of posters are due by May 9, 2025, for pre-review by judges. Students will need to bring printed copies of their posters (24 inches wide × 36 inches high) to the conference on May 12 or early morning May 13.
Poster topics may include subjects such as:
- Automotive, transportation, medical, appliances, oil and gas and more.
- Lightweighting.
- Biocomposites.
- Nanocomposites.
- Glass, carbon and hybrid fibers.
- Recycling and green technologies.
- Multi-materials.
- Joining technologies.
- Modeling and analysis of lightweight materials.
- CAFE standards and mandates.
- Cost-effective manufacturing.
- Use of advanced materials in innovative applications.
- Virtual prototyping and design.
- Microstructure, failure and fracture.
- Failure envelopes and theories.
- Additive manufacturing (AM).
Students and their posters will be ranked according to the following criteria:
- Content (student and poster demonstrate clarity of topic, objectives and background);
- Motivation for research and technical relevance to conference theme;
- Methodology and approach to problem;
- Quality of proposed research results/findings;
- Conclusions are supported by information presented;
- Presentation (display aesthetics are pleasing and there is a logical flow between sections);
- Knowledgeable (presenter has a good grasp of the subject);
- Understandability (poster is effective even without student being present to explain it); and
- Overall rank versus other posters and presenters.
All students presenting a poster in the competition will receive free registration to the conference. Passes include breakfast and lunch May 13-14 and a networking reception on May 13. Hotel rooms will be available at a discounted rate of $200-$220 per night at a hotel near the conference venue. Students will be responsible for hotel and travel expenses if required for them to attend the event.
The SPE Thermoset TopCon is a valuable educational experience that provides networking opportunities for those close to graduating who are starting to look for a job. The 2025 event will feature technical presentations and exhibits highlighting advances in materials, processes and equipment for thermoset technologies in electrical, automotive, off-highway, appliance, aerospace, building and construction, oil and gas and other industries.
Abstracts should be sent to Teri Chouinard (Teri@intuitgroup.com); contact Teri for a Poster Template and more info.
Visit for more information on the event.