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Category: show and tell

2026 Nutshell Games

30 graduate students. 90 seconds. Big research, small nutshells.

2026-11-07

Time: to

Location: Center for the Arts
190 Alumni Mall
Blacksburg, VA 24061
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Tickets: Free Admission

Contact: Carrie Kroehler
cjkroehl@vt.edu
540-250-8665

Accessibility Contact: Carrie Kroehler
cjkroehl@vt.edu
540-250-8665

Promotional graphic for the Center for Communicating Science’s Nutshell Games on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, at 4 p.m. at the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. Graduate students will compete for prizes by explaining their research in 90 seconds to a public audience and panel of judges, including a seventh grader. Featured research topics range from exoskeletons and 3D-printed metals to rural aging and heart failure treatments. The graphic features a cracked walnut, scientific illustrations, and orange and peach accents against a dark teal background.

About the Event

What do toothpaste and your dream house have in common? Are "baby bumps" barricades to balance? Where's our groundwater going? How can we protect our elders from abuse? These questions and many more will be answered at the 2026 Nutshell Games. And you’re invited to experience the excitement on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 4 p.m. at Virginia Tech's Center for the Arts!
 
In just 90 seconds each, 30 Virginia Tech graduate students will rise to the Nutshell challenge, take the stage, and share their work in ways that are engaging, clear, and meaningful. No jargon. No slides. Just brilliant ideas, told from the heart.
 
This year’s presenters will share research from a wide variety of disciplines and represent eight Virginia Tech colleges. A panel of judges will pick three winners, and the audience will select an Audience Choice Award winner. Hosted by the Center for Communicating Science and held in conjunction with Virginia Tech's Science Festival, the Nutshell Games is fun, fast, and family-friendly. It's also free and open to the public. A cookie reception following the event will allow audience members to meet the speakers and learn more about their work. Come cheer, support a new generation of researchers, help select the prize winners — and stay for the cookies!
 
You can find more information about the presenters, judges, rules, and judging criteria on the Center for Communicating Science website Events page.
 
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Carrie Kroehler at cjkroehl@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

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