three minute thesis 2020

• Facts and Figures
• Undergraduate Admissions
• Graduate Admissions
• Non-traditional Admissions
• Pay Deposit
• Undergraduate Majors
• Graduate Programs
• Honors College
• Study Abroad
• Professional & Continuing
• Online Programs
• Career Planning
• Living on Campus
• Clubs & Organizations
• Spirit & Traditions
• About Harrisonburg
• Pay Your Deposit
• Office of Financial Aid
• Freshman Scholarships

• James Madison University -->
• The Graduate School
• Programs Available
• Tuition and Aid
• Scholarships
• Graduate School Fairs
• Request Information
• Apply Now / How to Apply
• Check Application Status
• Newly Admitted Students
• Dates and Deadlines
• Orientation
• Assistantships
• Assistantship FAQs
• Resources to Fund Your Education
• Conference Travel
• Global Opportunity Scholarship
• Graduate Student Life
• Degree Progress
• Scholarly Documents
• Three-Minute Thesis
• Graduate Showcase
• Graduate Community Newsletter
• International Applicant FAQs
• English Language Program
• English Proficiency Requirements
• International Student & Scholar Services
• International Fees
• Transitions Orientation
• Campus Services & Resources
• Graduate Faculty/Staff Homepage
• Student Award Nominations
• Graduate Faculty Application
• Graduate Program Directors
• Research Assistant Program
• Curriculum Proposals
• Graduate Catalog
• Graduate Council
• Strategic Plan
• TGS Helpdesk
• Graduate Alumni & Visitors
• Student Awards & Accomplishments

View the Winners of the 2020 Three Minute Thesis Competition.

Third annual three minute thesis at jmu,  3 minutes to inspire, friday, january 24, 2020, 6 pm, holland yates hall (formerly madison hall), first floor.

A 100-page thesis would take hours to present. They do it in 3 minutes.

Participating graduate students share their research in a high impact 3-minute presentation and compete for cash prizes and a chance to participate in the regional competition. The first place winner will receive $750, second place will receive $500, and third place will receive $250. The first place winner will be sponsored by The Graduate School to attend the regional competition at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools in Birmingham, Alabama, March 5-7, 2020 (for more information, visit http://www.csgs.org/annual-meeting-2020/ ). In addition, the audience will vote to select the winner of the People's Choice Award, sponsored by the Graduate Student Association!  

The Three Minute Thesis competition, originally developed by The University of Queensland, gives students the opportunity to develop and present their research in a compelling and concise narrative aimed at engaging a general audience. Students are challenged to synthesize the core concepts of their projects and make meaningful connections to real-world issues. The competition celebrates the creativity and scholarship of our graduate students while helping them develop vital academic and communication skills.

Watch the video!

For students who wish to participate and compete: 

Mark Your Calendars!

JMU’s Third Annual Three Minute Thesis competition is happening Friday, January 24, 2020 starting at 6:00 p.m. Winners may also be invited to give an encore presentation at the Graduate Symposium on April 15, 2020.

The registration deadline is January 10, 2020.

We want to help you do your best.  Plan now to attend a Three Minute Thesis Preparation workshop to learn more and get started creating your presentation.

The workshop will…

• Offer an overview of the Three Minute Thesis competition
• Provide help creating your spoken and visual presentation
• Teach you how to cover the key points of your project in only 3 minutes
• Review important guidelines to ensure your presentation meets the official rules

The Graduate School is hosting two workshops this fall in Holland Yates Hall (formerly Madison Hall), Room 4010.

• Wednesday, November 13 from 2:30pm – 4:30pm
• Thursday, December 5 from 6:00 – 8:00pm
• Monday, December 9 from 3:00-5:00 pm

Registration for a workshop is not required, but will help our facilitator to prepare and plan.  We recommend pre-registering and attending a workshop to get ready for the competition. 

Pre-register for a workshop

You can also check out these winning presentations and helpful tips:

Winning presentation by Megan Pozzi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0K9iYUBCG_o

Winning presentation by Joseph Donohue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp5lLSdAd3I

Winning presentation by Rob Duguid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dexCh39jEg4

Helpful tips file: https://grad.ucsd.edu/_files/student-affairs/grad-slam/3MinThesisHints.pdf

Helpful tips video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_1MK3Ub9Q

The Fine Print

Eligibility

Currently enrolled graduate students (at the time of the competition) in all disciplines are eligible to participate in JMU’s Three Minute Thesis competition. Work presented must be from a current thesis or dissertation project, or other culminating creative or research project required by your program. The project should be far enough along to identify its practical impact and draw conclusions from the data. If you have questions, please contact The Graduate School at [email protected]  or by calling 540.568.6131.

Official Rules

• Presentations must not be longer than 3 minutes. Any presentation that exceeds the 3 minute time limit will be disqualified. The timer is started when the presenter begins by speaking or moving.
• One static PowerPoint slide is the only visual aid allowed (no slide transitions, animations, or movement of graphics in the slide).
• Additional electronic media may NOT be used (e.g., sound and video files).
• Additional props are NOT allowed (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment).
• Presentations must be memorized and recited without the help of notes or cue cards.
• Presentations must be spoken-word (no raps, poems, or singing presentations).

Judging Criteria

Presentations must meet the official rules and participant eligibility requirements to be included in the competition. Each presentation will be evaluated based on the equally weighted criteria listed below.

Communication:

• Did the presenter describe the thesis topic, significance, and key findings in language appropriate for a general audience?
• Did the presentation flow at a comfortable pace without rushing or long pauses?
• Did the speaker demonstrate good stage presence by making eye contact, using vocal inflection, and integrating natural gestures?

  Comprehension:

• Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
• Did the speaker define key terms and provide sufficient background information to illustrate points?
• Did the presenter adequately develop each main point of the presentation?

  Content:   

• Did the presentation help the audience understand the research question and its practical significance?
• Did the presentation clearly describe the methodology and significant findings of the research, including conclusions and outcomes?
• Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or over-generalize their research?

  Engagement:

• Did the presenter convey enthusiasm and make the audience want to know more?
• Did the presenter capture and maintain the audience's attention?
• Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation as a relevant and appealing visual aid?

Register Now

The 3MT competition is a great opportunity to showcase the fine work of our graduate students, and bring positive attention to the graduate education at JMU. We hold a Three Minute Thesis competition each year! 

Review 2019 Three Minute Thesis Competition!  

Back to Top

• Expenditures
• Accessibility
• Social Media

Samantha O'Sullivan (Physics / African American Studies)

Gullah Physics: Challenging English Language Hegemony in Science

Second prize expand_more

Sahar Mariam Mohammadzadeh (Government)

The Impact of Twitter on the Supreme Court

Third prize expand_more

Stephanie Alderete (Psychology)

Preschoolers' Ability to Think about Alternative Possibilities

Finalists expand_more

Alex Grayson (Molecular & Cellular Biology)

Comparing Fox and Human Brain Connectivity Patterns

Javin Pombra (Computer Science)

Unraveling the Black Box: Explainability for Artificial Intelligence in the Twenty-First Century

Zelin Liu (Classics / History)

Using the Past to Define Group Identity

Jerrica Li (Comparative Literature)

Diaspora: A Genre for This New Planetary Reality

Jahnavi Rao (Government)

The Spillover Potential of a Nudge

Daiana Lilo (Government / Data Science)

A Great Personality: How Different Characteristics Can Predict Supreme Court Decisions

• Enroll & Pay
• 2022 3MT® In-Person Competition
• 2021 3MT® Virtual Competition
• 2020 3MT® Virtual Competition

3MT at the University of Kansas

Brilliant ideas conveyed in three minutes or less.

What is the 3MT® Competition?

The  Three Minute Thesis  (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia. This event challenges graduate students to present a compelling speech about their research and its significance to non-academic persons in just three minutes using only one presentation image. 3MT® commenced in 2008 and is currently held in over 900 universities across more than 85 countries worldwide. In 2020, the 3MT® competition moved to a temporary virtual format due to COVID-19 and continues to be held around the world in either a virtual or live format (depending on local COVID-19 restrictions).

The goals of the competition are to (1) highlight the excellent research conducted by graduate students and (2) improve graduate students’ communication of research to non-specialist and non-academic audiences. The judges of the competition are educated professionals in a variety of positions in corporate, government, and non-profit industries. 

3MT® Timeline

March-april.

Graduate students are invited to register for the 3MT® Competition.

Graduate students registered for the 3MT® Competition will be required to participate in workshops to prepare them for the competition.

The Preliminary Heats usually take place in the first week of November to determine the graduate students that will advance to the final round of the competition one week later.

The KU winner moves on to represent KU at the regional 3MT® Competition, which takes place in late March or early April during the annual meeting of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS). 

RELATED LINKS

• MAGS 3MT® Competition
• University of Queensland 3MT® Competition

SOCIAL MEDIA

• #3MTatKU on Twitter (X)
• #3MTatKU on Facebook
• #3MTatKU on Instagram

PREVIOUS COMPETITIONS

• 2022 KU 3MT® Competition
• 2021 KU 3MT® Competition
• 2020 KU 3MT® Competition

3MT® Competition @ KU

Utility Links

• University of Pennsylvania
• Penn Provost Education Division
• Support Our Work

Utility Navigation

Secondary Nav Penn GSC

• Your Space on Campus

Primary Nav Penn GSC

• Resource Guide
• Funding and Finances
• Navigating the Academy
• Graduate Student Life

Drawer Menu Penn GSC

• Back to main menu
• Join Our Team
• Accessibility
• Grad Center Spaces
• Reserve a Room
• Building Hours
• Mission and Vision
• Engage with Us
• Grad Center Advising and Support
• Penn Grad News
• About & Submissions
• New Student Orientation Hub
• For International Students
• Online Sessions for New Students
• Student Accounts & Technology
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Campus Activities
• Graduate Student Groups
• Conduct and Safety
• Living in Philadelphia
• Safety and Campus Conduct
• Alumni Resources
• Graduate Grants
• Graduate Emergency Fund
• Insurance Grants for PhD Students
• Dissertation Boot Camp
• Writing Groups
• Writers Rooms and Retreats
• GAPSA-Provost Awards
• About the Fontaine Society
• Resources for Current Fellows
• Fontaine News
• Teaching and Mentoring
• Resources & Support
• Language Programs
• Community Impact Fund
• Graduate Leadership Awards

Penn Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

Basic page sidebar menu penn gsc.

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a competition for doctoral and research students to develop and showcase their research communication skills through brief, 3-minute presentations.

Penn's annual 3MT competition is sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for Education, with co-sponsorship and support from Career Services, the Graduate Student Center, and GAPSA. 

Penn 3MT is a University-sponsored speaking competition designed to showcase graduate student research in three-minute talks to a general audience. This is a terrific opportunity for graduate students engaged in substantive original research to develop communication skills and share their work with faculty, students, and staff from across the University.

• 3MT Information Sessions : November 2023 & January 2024
• Research Communications Workshops : October - November 2023 &  February 2024 (optional)
• Practice and Feedback Sessions: February 2024 (optional)
• First Round Video Submissions Due: Saturday, March 2, 2024
• Finalists announced: March 7-8, 2024
• Finalist Feedback Sessions: March 8-21, 2024
• In-person Competition : Friday, March 22, 2024

In addition to bragging rights, a prize of $1000 will be awarded to the first-place winner and $500 to both the second-place and audience choice winners. Winners will also have the opportunity to participate in regional and national 3 Minute Thesis competitions!

Meet the Finalists & Winners!

First place, $1000, kritika jha.

Kritika is a material chemistry Ph.D. student at the SAS and has dedicated her research to sustainable and intelligent packaging solutions. She is also a great fan of cooking, so she’s always cooking up a storm both in the lab and the kitchen,  with a mission to whip up eco-friendly packaging solutions. So, just think of her as a chef-scientist, where her ingredients aren't just spices and veggies, but also the stuff that could make tomorrow's packaging as compostable as an apple core, with a sprinkle of creativity and a dash of science. Now she’s going to tell you more about all that in her talk title “Nanosuperheroes: Who Can See the Unseen Dangers” 

Second Place, $500, Grace Simon

Grace is a PhD Candidate in the Management Department. Before embarking on her PhD journey, Grace spent five years working in the financial services industry. From supporting employees through bank robberies to leading a crisis communications team during the pandemic, Grace realized the central role of emotions in the workplace. In her research, she explores when and why supportive intentions at work can go right and wrong.  When she's not working on research, you can find her searching for the best ice cream in Philadelphia or perfecting her soft pretzel recipe. Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled “Putting Feelings into Words” 

Audience Choice, $500, Talayah Johnson

Talayah is Bioengineering Ph.D. student here at the University of Pennsylvania. Her journey started at Penn State University where she received her B.S in biology and Masters in biomechanics. Outside of research she enjoys volunteering at Philadelphia high schools as a way of encouraging minority students to pursue STEM degrees.  Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled “The Tendon’s Achilles Heel: How Reduced Loading Affects Limb Growth” 

Shelvey Swett

Shelvey is a second year PhD student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department. Her work focuses on carbon capture and storage. Outside of research, Shelvey loves reading, watching video essays, and doing hot yoga. Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled ‘Carbon capture? I hardly know her! Critical Mineral Supply and Carbon Dioxide Storage from Mining Waste’ 

Maya Moritz

Maya is a PhD student in the Criminology department at Penn. She grew up in New Jersey and studied labor and historical economics in Scotland, Canada, and Germany. During her studies, she listened to way too many true crime podcasts and, as a result, decided to return home and examine a different labor market- crime. As a PhD student in criminology she tries to keep her work on the brighter side by studying the crime-fighting effects of art, lighting, and the power of community. Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled “A Picture Worth A Thousand Words: The Effects of Murals on Crime ” 

Chris Johnson

Chris is a doctoral candidate in chemical and biomolecular engineering, with a focus on deciphering the physics behind new materials for energy technology. He has had work published in scientific journals such as Polymer, Advanced Materials Interfaces, and Chemical Communications. He was the 2020 winner of the Elda Wollaeger Gregory poetry award at the University of Delaware, and spends his free time playing with his cat Poe. Now he’s going to tell you about his research in his talk titled “Mission Ion-possible Charges in Motion" 

Natalia (Nati) Aponte Borges

Natalia is a graduate researcher, bilingual STEM educator, and artist. She obtained her B.S. in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras and is currently a Biology PhD Candidate in the Schmidt Lab. She is broadly interested in the neurobiology of behavior, known as neuroethology. Her work focuses on the neural mechanisms that control courtship behaviors in songbirds. She studies brown-headed cowbirds, which have an elaborate song and display during courtship. Outside of research, she is passionate about community, science literacy, disability justice, and teaching. Along with birds, she loves photography, sewing, and going to the beach. Now she’s going to tell you about her research in her talk titled “The Neural Command of Courtship: How the Bird Brain Orchestrates an Elaborate Wingspread” 

Pulkit Khandelwal

Pulkit is a 5th year PhD student in the department of Bioengineering. Previously, he completed his masters in computer science at McGill University in Montreal. Pulkit's research interests lie in biomedical image analysis using artificial intelligence and shape analysis to understand how neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, spread in the brain using postmortem human brain MRI. In his spare time, he likes to read poetry, literature, listen to Greek mythology podcasts, nerd out on coffee, enjoy foreign language independent movies, and lately he has been interested in rare books and book binding! Now he’s going to tell you about his research in his talk titled “Alzheimer's disease: cutting the brain open, literally!” 

To enter, students must register below and submit a video of their three-minute talk to Penn 3MT (details below) by Saturday, March 2. From those first-round submissions, up to 10 finalists will be chosen to compete in the campus-wide, live competition on Friday, March 22.

Register for Round 1 Video Submission

The 3MT competition will teach you how to communicate effectively to specialists and non-specialists alike, preparing you to present your research at scholarly conferences and to take part in both academic and professional job markets.

Professional Development:  Penn 3MT is a great opportunity for graduate students to practice sharing their original research to general audiences. Participants have the opportunity to attend workshops and receive group and one-on-one coaching to  develop oratorical skills, dynamic deliveries, and compelling content  when presenting their academic research.

Networking:  3MT participants will have an opportunity to meet and engage with new faculty, staff, and students from across the University.

Impact:  Participants have the opportunity to make the importance and relevance of their research visible to a non-specialist audience. Participants can elect to have their presentation shared online, promoting both your own work and the value of graduate student research to a much wider audience.

Prizes:  Everyone who submits a video will receive prizes from GAPSA and the Grad Center! Please register at the blue button at the top of the page  if you plan on submitting a video so we can collect your contact information. Judges will select a first-place ($1000) and second-place ($500) winner at the live competition. There will also be an audience choice ($500) winner.

Active PhD, Professional Doctorate Research (program composed of at least 2/3 research and eligible for Research Training Program (RTP)), and full-time Masters candidates who have successfully passed their confirmation milestone (including candidates whose thesis is under submission) by the date of their first presentation are eligible to participate in 3MT competitions at all levels. Graduates are not eligible.

Please Note : Students enrolled in any of the following programs are not eligible to enter the 3MT Competition:

Professional Masters

Professional Doctorate (less than 2/3 research)

Entries from all disciplines are welcome and encouraged.

In cases of presentation of a collaborative research project, the presenter’s contribution to the project must be salient and clearly specified.

If you are unsure of your eligibility or would like more information about 3MT, please contact [email protected] . You can also check the Graduate Catalog for your Penn School to see if your program is listed under the PhD and Research Master's Programs.

To enter, you must submit a three-minute video of your presentation by 11:59 p.m. (local time) on March 2, 2024.

Please register at the blue button at the top of the page  if you are interested in participating . Be sure to read through the Rules and Guidelines also before submitting your videos!

Competition Process

Students may submit their slide and video anytime before Saturday, March 2, 2024  for feedback. You can also request a 1:1 session during this time for immediate feedback or to go over your presentation with the Associate Director.

Research Communications Workshops offered by the Graduate Student Center will occur October - November and January - February. See our Events page for details.

Student videos submitted by the deadline of  Satur day, March 2 at 11:59 p.m., EST  are reviewed by a panel of staff for compliance with the eligibility requirements.

10 Finalists are selected for the online competition by March 7-8, 2024.

A  campus-wide competition between the finalists will be held March 22, 2024. A reception will be held after the competition.

On the basis of these presentations, winners will be selected by the panel of judges and a “people’s choice” by audience members.  

Judging and Selection

A panel of non-specialist faculty and staff judges will evaluate student presentations. Presentations will be evaluated based on clarity, comprehension, content, engagement, and communication.

Everyone who submits a video will receive a gift for participating! Please fill out the interest form above if you plan on submitting a video so we can collect your contact information. Judges will select a first ($1000) and second-place ($500) winner at the live competition. There will also be an audience choice ($500) winner.

All decisions of the judging panel are final.

Video submission:   

• Your video and slide should be submitted using the button below.  Please register at the blue button at the top of the page  if you are interested in participating .
• All video files should be named: “Title_of_talk.mp4” or “Title_of_talk.mov”.  Please do not include your name or any other identifying information in the name of the video file.
• You do not need to include your slide in your video. A video of you speaking is enough. You will upload your slide alongside your video.
• At the very beginning of your video, please state your full name, graduate program, and the title of your presentation. The time it takes to do this will not be counted against the three minutes to present your research.
• You will not be judged on your skills as a videographer, and you do not need to use professional video equipment. As long as the judges can see you and the audio is clear and understandable, that is sufficient. You can record yourself using the Panopto interface in Canvas. You can also record yourself in Zoom. You may ask a friend or colleague for help creating your video, or you can get assistance and borrow equipment from the Vitale Digital Media Lab . You can also follow these tips for recording a presentation in Zoom . Here is one demonstrated on a Mac .

Visual submission :

• Presenters may use a single image or static PowerPoint slide (no Prezi or other presentation formats) to enhance their presentation.
• Students must create their slides themselves – they cannot ask someone else to design the slides. Use of PowerPoint templates is allowed.
• Slides can include visual elements (charts, visualizations, photos, clip art, etc.) created by someone other than the student, as long as the slide credits the original creator.
• Embedded audio, animations, and/or video clips (including but not limited to .gif, .avi, .mp4, .mp3, and .wmv file types) are NOT permitted.
• Powerpoint slides should be named "Title_of_talk.ppt". Please do not include your name or any other identifying information in the name of the PowerPoint file.

Powerpoint slides and videos can be uploaded below. If you are having difficulty, please upload it to Microsoft, Box, or Google Drive and email jomcb at upenn.edu the link to download.

