Generating Genius and Oriel College celebrate winners of academic poster competition

Monday 28 October marked the final celebration of Oriel College’s 2024 collaboration with Generating Genius, an educational access charity that works with UK students from Black and African Caribbean backgrounds to support their application to competitive STEM degrees. Awards were presented to the winners of an academic poster competition which challenged Year 13 pupils to complete an independent research project in their chosen subject area, based on the theme of “exchange”.

Pupils received guidance on creating a strong academic poster from a group of postgraduate students in July. Their submitted posters were marked by subject experts from Oriel, who commended the winning posters for their “exceptional depth of thought” and creativity.

The seemingly simple starting point of “exchange” generated a range of exciting ideas, varying from data exchange in AI to social exchange theory in human relationships. At the October event pupils shared their posters with peers, as well as academic representatives from Oriel, presenting to small groups and receiving constructive feedback.

Later in the evening, after a speech from Oriel’s Tutor for Admissions and Outreach, Julien Devriendt, certificates were given to all of the participants. Awards were also presented to the overall contest winners.

Abbie Wong was awarded best overall poster for her project, entitled “Effects of Inbreeding on Canine Health”, while best poster design went to Hana Omar, for her poster “Exploring the theme of Exchange with the East India Company, through India’s perspective”. Runners-up in the overall category were Alastair Warner and Isabel Ogbeide-Ihama and Mohammad Islam was runner-up in the design category.

Best overall poster:

Best poster design:

Best overall poster runners-up:

Best poster design runner-up: