2026 RIT Graduate Showcase Submissions Open

The RIT Graduate School announced earlier this week that the submission portal is now open for the 2026 RIT Graduate Showcase, scheduled for Thursday, April 9, 2026. The Graduate Showcase is an annual, campus-wide celebration of graduate student research, innovation, and creative practice, and for the first time, formally welcomes postdoctoral researchers to participate alongside graduate students in sharing and celebrating their work.

Zaria Kamara presents during the Graduate Showcase on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at Fireside Lounge in Student Alumni Union. Photo by Traci Westcott, University Photographer.

The event provides an opportunity for participants to share their work with the broader RIT community through multiple formats, including scholarly and applied presentations as well as creative exhibitions. Graduate students and postdocs from all disciplines are invited to participate, with submissions spanning a wide range of themes such as science, technology, engineering, visual arts, math, entrepreneurship, and social science. Together, these contributions reflect the interdisciplinary nature of graduate work at RIT.

Presentation-based submissions to the Graduate Showcase may take the form of poster presentations, 12-minute oral presentations that include time for audience questions, or three-minute elevator pitches or capstone slams. The shorter formats are inspired by the internationally recognized Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition for doctoral students and have been adapted to allow all graduate students to participate. This format challenges presenters to clearly communicate the essence of their research, capstone, or creative work in just three minutes using a single static slide, with no props or animations. An award will be given to the top presentation, as well as a runner-up, and attendees will also have the opportunity to vote for a People’s Choice Award during the poster session and art exhibition.

In addition to these presentation formats, the 2026 Graduate Showcase will also feature a juried Visual Exhibition coordinated by RIT College of Art and Design, offering graduate students an opportunity to exhibit creative and design-focused work in a gallery-style setting. The exhibition welcomes a wide range of visual and creative media, including illustration, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, furniture, glass, metals and jewelry design, photography, 3D renderings, product and character design, film, animation, motion design, and UI/UX projects. This exhibition provides a space for creative work to be experienced visually and celebrated alongside research and scholarly contributions.

Across both presentation and exhibition formats, outstanding submissions will be recognized at the Keynote and Awards Celebration on April 9, with select participants receiving monetary awards.

Pictured above, Troy Tedeschi, left, Mike Minerva, Bryona Hamilton, George Meng, Jessica FitzGerald, Melson Miranda, Jill Smith, Chatham Monk, Jatin Joshi, and Farah Ahmad, group photo, during the Graduate Showcase, Visual Exhibition. Photo by Traci Westcott, University Photographer.

Visitors at the poster session could vote for the People's Choice Award during the Graduate Showcase on Thursday, April 10, 2025, in the Fireside Lounge, Student Alumni Union. Photo by Traci Westcott, University Photographer.