Upload Your Video & Slide

Length and Timing: Presentations should be a maximum of three (3) minutes in length, commencing from the moment the speaker starts the presentation through movement or speech.

• The presentation  begins  at the moment the speaker engages with the audience (if they start with a hand clap, a gesture, or any other such engagement, prior to speaking, the clock begins at that time; if there is no such engagement the clock starts when the student begins speaking).
• If the speaker continues past three minutes, points will be deducted from the final score, beginning with one point at 3:03, and one point every two additional seconds thereafter.
• No props of any kind are permitted, and notes cannot be used during the presentation.

Want some help getting started? In need of Inspiration? Check out the resources below!

3MT® Resources

• Three-Minute Thesis Showcase :  Watch winning 3MT presentations from around the world.
• Three Tips to Help You Prepare a Winning Presentation
• 3MT: The Three Most Common Mistakes
• Sample 3MT Coaching Session

Past Penn 3MT ® Competitions and Workshops

Research Communications Workshops

Additional Resources

• Nature MasterClass: Effective Science Communication (PennKey login required)
• Alda Center for Communicating Science Creating Connections Workbook
• XKCD Simple Writer
• Dejargonizer
• TED Talks :  Short talks on “ideas worth spreading.” 
• PhD Comics Two-Minute Thesis  Competition
• Berkeley Grad Slam Competition

Graduate Student Center University of Pennsylvania 3615 Locust Walk Philadelphia PA 19104 215-746-6868

[email protected]

Footer Menu

• Valuing Graduate Students

Three Minute Thesis - 2020 Finalists

Here are the winners of Illinois State University's Three Minute Thesis competition held on February 20, 2020, at the Normal Theater.

Austin C. Calhoun (First place and People's Choice winner)

Biological Sciences: What’s killing the buzz? Mechanisms of bumble bee decline

Watch Performance

Jennifer Woodrum (Second Place)

Psychology: Perfectionism and Rumination: Finding the "Sweet Spot" of Failure

Frederick Adomako

Agriculture: Big Data on the Farm

Tara Augspurger

Educational Administration and Foundations: Giving Voice to Faculty Led Study Abroad

Samantha Dunn

Teaching and Learning: Perceptions of Centers of Teaching and Learning regarding Practice, Outreach, and Theory

Hannah Harris

Kinesiology and Recreation: Shoulders Back, Chin Up

Zak Kaesberg

Family and Consumer Sciences: Effects of Video Technology on Cooking Self-Efficacy

Kendall Ladd

Psychology: "Where Words Fail, Music Speaks": Emotion Regulation Strategies Using Music When Experiencing Sadness

Hope K. Morris

Theatre and Dance: Bewitching the Blame: The Crucible's Legacy of Sexual Shame and Ethnic Exploitation in Popular Culture

Jennifer (Coletta) Tullos

English: (Re)Mapping Bisexual Young Adult Literature

Additional Links

• Apply to Graduate School
• Our Graduate Programs

University Resources

• Schools & departments

Three Minute Thesis final 2020

The University’s 3 Minute Thesis competition final took place on 25 June 2020.

Nine finalists from each of the University’s three Colleges competed to deliver the best research presentation in 3 minutes using just one slide.

The winner of the competition was Jessie Fubara-Manuel from the School of Divinity, with her presentation 'Enabled by Faith: Facing the Challenges of Gender, Disability and HIV in Nigeria'.

Frankie will now go on to represent the University in the UK and Universitas 21 competitions.

The runner up was Luke Darlow from the School of Informtics, with his presentation 'The Tale of the Lazy Learning Machine'.

Katherine Ross Stewart from the Centre for Cardiovascular Science won the People’s Choice prize with her presentation 'Heart Attack: Fishing for a Cure'.

Related links

 3 Minute Thesis final  

• Three Minute Thesis >
• Past Competitions >
• March 13, 2020

Fourth Annual Three Minute Thesis Competition

Event Date: March 13, 2020

Competition Winners

First place: ben rein.

Putting the Brakes on Autism: A New Molecular Strategy

Ben Rein's 3MT Video Transcript

[Speaker: Graham Hammill] The next presenter is Ben Rein, who's a PhD student in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. The title of his 3MT presentation is "Putting the Brakes on Autism: A New Molecular Strategy." Ben is clearly a person with wide ranging interests. Not only did he enter his PhD program when he was 20 years old, but he also served as the chief editor for a nonfiction novel that was published last year, and four years ago, he produced and released a complete hip hop album. So, ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Ben Rein] You may not find it surprising that one in every 59 children is diagnosed with autism, a disorder that affects the way the brain develops in ways that make socializing very challenging. But with so many children affected, you may be surprised to learn that there are no drug treatments which can improve the social symptoms of autism. We know that about 60% of all autism cases are caused by gene mutation. But it's still very unclear exactly why or how these mutations lead to autism.

The goal of my research is to identify how these gene mutations change the brain. If we can answer this question, we can grow much closer to identifying treatment strategies, which may be able to improve the social symptoms of autism.

So, let's talk about the brain. The brain is made of billions of cells called neurons, which believe it or not, actually have conversations with each other. They do this by communicating at little junctions called synapses. An example of a synapse is shown on the left side of the screen.

Now, this is all very complicated, so let's break it down. Think about the brain like a road map of a big city, and each of these synapses, like an intersection with a traffic light. Just as traffic light signals stop or go to control the flow of traffic, these synapses can send either positive or negative signals to control the flow of information across brain cells. Of course, red lights are very important for preventing car accidents and traffic buildup. Similarly, we have red lights in the brain called Gaba synapses. And these are equally important for preventing brain activity from getting out of control. People who don't have autism have a healthy balance between red lights and green lights in the brain. But we often see that this balance is lost in patients with autism. And I wanted to get to the bottom of what was causing that. So, I looked into the brains of mice carrying one of the most common gene mutations in autism, and I found that in a brain area which controls social interaction, they actually had less of these red lights. And as a result, these mice showed reduced social interactions. Just imagine if the part of your brain controlling your social interactions was like a city with no red lights.

After investigating, I also found that a molecule called Npas4 was also reduced. And this is important because in the brain, Npas4 is responsible for building these red lights. By performing a surgical procedure, I was able to restore the level of Npas4, and I found that this, not only caused more red lights to be built, but more importantly, it made these mice significantly more social to the point where they were indistinguishable from normal mice.

This research indicates that by targeting Npas4 and building more red lights in the brain, we may have identified a new molecular strategy to put the brakes on autism. I'm very excited about this research and I can't wait to take it to the next level. In fact, I'm now testing drugs in the lab, which may be able to target Npas4, and therefore serve as novel therapeutics for autism.

I can't wait to complete this research here at UB. Thank you.

[Audience applauding.]

PhD Program: Physiology and Biophysics

Advisor: Zhen Yan

Biography:  From Buffalo, New York, Ben Rein is a physiology and biophysics PhD candidate. He studies gene mutations and their effects on autism, with hopes that his research discoveries may advance understanding of autism’s biological basis and develop breakthrough treatment strategies with broad applications. Aside from reading, watching Jeopardy and exercising, he has also served a chief editor for a non-fiction novel and produced a hip-hop album under the alias “Cheezy B”. In the future, Rein hopes to run his own research laboratory that studies autism spectrum disorder, depression and sleep.

Second Place: Seyed Hamed Ghodsi

Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Prediction and Reduction

Seyed Hamed Ghodsi's 3MT Video Transcript

[Speaker: Graham Hammill] Our ninth presenter is Seyed Hamed Ghodsi. Seyed's a PhD student in the Department of Civil Structural an Environmental Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the title of his presentation is "Combined Sewer Overflow Prediction and Reduction." Seyed is clearly a major sports fan, plays sports, playing soccer, volleyball and tennis, and is a fan of professional basketball, specifically, this season, the Lakers. So, ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Seyed Hamed Ghodsi] My journey starts when rainfall happens. As you may know, rainwater is one of the most valuable resources on the earth. However, this rainwater can act as a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's a main source of drinkable water, especially in arid areas like Africa. But it can overwhelm densely populated urban areas and have negative environmental consequences, such as urban flooding, and combined sewer overflow.

In my research, my focus is on this combined sewer overflow or CSOs problem. But what does that mean? Well, in cities like city of Buffalo, we have a combined sewer system, which means that when a rainfall happens, the runoff goes to the same pipelines where the sewage goes. So, as you probably can guess, when a rainstorm happens, this sewer system cannot handle all this mixed flow together. Therefore, a portion of that, instead of moving to the treatment plant, would be released to the water bodies, like Lake Erie, without any treatment. These aren't treated overflow, which contains many contaminants and can harm our local environment. It's called CSOs.

You should know that it is not only Buffalo, there are more than 700 cities in the entire United States are facing this problem. Millions of fishes die every year and many beaches have been closed because of this issue.

What if I tell you we can reduce this untreated overflow by up to 30 or even 40 percentage? Which in a real case of Buffalo, is more than 600 million gallons in a year. With my research, there is a way.

The solution lies in using green infrastructures, like green roofs and rain barrels. The concept is to capture the runoff at its source and infiltrated to the ground before it goes to the sewer system and causes overflows. Although we have a solution of green infrastructure, there is not yet a scientific way to determine the most effective type and placement of them. My research addresses this need by first developing an online monitoring tool and applying it for city of Buffalo. Actually, we are collaborating with the Buffalo Sewer Authority for the potential implementation of this system. By using this tool, we can better understand the operation of the present sewer system, including the CSO events.

Now, by knowing the current information of these untreated overflow like its quality and quantity, we have to take action to mitigate it. To continue this research, I am developing a decision making tool to find which type of green infrastructure we have to use, where we should locate them, and how many of them we should implement in the city to reduce the CSOs as much as we can.

Lastly, the final goal of my research is to create a scientific way to support the decision makers' large municipalities, to protect our aquatic environment, and also to improve the water quality that we all use for drinking, recreation and living. Thank you so much.

PhD Program: Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering

Advisor: Zhenduo Zhu

Biography:  Seyed Hamed Ghodsi is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. In his research, Ghodsi is developing a tool to predict real-time combined sewer overflow (CSO) volume to reduce overflow, while keeping in mind municipality budgets and available area. The goal of his research is to understand the real impact of CSO on our environment, and find the best solution to overcome its negative effects. Ghodsi’s hobbies include soccer, volleyball and tennis. In the future he would like to work as a research and development engineer in an industry related to urban storm water management.

