2026 Student Achievement Conference
Create, Innovate, Inspire
Wednesday April 8th, 2026
Conference Keynote Speaker: Christopher J. Waller
Christopher J. Waller took office as a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on December 18, 2020, to fill an unexpired term ending January 31, 2030.
Prior to his appointment at the Board, Dr. Waller served as executive vice president and director of research at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis since 2009.
In addition to his experience in the Federal Reserve System, Dr. Waller served as a professor and the Gilbert F. Schaefer Chair of Economics at the University of Notre Dame. He was also a research fellow with Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies. From 1998 to 2003, Dr. Waller was a professor and the Carol Martin Gatton Chair of Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics at the University of Kentucky. During that time, he was also a research fellow at the Center for European Integration Studies at the University of Bonn. From 1992 to 1994, he served as the director of graduate studies at Indiana University’s Department of Economics, where he also served as associate professor and an assistant professor.
Dr. Waller received a BS in economics from Bemidji State University and an MA and PhD from Washington State University.
Agenda of Conference
10:00 to 11:30 a.m. …………………….. Oral Presentations @Memorial Hall
10:00 to 12:00 p.m. …………………….. Unified Basketball Extravaganza @Gillett Wellness Center Activity Courts
11:30 to 1:00 p.m. …………………….. Lunch-Fried Bread Taco @AIRC
Tickets provided to participating students and sponsors
1:00 to 2:00 p.m. …………………….. Opening Ceremony @Beaux Arts Ballroom
2:00 to 3:00 p.m. …………………….. Posters Presentations @Beaux Arts Ballroom
3:00 to 4:00 p.m. …………………….. Student Activities Leadership Recognition @Beaux Arts Ballroom
4:00 to 5:00 p.m. …………………….. Oral Presentations & Panels @Memorial Hall
5:00 to 6:00 p.m. …………………….. School of Music Recital @Bangsburg Main Performance Hall
The Online Poster Session will be available the entire day of the conference via GatherTown. A link and password to access the online conference space will be provided in the conference program
Previous Conference Program:
2026 Student Achievement Program Coming later
2025 Student Achievement Program
Eligibility
All Bemidji State undergraduate and graduate students are eligible and encouraged to submit their presentation proposals to participate in the Student Achievement Conference.
We’re committed to celebrating the diversity of student interests and accomplishments, which is why we offer a variety of formats for presentations. From scholarly research papers, panels, posters, and exhibitions to creative musical and theatrical performances and readings of original work — we welcome it all!
Need inspiration? See the kinds of work students have presented at past conferences!
Student Conference Participation
Students can participate in one or more of the following ways:
- Giving an oral presentation
- Presenting a poster
- Being part of a panel discussion
- Giving a creative performance
Students who wish to participate in the Student Achievement Conference will need to submit a proposal online. A BSU faculty or staff sponsor must approve the proposal before it can be reviewed for inclusion in the conference. Students should contact the faculty or staff sponsor before submitting their proposal. As soon as the student has submitted the proposal, the sponsor will be notified via email.
When submitting a proposal a brief title and a minimum of 100 words and a maximum of a 200-word abstract is allowed. Give thought to these before beginning your proposal.
The submission system allows for groups of up to 30 students to be involved in the same proposal. The group should select one student to be the applicant who will submit the proposal and add the others as participants.
Any special equipment needs can be specified in the submission system.
“The student achievement conference has taught me how to conduct deeper and more thorough research, which I think I’ll be able to use further on in my career. It allows us to display our hard work.”
— Jackson Galstad
Political Science B.S.
2022 SAC Presenter on Patriotism in Russia and America
Submit Your Proposal
The deadline for proposal submissions is (MARCH 6th Extended to March 20th at 11:59 pm). Students should be prepared to provide a 100-200-word description of their presentation.
Conference Presentation Formats
Presentations can be made in a variety of formats.
Oral Presentations
Students will be given 10-12 minutes (If needed) to present their achievement with 2-3 minutes of questions. Participants can present their research in-person or online via Zoom in this format. If the presenter needs a computer the facilitator of this room will provide a laptop for the presenter. The Zoom links for each room will be provided in a later email and conference program. This format is great for reading poetry and stories, presenting scientific findings, proposing future research study, reporting on implementation of program, etc…
Poster Presentations
You can choose to present your poster online or in person.
In-Person Poster Session
For those of you who are doing an in-person poster presentation, posters are limited to landscape presentation and must be 40 inches wide by 30 inches tall.
Contact BSU Printing Services for available printing services:
Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
PrintingSVCS@bemidjistate.edu
(218) 755-3921
Day of the Conference
- Arrive at Beaux Art Ballroom, in the morning.
- Locate an easel with your assigned number(find your number within the attached document).
- Use the provided foam core and four clips to attach your poster.
Online Poster Session
Online Video Tutorials
- Welcome video to the online conference center
- Welcome to students
- Video about the poster session
- Accessing the poster session
The online poster session will be on the platform GatherTown.
Online Poster Session Details
- Platform: GatherTown
- Date & Time: April 8, 2026 | 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
- Access: GatherTown Link
- Password (case-sensitive): BSUSAC26
You will need to e-mail the finalized video link to travis.ricks@bemidjistate.edu by April 6th at midnight. This will enable the conference organizers to upload all of the posters and videos to their assigned virtual space.
It’s recommended that you visit the virtual conference space before the conference. A link and password will be sent to you once you have submitted and been accepted to present at the conference. View an online demonstration.
Instructions for how to record your presentation can be found here.
Exhibit
Exhibits will be presented in person.
Panel
Panels can be presented online or in person.