Wednesday evening, The Graduate and Professional Student Association and the School of Graduate Studies hosted the finalists in the second annual 3 Minute Thesis Competition in Rogers Stout Hall.
The 3 Minute Thesis Competition originated in Queensland, Australia, and according to Dean of Graduate Studies Sharon McGee, the competition is designed to, “hone graduate students’ academic presentation and research communication skills.”
“Students have three minutes to do what many professors would have trouble pulling off,” McGee said. “Explaining their project effectively using one power point slide.”
McGee said that the nine graduate students represented several programs and colleges ranging from Special Education to Art to Biochemical Studies. The first place winner of the final round would go on to represent ETSU at the Southern Regional Competition in March 2020 at the Council of Southern Graduate School’s Annual Competition in Birmingham, Alabama.
Keri Blair was one of the presenters at the 3 Minute Competition, and her thesis, “A Horse Is Not A Horse, of Course: The Culture of Horses in Tudor England,” involved looking at trends through history and seeing how horses made an impact as the main mode of transportation in Tudor, England.
“What I’m doing is that I’m seeing something in the past that I’m seeing today,” Blair said. “When I look at the English Renaissance and I’m seeing them do the exact same thing with their mode of transportation, horses, I see this connection, and I see how it’s changed over time, and I’m fascinated by that aspect.”
Donna Paulsen presented her thesis on “Women’s Experiences with Infertility within Faith Communities.”
Paulsen said she had been working on her thesis for just over a year, and that she decided to do the 3 Minute Thesis competition to share her research with a broader audience.
“Women’s experiences with infertility and with miscarriage is something that is a very private thing, a very personal thing,” Paulsen said. “Regardless of whether they have a religious background or not, it’s something that people are not talking about a whole lot … I just have a great sympathy for people who are marginalized or stigmatized for something that they can’t help. I think it’s important to raise awareness that that’s one particular thing that women may be struggling through that no one is really talking about.”
At the end of the presentation, audience members were able to vote for a people’s choice award, while the judges voted on first and second place. The winner of the people’s choice award was Keri Blair. Runner up was Anna Musket with her thesis on Gioblastoma. First prize went to Donna Paulsen.
“I’m very excited,” Paulsen said. “I’m surprised. There were a lot of really great topics and great presentations … I didn’t think that I would be chosen as first. I was kind of hoping maybe for third. … I’m excited and honored. It will be great not only to represent ETSU but my department, Communications and Storytelling.”