Third Place: Christopher Spence

The Impact of High-Stakes Testing

Christopher Spence's 3MT Video Transcript

[Speaker: Graham Hammill] The seventh presenter for today is Christopher Spence. Christopher is in the educational leadership and policy department in the Graduate School of Education. And the title of his 3MT presentation is "The Impact of High-Stakes Testing". One of the things that Christopher notes about himself is that his favorite sports team is UB's basketball team. So, go Bulls, and ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Christopher Spence] Hello. If you look at the screen, you see two graduates from two variant institutions. Can you tell me the differences between these two graduates? You can't, there aren't any noticeable differences. Better yet I ask, can you tell me the differences between a student that attended, that received a grade A at a nationally-ranked high school, versus one that received the same grade of A at one of the lowest performing schools in the nation? You can't. And this is why I argue for the necessity of high-stakes testing. Because high-stakes testing is essential, because it acts as a form of quality control within our educational system.

Could you imagine having a surgeon who went to one school and then a surgeon who went to another who did not have to take in some or did not receive an external barometer to assess the content knowledge that they have or their skills? That would be unconscionable. Well, the same thing is true in our schools.

Research tells us that when you look at children of color, and women, teachers hold varying expectations. We tend, as a profession, to hold high expectations for students of the majority, particularly Caucasian students. Meaning that the children of color, the most disadvantaged or likely to be disadvantaged by a teacher with low expectations within a system.

What I found in my research is that high-stakes testing, however, causes teachers to align their expectations with that of the state, thus raising their expectations. So, in order to effectively and efficiently assess what students are learning, what students are capable of doing, we must have an external barometer.

Think about it like this: How do you discern, again, who to admit to a school? How do you discern who to hire? You cannot do so without having that external barometer to assess what that student or person knows.

Too often in our educational system, we see that schools come to mean different things. Elite institutions are very different from low performing institutions. We've tried to figure out how our schools are stratified, and some people say poverty, some people say that its policies. But what I've found in my research is that one particular aspect that has not been researched is teachers' expectations as it relates to high-stakes testing.

High-stakes testing in a pressure to perform according to the state's will, rises teachers' expectations of students, irrespective of their gender or race. So in order to make sure that we are producing a product in our educational system that is of sound reason and mind and has the skills that are deemed necessary for college and career readiness, we must have an external barometer to assess students so that we can compare them and rate their skills. And that's why I argue that high-stakes testing is essential, because it is a part of quality control. Thank you.

PhD Program: Educational Leadership and Policy

Advisor: Lois Weis

Biography:  Christopher Spence is an educational leadership and policy PhD candidate from Manhattan, and is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and the NAACP. He is studying the intersectionality between educational policy—particularly high-stakes testing—and teachers’ expectations of students as it relates to the black and white achievement gap. His goal is to extend the scholarly imagination in relation to how people think about social reproduction and policy efforts designed to augment student achievement. Spence enjoys reading, cycling and playing basketball. Upon completion of his PhD, he would like to become a researcher at a tier one research institution.

People's Choice: Oladapo Ogunbodede

Energy Efficient Drones: Lessons From Nature

Oladapo Ogunbodede's 3MT Video Transcript

[Speaker: Graham Hammill] Our third presenter is Oladapo Ogunbodede, who's a student in mechanical and aerospace engineering. The title of his 3MT presentation is "Energy Efficient Drones: Lessons From Nature." Oladapo is, as you might expect from someone in mechanical and aerospace engineering, a fan of airplanes and motoring shows like Grand Tour, but he's also a fan of studying mythology, which points to his wide interests, I think. So, ready, set, pitch.

[Speaker: Oladapo Ogunbodede] Some say we are the pinnacle of evolution, the perfect animal. But is this assertion really true? If this assertion were true, the old study bio inspired design wouldn't exist. Bio inspired design has been applied in diverse fields, from design of cars to design of aircrafts, to how we dress, to even how we build our houses. Today, I'm here to talk about bio inspired design in drones. Yes, drones.

A couple of years ago mentioning the word drone painted an image of military personnel at the Pentagon controlling aircrafts remotely. Today, drones have become ubiquitous. They've been used in simple scenarios like taking a selfie, to complex scenarios like looking for a missing child in the wilderness. In all of this scenario, there is a common need to fly longer or cover more distance, or even do both. This is where my research comes in.

Fortunately, nature has shown that there is a better approach to flying than what is currently the norm. This approach is known as periodic locomotion. An example of a bird that exhibit this behavior is the albatross.

The albatross is a large migratory bird that covers over 100,000 miles in flight annually. This is way more than what our cars cover in six years, not to talk about the gas cost. Periodic locomotion in simple terms means that you use energy in a short amount of time to gain speed at night, and then glide onto a lower limit and speed of night is reached before flopping again. This is the albatross's evolutionary response to energy savings.

Can this be applied to drones? The answer is yes.

In my research, my aim is to use this concept to look for more energy efficient ways for drones to fly. Results for my research shows that using this method gives about 23 percent to 50 percent improvement over our current methods of flying.

What is the real world application of all of this, you may ask? I'm glad you asked. Less energy used is greener and will lead to millions of dollars in savings, as the current economic impact of drones in the U.S. is about $13 billion, and is projected to grow to $83 billion in the next couple of years.

Apart from the economic importance, think about delivering medications and other essential healthcare services to the 3.4 billion people in rural areas. And our drones that have learned to fly efficiently from nature can fly to these areas, delivering all these supplies, saving the lives of both the old and the young. Thank you.

PhD Program: Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Advisor: Tarunraj Singh

Biography:  From Owo, Nigeria, Oladapo Ogunbodede is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. His research is focused on finding ways to improve energy efficiency in drones by mimicking flight patterns in birds and marine mammals that exhibit powered-coasting locomotory behavior. Ogunbodede’s goal is to make drone flights greener and less costly. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, RC-airplanes and traveling. Upon graduation, Ogunbodede aspires to be a guidance, navigation and control engineer in the aerospace industry.

/images/cornell/logo35pt_cornell_white.svg" alt="three minute thesis 2020"> Cornell University --> Graduate School

Biochemistry, molecular and cell biology ph.d. candidate wins three minute thesis competition.

“My thesis explores the blueprint behind building a small intestine. I call it ‘to be or “knot” to be’,” began Bhargav Sanketi, a doctoral candidate in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, at the sixth Cornell University Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition.

Alongside seven other finalists, Sanketi presented his dissertation research in just three minutes to a panel of judges and an audience from across campus. Presentations were judged by how clearly and compellingly they summarized their research using only one static slide to a general audience.

His presentation, “To be or ‘knot’ to be: Blueprint for a small intestine,” earned him first place and $1,500. Second place and $1,000 was awarded to food science and technology doctoral candidate Rachel Allison for her presentation, “What CAN we do about stinky wine?”

After nearly 200 audience members cast their ballots, votes were tallied and the People’s Choice Award and $300 were presented to entomology doctoral candidate Kara Fikrig for her presentation, “Are mosquitoes picky eaters?”

Having enjoyed the 3MT as an audience member in the past, Sanketi appreciated the opportunity to participate in – and win – this year’s competition.

“I think as scientists, we get so lost in our work that it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important,” he said. “I had attended previous editions of 3MT and always found them really entertaining. The idea of getting a diverse audience excited about a pretty heavy academic topic forces you to zoom out and see the big picture.”

For Allison, undertaking the challenge of distilling a dense topic into accessible and engaging content was a primary motivator for her participation.

“Going through the job interview process, I realized how challenging it could be to communicate my research experience to a non-specialist audience,” she said. “My career goal is to one day combine technical and business consulting in the wine industry, and adaptable communication skills will be essential. As a result, I have been trying to practice by taking advantage of more speaking opportunities.”

The 3MT competition was first held in 2008 at the University of Queensland and has since been adopted by over 600 graduate schools in over 65 countries. 3MT challenges research degree students to present a compelling story on their dissertation or thesis and its significance in just three minutes, in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Cornell’s Graduate School first hosted a 3MT competition in 2015. The event has grown steadily since that time and this year, Cornell’s winner will compete in the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools regional competition next month, and the top two winners from that event will showcase their research at the Council of Graduate Schools annual meeting in December 2021.

“I am so impressed with each and every one of this year’s competitors,” said Jan Allen, associate dean for academic and student affairs. “They are all to be recognized for their successful presentations. In addition to presenting their complex research in just three minutes, everyone rose to the challenge of doing so in a virtual format. These skills will prove beneficial in academic work as well as in future careers.”

Understanding the importance of communicating scientific topics clearly, Fikrig looked at the 3MT as a way to learn techniques for getting and holding listeners’ attention when sharing her research broadly.

“I value science communication and recognize the importance of being able to explain my science in a way that is both comprehensible and interesting to the public. This is especially true since I study mosquitoes – the threat of disease transmission underscores the need to effectively communicate about my study system,” she said. “After watching videos of past 3MT presenters, I thought that the competition would be a great opportunity to learn and practice science communication skills. And I was not disappointed!”

Cornell’s sixth 3MT final round competition was held on Thursday, March 18, 2021 at 4:15 p.m. on Zoom.

This story is also available on the Cornell Chronicle website .

Spring 2021 3MT Finalists

Watch the 2021 Three Minute Thesis competition finale .

First Place: Bhargav Sanketi, biochemistry, molecular, and cell biology doctoral candidate

Watch Bhargav Sanketi’s 3MT presentation .

Special Committee Chair: Natasza Kurpios

Area of Research: Developmental biology of the small intestine

Biography: Bhargav Sanketi is a Ph.D. candidate in the Kurpios lab studying how the small intestine obtains its looped structure during development. His investigations use a combination of chicken embryology, mouse genetics, and single cell genomics. Bhargav is from Bangalore, India and spends his free time cooking, writing music, or watching international cinema. 

Favorite Thing About Cornell: All the waterfalls and gorges nearby.

What did you learn from the 3MT? How did it help you?

I think as scientists, we get so lost in our work that it’s easy to lose sight of what’s important. I had attended previous editions of 3MT and always found them really entertaining. The idea of getting a diverse audience excited about a pretty heavy academic topic forces you to zoom out and see the big picture. It feels nostalgic, like the first time I started thinking about the project and the analogies I used to understand it better.

