UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School invites the Penn State community to the 2026 Graduate Exhibition — the premier annual showcase of Penn State graduate research, scholarship and creative activity. All events are free and open to the public.
Marking the 41st year the Fox Graduate School has offered the showcase to all graduate students across Penn State, the Graduate Exhibition will include an online video gallery viewable from March 23 to 27; a research, design and art poster exhibit on March 27 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Alumni and Heritage Halls in the HUB-Robeson Center, University Park; and an evening of musical performances on March 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Esber Recital Hall of the Music Building on the University Park campus and livestreamed online.
About 250 graduate students will share their scholarship with the Penn State community, competing for monetary prizes of up to $1,000 across five categories designed to represent broad areas graduate students are pursuing degrees in. The University Libraries also sponsors an award for data visualization.
In addition, the Graduate and Professional Student Association funds two $100 People’s Choice Awards, where the winner will be determined by event attendees. Community members can cast their vote for the visual arts category between 1 and 4 p.m. in the HUB Gallery, and for the performance category after the performances from 7 to 9 p.m. in Esber Recital Hall.
Topics on which students will exhibit projects span nearly all major disciplines, including STEM, humanities, social sciences, health, the environment and the arts.
“The Graduate Exhibition is always one of the most exciting times of year for graduate education at Penn State,” said Seoki Lee, chair of the Graduate Council Graduate Exhibition Committee and professor of hospitality management at Penn State. “Students are able to showcase to the public the projects they’ve put so much hard work into, and community members have the best opportunity of the year to get a glimpse of the cutting-edge graduate scholarship happening across the University. There’s something for everyone to enjoy.”
The Graduate Exhibition helps students refine their research presentation and communication skills while improving their ability to discuss complex topics in their research or scholarship to the general public. Students look forward to not only gaining awareness for their projects but also gleaning new ideas and forming potential collaborations.
“It can be hard for people who are so embedded in a specific topic to talk about their research outside of that space,” said Emerson Waite, a 2025 Graduate Exhibition participant who graduated in fall 2025 with a doctoral degree in criminology. “But, to be able to do that in an environment like the Graduate Exhibition allows you to further your research and gather new ideas. This all has to start with thinking about your research in a way that’s digestible to other intelligent people who simply aren’t experts in your particular field.”