2026 Central States Communication Association
President's Undergraduate Honors Research Conference
Minneapolis, MN
April 17 - 18, 2026
The 2026 Central States Communication Association (CSCA) President’s Undergraduate Honors Research Conference (UHRC) will be held Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18 during the 95th annual CSCA convention in Minneapolis, MN. The UHRC offers undergraduate students an opportunity to share their original research projects and provides a forum through which they can inquire about graduate study, meet graduate faculty, and interact with some of the leading scholars in the discipline of communication. The UHRC features a luncheon and graduate school open house.
Outstanding papers will be recognized including a Top Paper Award. In conjunction with the National Communication Association, the UHRC will also recognize the Lambda Pi Eta Top Paper Award. Created in 2019, the Lambda Pi Eta Top Paper Award recognizes the outstanding research of undergraduates at the regional level. The award will be presented to the Lambda Pi Eta member with the highest ranked individually authored paper at the Undergraduate Honors Research Conference.
The UHRC is open to students who were enrolled as undergraduates during the 2025 calendar year (spring, summer, and/or fall). Submissions must have been completed by those students (not coauthored with faculty) during the aforementioned year.
Possible Submission Types:
- We accept complete papers (no more than 25 pages including references, tables and figures). The papers must be formatted using APA or MLA guidelines. Only complete papers will be eligible for the Top Paper Award and Lambda Pi Eta Top Paper Award.
- We accept abstracts for works in progress papers. These could be nearly completed papers or research in progress (such as senior thesis, term paper, or other types of research). The submission should include a 250-300 word abstract of your paper/research project and the tentative references. The abstract should clearly identify the purpose of the paper or thesis, a rationale for the project, its methodology, and its participants or artifacts or texts. If it is a performance piece or a documentary or other creative inquiries, the abstract should clearly identify the purpose of the performance or film, the rationale for the project, and its methodology.
Submission instructions:
- The paper or abstract should have a title page that does not include author contact information.
- If you are submitting a complete paper, on your cover page, please indicate that you are an inducted Lambda Pi Eta member as it helps us identify competitive submissions eligible for this award.
- The paper or abstract should be saved as a PDF document.
- Paper and abstract submissions may be submitted by the author or the faculty advisor.
Submissions must be received via the submission site no later than Friday, 11:59 PM (CST), January 9, 2026.
The online submission link will be posted in late June/early July.
Queries and submissions should be addressed to the current CSCA President:
Jeffrey T. Child
jeffrey.child@unlv.edu