Second Place: Rachel Allison, food science and technology doctoral candidate

Watch Rachel Allison’s 3MT presentation .

Special Committee Chair : Gavin Sacks

Area of Research: Wine flavor chemistry

Biography:  Rachel Allison is a Ph.D. candidate and aspiring consultant in the field of food science. With a focus in wine flavor chemistry, her research looks at the development of reductive off-aromas during wine storage, particularly related to the stability of enological treatments with copper and interactions between wine and aluminum can packaging.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: Curiosity is always encouraged.

Going through the job interview process, I realized how challenging it could be to communicate my research experience to a non-specialist audience. My career goal is to one day combine technical and business consulting in the wine industry, and adaptable communication skills will be essential. As a result, I have been trying to practice by taking advantage of more speaking opportunities.

I credit my lab group for helping me to develop my presentation skills over the last few years. I have always received insightful feedback from my friends and colleagues, and they encouraged me to participate in the 3MT. I received many different perspectives so I learned to interpret and condense a lot of presentation lessons alongside building the thesis story. Every comment helped me to construct an effective final product. I’m sure the experience will help me as I write my thesis.

People’s Choice: Kara Fikrig, entomology doctoral candidate

Watch Kara Fikrig’s 3MT presentation .

Special Committee Chair: Laura Harrington

Area of Research: Mosquito feeding ecology

Biography: Kara Fikrig studies mosquito feeding behavior and hopes that her research will help public health efforts to reduce global suffering from mosquito-borne diseases. She believes that science communication is critical to achieve that goal. As such, she is dedicated to ensuring that science is understood and valued by the public and elected representatives.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: The easy access to beautiful nature!

First, I would like to thank my family, friends, and lab for their support, both during this competition and throughout my development as a scientist.

I decided to participate in the 3MT competition because I value science communication and recognize the importance of being able to explain my science in a way that is both comprehensible and interesting to the public. This is especially true since I study mosquitoes – the threat of disease transmission underscores the need to effectively communicate about my study system.

After watching videos of past 3MT presenters, I thought that the competition would be a great opportunity to learn and practice science communication skills. And I was not disappointed! I learned new techniques, such as portraying enthusiasm despite being nervous, and had the opportunity to practice techniques that I had learned previously, like employing a hook to grab the listeners’ attention and using relatable metaphors. It was challenging to condense my project into three minutes – but the process of doing so helped me to realize that many of the details that I considered crucial were in fact unnecessary to understand the overarching message. The skills that I developed through participating in the 3MT competition will help me to more effectively and confidently communicate my science in the future. And I’m sure that the condensed explanation of my work will come in handy once social gatherings begin again! 

Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao,  mechanical engineering doctoral candidate

Watch Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao’s 3MT presentation .

Special Committee Chair: David Erickson

Area of Research: Artificial photosynthesis, solar fuels, CO2 conversion

Biography: Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao is a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering working on artificial photosynthesis at Cornell University. He is a Lindau Nobel Alumnus (2020), UNICEF Young Changemaker on Sustainable WASH Solutions (2020), Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree (2019), and BP Future Energy Leader (2019), among others. 

Favorite Thing About Cornell: The ice cream at the Cornell Dairy Bar.

Olivia Graham,  ecology and evolutionary biology doctoral candidate

Watch Olivia Graham’s 3MT presentation .

Special Committee Chair: Drew Harvell

Area of Research: Marine ecology, disease ecology, community ecology

Biography: Olivia Graham is a Ph.D. candidate in Drew Harvell’s lab. By combining field and laboratory approaches, she studies the role of environment and biodiversity—host genetics, herbivores, and microbes—on disease dynamics in seagrass. Outside of all things marine, Olivia enjoys baking, adventures with her puppy, and science communication.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: Cornell is truly an institution where anyone can study anything. The opportunities are boundless, creating a diverse, collaborative learning environment and community.

Jessica Maya,  genetics, genomics, and development doctoral candidate

Watch Jessica Maya’s 3MT presentation .

Special Committee Chair: Maureen Hanson

Area of Research: Immunology and metabolism of chronic fatigue syndrome

Biography: Jessica Maya is a fourth year graduate student originally from Birmingham, Alabama. She has been doing scientific research since high school and has worked on projects involving human diseases for the majority of that time. Maya comes from a big Colombian family, and when she’s not in lab, she enjoys painting, quilting, and salsa dancing. 

Favorite Thing About Cornell: My favorite thing about Cornell is how collaborative all of the labs and departments are with each other. The interdisciplinary approach that is fostered here allows for some amazing work to get done!

Seema Singh, city and regional planning doctoral candidate

Watch Seema Singh’s 3MT presentation .

Special Committee Chair: Michael A. Tomlan

Area of Research: Transport planning, gender-sensitive planning, and urban governance

Biography: Seema Singh studies gender and transport linkages in India. She hopes to reduce gender-based inequalities in cities by mainstreaming women’s needs in transport planning and policymaking. She is enthusiastic about sustainable living and was selected as a Young leader in Sustainable Transport in 2019.

Favorite Thing About Cornell: Cornell’s motto: “… an institution where any person can find instruction in any study.”

Alan Sulpizio,  biochemistry, molecular, and cell biology doctoral candidate

Watch Alan Sulpizio’s 3MT presentation .

Special Committee Chair: Yuxin Mao

Area of Research: Biochemistry and structural biology

Biography: Alan Sulpizio is interested in learning about proteins of unknown function. He considers the infectious bacteria Legionella an excellent organism to study because they use many alien-like protein weapons to hijack our cells. By discovering how these unique legionella proteins act, we can learn more about our biology and potential therapeutics.

Favorite Thing About Cornell:  Hiking through the beautiful nature surrounding campus.

• myState on Mississippi State University
• Directory on Mississippi State University
• Design Request

2020-Three Minute Thesis Competition

MSU Graduate School Announces their Three Minute Thesis Competition.

The 3MT® is a research competition where graduate students present their research work to a panel of judges in less than three minutes. The goal of the 3MT® is for students to learn essential verbal communication skills in order to provide a successful “sales pitch."  3MT® is not an exercise in trivializing or 'dumbing-down' research but forces students to consolidate their ideas and crystalize their research discoveries. 

To view our virtual 3MT event click here!

The 2020 3MT® competition at Mississippi State University will be held virtually and the schedule is posted below: 

Additional information about the 3 MT® can be viewed here!

Hail State,

The Graduate School Team

• Find The Graduate School - Mississippi State University on Facebook
• Find The Graduate School - Mississippi State University on Instagram
• Find The Graduate School - Mississippi State University on LinkedIn
• Find The Graduate School - Mississippi State University on X Twitter
• Find The Graduate School - Mississippi State University on YouTube

Graduate College

2020 3mt showcase.

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) challenges graduate students to communicate their research in three minutes or less in non-specialist language. Contestants represent a diverse array of disciplines and areas of study, and reflect the passion and thirst for discovery common among all of Iowa's graduate students. Moala Keshei Bannavti, a Ph.D. student in civil and environmental engineering, is the 2020 winner. Her presentation focused on  remediation efforts of PCBs in schools .

Florida State University

FSU | The Graduate School

Main navigation Pulldown

The graduate school, three minute thesis (3mt™).

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland, Australia. The exercise develops academic, presentation, and research communication skills and supports the development of students' capacities to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to an intelligent but non-specialist audience.

Doctoral students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their dissertation topic and its significance. 3MT™ encourages students to consolidate their ideas and crystalize their research discoveries.

Congratulate the 2023 3MT Winners!

1st Place:  Hyosoon Yim

Sport Management Promoting Sport Participation among Older Adults: Application of the Socioemotional Selectivity Theory

2nd Place:  Tania Sultana

Biomedical Sciences ZIKV NS3 Drives Assembly of a Viroplasm-Like Structure (VLS)

3rd Place:  Meng Tian

Communication The Stereotypes of Female eSports Players

People's Choice:  John Akintola

Chemistry and Biochemistry Functional Polyelectrolyte Complexes

2023 3MT Competition Finalists!

Sima Sabbagh

Neuroscience Unmasking the Architects of the Brain: Marvelous FMRP

Art Education Art May Facilitate Community Building to Alleviate Chinese International Students' Alienation

Andre Juliao

Condensed Matter Experimental Physics Nb3Sn for Axion Detection

Hemant Goswami

Molecular Biophysics Development of an Ultrasensitive and Rapid Virus Detection Method Based on CRISPR-Cas Enzyme

Toshiaki Kanai

Physics  Quantum Computer on Solid Neon 

Qiushan Liu

Developmental Psychology Investigating Strategy Flexibility in Algebra

Click here to read the FSU News Article

Click here to see the 2023 3MT Competition Gallery

Your graduate research. 3 minutes. 1 slide.

Why Participate?

Skills development for research candidates Participating in 3MT develops academic, presentation and research communication skills, while developing research candidates’ ability to effectively explain their research in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Building external relations for the university 3MT winners go on to represent FSU at regional and national competitions which provides an excellent networking and professional development opportunity. 

Are you eligible?

Currently enrolled doctoral students at Florida State University are eligible to participate in the 3MT™. 3MT® presentations must represent the primary research the student has conducted in their graduate program.

Master's students are not eligible.

What are the prizes?

• 1st Place -  $1,000
• 2nd Place -  $750
• 3rd Place -  $500
• People's Choice (selected by the audience): $250

What are the judging criteria?

At every level of the competition each competitor will be assessed on the judging criteria listed below. Each criterion is equally weighted and has an emphasis on audience.

Comprehension and content

• Presentation provided clear background and significance to the research question
• Presentation clearly described the research strategy/design and the results/findings of the research
• Presentation clearly described the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research

Engagement and communication

• The oration was delivered clearly, and the language was appropriate for a non-specialist audience
• The PowerPoint slide was well-defined and enhanced the presentation
• The presenter conveyed enthusiasm for their research and captured and maintained the audience’s attention

What are the rules?

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description), and the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration and remain in view for the duration of the oration.
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum, and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• The decision of the judging panel is final.

Helpful Resources

• Click here to view the Three Minute Thesis Virtual Competition Handbook.

