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Make a Great STEM Presentation

Guidelines, Information, and Resources for STEM Presentations

What is a Lightning Talk?

What is a lightning talk?

Lightning Talks are concise 3-5-minute oral presentations that tell the big picture story of your research. Most lightning talks are accompanied by a few slides. A good rule of thumb for an oral presentation is that it takes about a minute to discuss each slide. It's like an elevator speech on your research.

SVC Guidelines for Lightning Talks

SVC Guidelines for Lightning Talks:

  • Presentations are limited to 3-5 minutes
  • Slides are limited to 3-5 slides
  • Focus on the big questions that guided your research
  • Arrive to your session room 15 minutes before the session begins to upload your presentation to the provided laptop. Presentation from the personal laptops may be acceptable, but compatibility with the projector cannot be guaranteed
  • Dress professionally
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