3MT Recording/Editing Links

• OpenShot Editing Video
• Kapwing Website
• 3MT Workshop Recording of Kapwing Editor: this video is a demonstration of the software
• Kapwing Tutorial
• FSU Canvas Support Center Tutorial : Best Practices for Student Video Production (iMovie and Movie Maker)
• Vimeo Website

Past 3MT™ Competitions

Fall 2023 3MT™

Doctoral student in Sport Management, Hyosoon Yim took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000. Read more .

Fall 2022 3MT™

Doctoral student in Science Education, Dionne Wilson took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000. Read more .

Fall 2021 3MT™

Doctoral student in Art Education, Chris Omni took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000.  Read more.

Fall 2020 3MT™

Mark Duslak (Educational Leadership & Policy Studies) and Matthew Martenson (Nutrition, Food, and Exercise Sciences) finished first this year. Read more.

Fall 2019 3MT™

Judges selected Alyssa Henderson (Physics)and Sara Jones (Biomedical Sciences) as this year’s first-place winners. Read more.

Fall 2018 3MT™

Doctoral student in biological science, Eve Humphrey took first place at this year's 3MT competition and won $1,000. Read more.

Fall 2017 3MT™

For the first time, a student from the College of Education, Shannon Gooden (Teacher Education), won the $1,000 prize. Read more.

Fall 2016 3MT™

Madhuparna Roy (Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering)won first place in this year's competition. Read more.

Fall 2015 3MT™

Aniket Ingrole (Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering) won first place in the 3MT™ competition. Read more.

Fall 2014 3MT™

Kimberly Smith (Neuroscience) won first place in this year's 3MT™ competition. Read more.

View the past 3MT competition galleries

3MT at Emory

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ) Australia in which graduate students deliver a compelling presentation to a non-specialist audience in three minutes or less. Since its founding in 2008, 3MT® is now offered at over 600 universities in 60 countries, with winners going on to compete in regional and national events as well.

Participating in the 3MT® Competition strengthens graduate students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills and gives students experience in sharing the significance of their research with multiple audiences.

Apply to Participate

Why participate in 3MT?

Benefits include the opportunity to:

share your work and its impact with a wider audience

enhance your ability to communicate research to a non-specialist audience - in the 3MT competition, in an elevator talk, or at a family picnic

refine your public speaking and presentation skills

expand your professional network

gain media exposure - finalist videos are posted to Laney's YouTube Channel and winners are highlighted in Laney publications

be a part of a growing professional community - 3MT competitions are now held at over 600 universities in 60 countries and Emory's winner can participate in additional 3MT showcases and events

The competition is judged by a panel comprised of a diverse group of professionals (academic and non-academic) with a wide range of professional expertise. 

2024 3MT Timeline

January 19, 12:00-1:00pm       Info Session (Optional)

January 24, 5:00-6:00pm          Info Session (Optional)

February 6, 3:30-5:00pm        Communicating Research Workshop (Optional)

February 15                               Participation Application Deadline   

February 16                              Preliminary Round Competitors Notified        

February 19-23                          Preliminary Round Group Coaching 

February 26-29                          3MT Preliminary Round  

March 4                                     Finalists Notified 

March 6-8, 18-20                       Finalist 1:1 Coaching

Mar 26, 4:00-6:00pm                 3MT Finals

How It Works

Presentation rules.

• A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animations or 'movement' of any description, the slide is to be presented from the beginning of the oration).
• No additional electronic media (e.g. sound and video files) are permitted.
• No additional props (e.g. costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
• Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
• Presentations are to be spoken word (eg. no poems, raps or songs).
• Presentations are to commence from the stage.
• Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through movement or speech.
• The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Consulting with Nature to Develop Chemical Reactions

1st Place Winning Presentation - Consulting with Nature to Develop Chemical Reactions

• Public Lectures
• Faculty & Staff Site >>

2024 UW Three Minute Thesis (3MT)

Eligibility Criteria | Event | Theme | Prizes | Timeline | Proposal Submission Form | Proposal Guidelines & Selection Criteria | Preliminary Round | Past Winners | FAQs | Contact

UW 3MT® is a professional development competition that celebrates the exciting capstone and research experiences of master’s and doctoral students at the University of Washington from all three campuses. The competition supports graduate students’ capacity to effectively explain their research or capstone project in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a public audience. This event is a partnership between Graduate Student Affairs in The Graduate School and the UW Libraries Research Commons .

Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an academic research communication competition originally developed by the University of Queensland, Australia.

The online preliminary round will be held in early May, and the competition will be held in person on May 23, 2024, 3:00-4:30 p.m. , Seattle campus. First Place, Runner Up, and People’s Choice will be awarded.

Send questions to [email protected].

Watch past competitions: 2022 | 2023

The theme for this year’s competition is Impact. Impact can be defined as the positive outcome of a critical intervention, social policy, service provision model, legal framework, or technological innovation. How does your graduate research demonstrate impact for the public good? We’re excited to celebrate the influence our graduate students have on the world.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT, you must meet the following criteria:

• You are a University of Washington master’s or doctoral student from any UW campus.
• You have a draft of your final project (e.g. capstone, thesis, or dissertation), including findings and conclusions.
• Only one member of a capstone project team may submit a proposal. If the proposal is selected, the same student who submitted the proposal must be the presenter.
• Your degree will be granted during AY 2023-2024.

3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit a proposal to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.

At the 3MT Competition on May 23, a panel of external judges will select winners for First Place and a Runner Up. A People’s Choice winner will be voted on by the audience.

Go To Top ↑

Proposal Guidelines for Online Preliminary Round

The proposal must address the following components:

Capstone or Research Project Summary

In 300 words or less, please describe your capstone or research project for a general reader (without a lot of discipline-specific jargon or technical language).

Your summary:

– Must be concise and coherent – Does not include a lot of disciplinary jargon – Is understandable to a general, public audience

Theme: Impact

Impact is the theme for this year’s UW Three Minute Thesis. Briefly (300 words) describe how your capstone or research project demonstrates impact.

Proposal Selection Criteria

Successful proposals for preliminary rounds are based on the following two components:

1. Capstone or Research Project Summary

– Is the capstone or research project summary concise and 300 words or less? – Does the summary include a lot of disciplinary jargon? – Is the summary understandable to a general, public audience?

2. Theme: Impact

Does the proposal include how the capstone or research project demonstrate impact in 300 words or less?

Submit Your Proposal

Access the proposal submission form. The deadline is April 23, 2024 by 11:59 p.m. (PDT).

Preliminary Round

If your proposal is selected, you will then have an opportunity to present your capstone or research project in a virtual preliminary round to be held in early May. Successful presenters will be selected to present at the in person 3MT Competition, scheduled for May 23.

Guidance on Preparing Your 3MT Presentation

Review the following tips and resources:

• Preparing for Your 3MT Presentation , University of Queensland
• Tips for Effective Design and Use of the 3MT Slide , Indiana University
• Time to Perfect Your Elevator Pitch , University of Pennsylvania
• How to Write a PhD Elevator Pitch , Academic Positions
• Communication: Two Minutes to Impress , Nature Jobs

Successful presenters will be selected to compete as finalists on competition day, based on the following guidelines:

3MT Competition Day

UW 3MT Competition May 23, 2024, 3:00–4:30 p.m. Seattle campus

In front of a general audience and an esteemed panel of judges, up to 15 graduate student presenters will each compete by doing three-minute presentations about their capstone or research projects.

Past Winners

• First Place – Mayuree Binjolkar , doctoral student in Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Runner Up – Ekta Samani , doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
• People’s Choice – Megan Maerz, doctoral student in Molecular Medicine & Mechanisms of Disease
• First Place – Enrique Saldarriaga , doctoral student in Health Economics and Outcomes Research
• Runner Up – Julia Dreifus , doctoral student in Microbiology
• People’s Choice – Douglas Wagoner, master’s student in Public Administration
• First Place – Beth Halsne , doctoral student in Rehabilitation Science & master’s student in Mechanical Engineering
• Runner Up – Jackie Otting , master’s student in Education (Learning Science & Human Development)
• People’s Choice – Arianne Caudal , doctoral student in Biochemistry
• Event canceled due to COVID-19
• First Place – Barbara Rodriguez Droguett , doctoral student in Built Environment
• Runner Up – Junyue Cao , doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
• People’s Choice – Junyue Cao , doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
• First Place – Amey Khanolka r, doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
• Runner Up – Evan Schuster , master’s student in Mechanical Engineering
• People’s Choice – Amey Khanolkar , doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering
• First Place – Molly Grear , doctoral student in Civil & Environmental Engineering
• Runner Up – Gabby Barsh , doctoral student in Molecular & Cellular Biology
• People’s Choice – Zheng Li , doctoral student in Bioengineering

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens on 3MT Competition Day?

UW 3MT Competition May 23, 2024, 3:00-4:30 p.m. Seattle campus

In front of a general audience and a panel of judges, up to 15 graduate student presenters will each compete by doing three-minute presentations about their capstone or research projects.

Presenters will be competing for First Place, Runner Up, and People’s Choice Awards.

Who is eligible to submit a proposal for UW 3MT?

To be eligible to submit a proposal, you must meet the following criteria:

3MT competitions are intended for graduate students who are ready to present their capstone, thesis, or dissertation work, rather than for works-in-progress. If you are at an earlier stage with your research, we encourage you to submit proposals to Scholars’ Studio to present your work.

What is allowed on my 3MT slide?

One single static PowerPoint slide is permitted.

In preparing the slide, remember that ‘less is more.’ It does not have to include text. Visual cues are very effective in assisting the presenter’s explanation of their research. (No slide transitions, video, or animations are permitted).

Can I use sound or video files?

No additional electronic media (e.g. sound, music, animation, and video files) is permitted during the competition.

Can I have props (a 3D printed model, a soccer ball, a microscope, etc.)?

No. Is there a dress code?

Business formal or casual is suggested. Costumes are not allowed. Can I win in more than one category during the competition?

Yes, it is possible to win a place (First or Runner Up) and also win the People’s Choice Award.

Who will be in the audience during the competition?

The audience is often a mix of graduate students, faculty, staff, and University leadership. There will also be supporters of graduate education in attendance, as well as presenters’ family and community members.

[email protected]

Annual Three-Minute Thesis Competition Provides Research Capsule Talks

Creating an elevator pitch from information gleaned through years of specialized research takes clear thinking, precise wording and a flair for presenting to an audience. Just ask the participants of this year’s Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Ten graduate and doctoral students took part in the contest’s final round last month.  

3MT provides participants with the chance to share details about their research and creative work in a compelling way—within a three-minute time limit. It was first developed by the University of Queensland in Australia and is now held at colleges and universities around the world.   

“3MT forces students to come up with ways to describe their research succinctly to non-specialists in a way that is not just comprehensible, but is also interesting and engaging. That’s a skill set that will pay off on the job market, and even beyond, as far as interacting with the media and others who can help disseminate your work and findings more broadly,” says Glenn Wright, executive director of career and professional development for the Graduate School, who runs the competition.  

Nimisha Thakur

This year’s top winner is Nim isha Thakur , a Ph.D. student in anthropology, whose topic was “ River Song: Riverine Futures Amidst Climate Change on the Brahmaputra Floodplains .” Thakur, a graduate research associate at the South Asia Center in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs , won a 16-inch MacBook Pro M3 and a year membership in the Anthropological Association of America. Thakur also has the chance to represent Syracuse University in the regional 3MT competition hosted by the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools.   

Qingyang Liu

Qingyang Liu , a Ph.D. student in human developm ent and family science, was named the “People’s Choice” winner by audience vote. Liu conducts research in the SELF Regulation Laboratory in  the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics . Her topic was “ Material Hardship’s Influence on Self-Regulation Across Childhood: Which Hardship Truly Matters ?” The prize was a set of Bose noise-cancelling headphones.   

Additional finalists were:   

• Caroline Barraco , master’s student in history, “Authenticity, Commodity and Empire in the Early Modern Spanish Relic Trade”  
• Yener Çağla Çimendereli , Ph.D. student in philosophy, “Nonnative Speaking and Linguistic Justice”  
• Nicholas Croce , Ph.D. student in social science, “America’s Forgotten Labor Colony Experiment”  
• Nardini Jhawar , Ph.D. student in clinical psychology, “Racial Reflections: Examining ADHD Help-Seeking Among Asian American College Students”  
• Matthew D. O’Leary , Ph.D. student in anthropology, “Entangled Frontiers: Capitalism and Artifacts of Power at Fort St. Frédéric”  
• Andrew Ridgeway , Ph.D. student in composition and cultural rhetoric, “Evil We Desire: Akrasia and Conspiracy Rhetoric”  
• Paul Sagoe , Ph.D. student in biomedical engineering, “From Joint Pain to Joy Gain: Delivering Drugs for Osteoarthritis Cure”’  
• Julia Zeh , Ph.D. student in biology, “From Baby Babbles to Masterful Melodies: Investigating Vocal Development in Humpback Whales”  

Judges were Sarah Hamersma, associate professor and director of doctoral studies in public administration and international affairs, and Chung-Chin Eugene Liu, assistant professor of economics, both of the Maxwell School; and Corey Williams, a Syracuse City School District employee and a Common Councilor for Syracuse’s Third District.

Diane Stirling

• 5 Students Use Couri Hatchery to Prepare for New York Business Plan Competition Wednesday, April 17, 2024, By Dawn McWilliams
• Victory for Veterans: Law Expert Reacts to Supreme Court Decision Wednesday, April 17, 2024, By Vanessa Marquette
• Experts Weigh In on Tesla Layoffs Wednesday, April 17, 2024, By Vanessa Marquette
• Men’s Soccer Hosting Spring Break Camp for Local Children Wednesday, April 17, 2024, By John Boccacino
• Barnes Center at The Arch Celebrates 2 Millionth Recreation Visitor Tuesday, April 16, 2024, By News Staff

More In Campus & Community

University names 2024-25 remembrance scholars.

Thirty-five students have been chosen as the 2024-25 Syracuse University Remembrance Scholars. The scholarships, now in their 35th year, were founded as a tribute to—and means of remembering—the students studying in London and Florence through Syracuse University who were killed…

Men’s Soccer Hosting Spring Break Camp for Local Children

Wanting to both give back to the surrounding community and help train the next generation of soccer players, the Syracuse University men’s soccer team is pleased to offer a spring break soccer camp for area children. The half-day camp is…

Barnes Center at The Arch Celebrates 2 Millionth Recreation Visitor

Hitting another record milestone, the Barnes Center at The Arch welcomed its 2 millionth visitor to the recreation and fitness area during the first few weeks of 2024. Opening in Fall 2019, the Barnes Center remains a campus staple for…

Office of Multicultural Advancement Wins National Recognition for Inclusive Excellence

Syracuse University’s Office of Multicultural Advancement has received the prestigious 2024 Alumni Association Inclusive Excellence Award from Insight Into Diversity magazine. This award brings national distinction to the team that supports and advocates for underrepresented alumni and students, raising funds…

Graduate School Presents 39 Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards

Teaching assistants are essential to the educational enterprise at Syracuse University. To recognize their critical role and their valuable contributions to undergraduate and graduate education, the Graduate School annually presents Outstanding Teaching Assistant awards. The honor cites demonstrated excellence in…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact [email protected] .

Connect With Us

For the media.

3 Minute Thesis Competition Returns to USU

Graduate students at the uniformed services university (usu) competed in a 3 minute thesis competition on april 3., april 8, 2024 by ian neligh.

Graduate students at the Uniformed Services University (USU) once again battled the clock as they presented their big ideas during the 3 Minute Thesis Competition on April 3. 

“This event helps students with learning how to convey knowledge to the public, practice with public speaking, and working on explaining their work,” says Summer Paulson, Graduate Student Council President and a member of this year’s 3 Minute Thesis competition planning committee. “Any thesis project from a graduate student can be presented, regardless of which of the USU Ph.D. graduate programs they hail from.”

Prizes were awarded to Air Force 2nd Lt. Cecelia Mangione for both first place and People’s Choice, to Marana Rekedal for second place and Mydirah Littlepage-Saunders for third place.

Starting at USU in 2018, the 3 Minute Thesis originally began at the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2008. The competition is now held at universities around the world.

Popular Posts

• Why Study WLC?
• Undergraduate
• Arabic Studies
• Asian Language Concentration
• Chinese Studies
• Classical Studies
• Foreign Language Education
• French Studies
• German Studies
• Hindi-Urdu Studies
• Italian Studies
• Japanese and Japan Studies
• Portuguese Studies
• Russian Studies
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
• World Literatures and Cultures
• Accelerated BA/MA Program
• MA in French Language and Literature
• MA in Spanish Language and Literature
• MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
• Research and Engagement
• Translators and Interpreters
• Voluntarios Ahora en Raleigh (VOLAR)

World Languages & Cultures Graduate Students Present at 3 Minute Thesis Event

The event, sponsored by the Latin American Student Association, featured student research from across campus

World Languages & Cultures graduate students Yasmin Cedamanos and Carlos Domínguez  recently presented their research at the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition held as part of the 11th Latin American Student Association (LASA) Symposium at NC State. 

The 3MT format challenges presenters to explain their research to a non-technical audience in only three minutes. Unlike a normal 20-minute conference talk, often given to people in the same discipline, the 3MT presentations force researchers to frame their findings in their most essential form, and gives a varied audience a chance to see what the interdisciplinary research in World Languages & Cultures looks like.

Yasmin Cedamanos presented her MA research project titled “Ethnic self-identification and linguistic contact phenomena in North Carolina”.  This study explores ethnic self-identity and language use resulting from language contact (Spanish and English) among bilinguals in North Carolina who are Spanish native or heritage speakers. “The LASA 3MT symposium was a challenge, but a great experience”, Cedamanos reported. “I also realized the amazing projects other students, particularly on this occasion, other Latino students, are involved in; it was inspiring”.

Carlos Domínguez gave his talk titled “An IPA-Informed Approach to Spanish for Specific Purposes”., and examines how a new teaching and evaluation method can potentially increase student engagement and communicative competence. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to gain insight into learner perceptions on Integrated Performance Assessments (IPA) approach to instruction in intermediate Spanish classes oriented toward legal professions. Domínguez observed that “presenting in only three minutes is even more nerve wracking because we have to condense hours of work to only a few minutes. Nonetheless, it was exciting to share our work with other graduate students in other departments and to represent World Languages & Cultures”. 

“The research being conducted by our graduate students in World Languages & Cultures is really pushing the field forward in unique and meaningful ways”, according to department head and professor of Hispanic linguistics, Jim Michnowicz. “And not only are these studies contributing to our knowledge of language, literature, culture and pedagogy, but the students are also gaining important transferable skills in research design, data management and analysis, and crucial communication skills that are essential in today’s job market”. 

For more information on graduate study in World Languages & Cultures, visit https://wlc.chass.ncsu.edu/graduate/

• College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Think and Do
• World Languages and Cultures
• Graduate Student Research

More From Department of World Languages and Cultures

Language Intensive Courses are Great Option for New Learners 

WLC Grad Students and Faculty Present Cutting-Edge Research at the Spanish Linguistics in the Southeast Conference 

A Mesmerizing Night of Hindi-Urdu/Asian Culture at NC State 

Graduate Education

Office of graduate and postdoctoral education, three minutes, infinite impact: 2024 3mt winners announced.

Apr 10, 2024

The ninth annual Georgia Tech Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition concluded on Friday, April 5, where 12 scholars shared their groundbreaking research through electrifying and informative three-minute-long presentations. Four graduate students emerged victorious, each winner taking home research travel grants.

Congratulations to the 2024 Three Minute Thesis Winners:

Master's Winner

Karina Bhattacharya, MID, Industrial Design

The master’s category winner won a $1,000 research travel grant.

Overall  Ph.D. Winner

Alexandra Patterson, Ph.D. Bioengineering

First Runner Up

Kantwon Rogers, Ph.D. Computer Science

Second Runner Up

Valeria Juarez, Ph.D. Biomedical Engineering

The first-place Ph.D. winner won a $2,000 research travel grant. The Ph.D. first runner-up

Won a $1,500 research travel grant, and the second runner-up won a $1,000 runner-up grant.

First runner-up, Kantwon Rogers also won the coveted People's Choice award,

which earned him an additional $500 research travel grant.

The Office of Graduate Education coordinates tech’s 3MT competition in partnership with the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), The Naugle Communications Center, and the Language Institute. For more information about this year’s 3MT Competition, visit grad.gatech.edu/3mt .

Brittani Hill

Marketing Communications Manager

Office of Graduate Education

Related links

Accessibility information.

Download Microsoft Products   >      Download Adobe Reader   >

• Future Students
• Current Students
• International Students
• Community Members

Graduate student in engineering wins 2024 UPEI 3-Minute Thesis competition

Ant-inspired robots, the experiences of temporary foreign workers on PEI, and modelling for energy efficiency cost savings for property owners were the focus of prize-winning 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) presentations by UPEI graduate students on April 11, 2024.

The 3MT competition challenges graduate students to explain their thesis within three minutes and in a format that a general audience can understand. The winner earns a place at the regional 3MT competition in Quebec City on June 7, and the top three presenters receive prize money.

Seven graduate students presented an overview of their thesis research to judges, friends, fellow graduate students, faculty, and staff. They highlighted their research questions, methods, results, and the potential current and future impacts of their research.

Duy Nguyen, an MSc in Sustainable Design Engineering student, won first prize for his presentation “When Ants Inspire Robots: Engineering Swarm Intelligence for the Future of Collaborative Object Transportation.” He will represent UPEI at the regional competition.

Nguyen’s research involved the use of multiple mobile robots to transport goods in daily life settings, such as heavy objects in factories and warehouses. Earlier this year, he won the Best Student Paper Award for this project during the 16th IEEE/SICE International Symposium on System Integration held in Vietnam.

Eliza MacLauchlan, a Master of Arts in Island Studies student, took second place for her presentation about the experiences of temporary foreign workers on PEI. Noushad Ahamed Chittoor Mohammed, an MSc in Sustainable Design Engineering student, won third for his presentation about modelling for energy efficiency cost savings for property owners.

Judging the presentations were Dr. Greg Naterer, Vice-President Academic and Research; Dr. Marva Sweeney-Nixon, Associate Vice-President Research and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies; and Maria Steele, Manager, Research Services. 

Media Contact

Relevant links.

• Academic Calendar
• MyUPEI | Campus Login
• Staff and Faculty Lookup
• Study Abroad
• Explore the Campus
• Crisis Centre
• Athletics and Recreation
• Faculties and Schools
• Conference Services
• Health and Wellness
• Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office

• FANNATION FANNATION FANNATION
• SI.COM SI.COM SI.COM
• SI Swimsuit SI Swimsuit SI Swimsuit
• SI Sportsbook SI Sportsbook SI Sportsbook
• SI Tickets SI Tickets SI Tickets
• SI Showcase SI Showcase SI Showcase
• SI Resorts SI Resorts SI Resorts

© Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Rockets’ Harden Trade Could Pay Dividends Again Soon

Houston legend James Harden was dealt to Brooklyn back in 2020 for a deal centered around picks. And one of those could pay dividends soon.

• Author: Derek Parker

In this story:

Upon the start of his tenure as the Houston Rockets’ general manager back in 2020, Rafael Stone was immediately faced with James Harden’s trade request.

It was likely no easy decision, but Stone eventually shipped the former MVP to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Caris LeVert, Rodions Kurucs, three first round picks and four first round swaps.

At the time, the package was likely a bit underwhelming for fans, who were set to enter a rebuild for the first time in decades. A couple years later, though, they were gifted do-it-all forward Tari Eason in the 2022 draft as payment.

Now, in just a few short weeks, that trade could pay dividends yet again in the form of another draftee.

Brooklyn finished with an overall record of 32-50, earning ninth in the reverse standings for the ninth-best lottery odds in the upcoming draft. Barring an extremely unlikely jump into the top-four, Houston will be selecting at No. 9 or No. 10 in June.

While the 2024 NBA Draft hasn’t gained a sterling reputation just yet, but adding a top-10 selection to the already much-improved Rockets roster would be icing on the cake. Especially after their own pick

There’s certainly still some holes to fill on the roster as a whole, and there are plenty of talented upperclassmen who could give an immediate infusion of size, off-ball scoring and more.

Regardless, Houston is set to move into the 2024-25 regular season off the back of a 19-win improvement, with most of its core 22 or younger.

Latest Rockets News

Fred VanVleet Leads Rockets to Fourth Straight Road Victory vs. Spurs

Spurs Fall Short in Final Minute to Lose to Rockets

Rockets' Cam Whitmore Likely Out Three Weeks Due to Knee Injury

Rockets vs. Spurs: 3 Best Bets

Has 2023-24 Season Been a Down Shooting Year for Rockets' Jalen Green?

Trump hush money trial adjourns till Thursday

• The civil litigator from the Upper East Side who listens to “Car Talk” becomes juror no....
• Defense focuses on social media in selecting jurors
• Trial moving at a brisk pace, with six jurors already seated

Here's what to know:

Here's what to know, live coverage contributors 13.

5:50 p.m. EDT 5:50 p.m. EDT

5:47 p.m. EDT 5:47 p.m. EDT

5:39 p.m. EDT Bullet Key update 5:39 p.m. EDT

5:30 p.m. EDT 5:30 p.m. EDT

5:26 p.m. EDT 5:26 p.m. EDT

• Trump trial further splinters his relationship with his beloved New York Earlier today Trump trial further splinters his relationship with his beloved New York Earlier today
• What we know so far about the jurors in Trump’s New York hush money trial April 16, 2024 What we know so far about the jurors in Trump’s New York hush money trial April 16, 2024
• Key takeaways from Trump trial Day 2: The 7 jurors, Trump’s demeanor April 16, 2024 Key takeaways from Trump trial Day 2: The 7 jurors, Trump’s demeanor April 16, 2024

5:22 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 5:22 p.m. EDT

5:14 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM NEW YORK COURTROOM 5:14 p.m. EDT

4:44 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 4:44 p.m. EDT

4:27 p.m. EDT 4:27 p.m. EDT

4:25 p.m. EDT 4:25 p.m. EDT

4:22 p.m. EDT 4:22 p.m. EDT

4:19 p.m. EDT 4:19 p.m. EDT

4:08 p.m. EDT 4:08 p.m. EDT

4:00 p.m. EDT Bullet Key update 4:00 p.m. EDT

3:59 p.m. EDT Bullet Key update 3:59 p.m. EDT

3:49 p.m. EDT 3:49 p.m. EDT

3:48 p.m. EDT 3:48 p.m. EDT

3:46 p.m. EDT Bullet Key update 3:46 p.m. EDT

3:34 p.m. EDT 3:34 p.m. EDT

3:27 p.m. EDT 3:27 p.m. EDT

3:21 p.m. EDT 3:21 p.m. EDT

3:16 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 3:16 p.m. EDT

3:12 p.m. EDT 3:12 p.m. EDT

3:09 p.m. EDT 3:09 p.m. EDT

3:06 p.m. EDT 3:06 p.m. EDT

3:05 p.m. EDT 3:05 p.m. EDT

3:04 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 3:04 p.m. EDT

3:02 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 3:02 p.m. EDT

3:01 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 3:01 p.m. EDT

2:58 p.m. EDT 2:58 p.m. EDT

2:56 p.m. EDT 2:56 p.m. EDT

2:55 p.m. EDT 2:55 p.m. EDT

2:49 p.m. EDT 2:49 p.m. EDT

2:43 p.m. EDT 2:43 p.m. EDT

2:33 p.m. EDT 2:33 p.m. EDT

2:23 p.m. EDT 2:23 p.m. EDT

2:18 p.m. EDT 2:18 p.m. EDT

2:02 p.m. EDT 2:02 p.m. EDT

1:41 p.m. EDT 1:41 p.m. EDT

1:21 p.m. EDT 1:21 p.m. EDT

1:06 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 1:06 p.m. EDT

12:56 p.m. EDT 12:56 p.m. EDT

12:55 p.m. EDT 12:55 p.m. EDT

12:52 p.m. EDT 12:52 p.m. EDT

12:50 p.m. EDT 12:50 p.m. EDT

12:47 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 12:47 p.m. EDT

12:46 p.m. EDT 12:46 p.m. EDT

12:43 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 12:43 p.m. EDT

12:32 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 12:32 p.m. EDT

12:26 p.m. EDT 12:26 p.m. EDT

12:22 p.m. EDT 12:22 p.m. EDT

12:21 p.m. EDT 12:21 p.m. EDT

12:15 p.m. EDT 12:15 p.m. EDT

12:12 p.m. EDT 12:12 p.m. EDT

12:11 p.m. EDT 12:11 p.m. EDT

12:06 p.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 12:06 p.m. EDT

12:05 p.m. EDT 12:05 p.m. EDT

11:58 a.m. EDT 11:58 a.m. EDT

11:54 a.m. EDT 11:54 a.m. EDT

11:54 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 11:54 a.m. EDT

11:47 a.m. EDT 11:47 a.m. EDT

11:44 a.m. EDT 11:44 a.m. EDT

11:41 a.m. EDT 11:41 a.m. EDT

11:37 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 11:37 a.m. EDT

11:34 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 11:34 a.m. EDT

11:24 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 11:24 a.m. EDT

11:22 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 11:22 a.m. EDT

11:17 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 11:17 a.m. EDT

11:01 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 11:01 a.m. EDT

10:58 a.m. EDT 10:58 a.m. EDT

10:51 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 10:51 a.m. EDT

10:49 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 10:49 a.m. EDT

10:45 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 10:45 a.m. EDT

10:38 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 10:38 a.m. EDT

10:31 a.m. EDT 10:31 a.m. EDT

10:28 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 10:28 a.m. EDT

10:24 a.m. EDT 10:24 a.m. EDT

10:17 a.m. EDT 10:17 a.m. EDT

10:02 a.m. EDT 10:02 a.m. EDT

9:58 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 9:58 a.m. EDT

9:53 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 9:53 a.m. EDT

9:47 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 9:47 a.m. EDT

9:43 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 9:43 a.m. EDT

9:38 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 9:38 a.m. EDT

9:32 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 9:32 a.m. EDT

9:24 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 9:24 a.m. EDT

9:22 a.m. EDT 9:22 a.m. EDT

9:07 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 9:07 a.m. EDT

8:54 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM THE NEW YORK COURTHOUSE 8:54 a.m. EDT

8:48 a.m. EDT 8:48 a.m. EDT

8:36 a.m. EDT 8:36 a.m. EDT

8:30 a.m. EDT REPORTING FROM NEW YORK 8:30 a.m. EDT

8:29 a.m. EDT Bullet Key update 8:29 a.m. EDT

8:28 a.m. EDT 8:28 a.m. EDT