Contributed/ETSU

East Tennessee State University graduate students faced the challenge of presenting months, and sometimes years, of research in just three minutes Tuesday during the semifinals of the Three-Minute Thesis competition.

Held in Nicks Hall, the competition featured presentations on topics ranging from effective teaching methods to how pathogens survive in hospital environments.

The event, organized by ETSU’s Graduate School in partnership with the Graduate and Professional Student Association, gave students an opportunity to share their research with an audience outside their academic disciplines.

Known as 3MT, the Three-Minute Thesis competition began at the University of Queensland in Australia in 2008 and has since expanded internationally.

The competition challenges graduate students to explain complex research in a way that is accessible to people without specialized knowledge of the subject.

Participants have three minutes to provide background information, explain their research and demonstrate why their findings matter. Each student is allowed one presentation slide, and exceeding the time limit results in disqualification.

The competition is open to ETSU graduate students from a variety of academic programs. Eligible presentations can include original research, literature reviews and business plans.

Students in the early stages of their graduate programs may also participate by presenting preliminary findings and explaining the direction of their research.

Judges evaluate presentations based on how effectively participants communicate their research and engage the audience.

The competition encourages students to move beyond the technical details of their work and focus on its broader significance.

For the Graduate and Professional Student Association, 3MT is one of several opportunities designed to support graduate students’ professional development.

The student-run organization is open to all ETSU graduate and professional students and provides opportunities to develop presentation skills, network with faculty and connect with students across academic disciplines.

Last year’s competition featured research from several fields.

Joseph Gajewski of the Department of Geosciences earned first place for his research on a newly described immature skeleton of an Appalachian rhinoceros.

Olivia May of the Department of Biological Sciences placed second and received the People’s Choice Award for her research on the bacterium Klebsiella.

Nikita Cudjoe of Public Health finished third for research examining factors influencing whether adults with alcohol use disorder seek treatment.

Videos of previous winning presentations are available on the ETSU Graduate School’s 3MT webpage.

This year’s finalists will compete Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in Ballroom B on the third floor of the D.P. Culp Student Center.

The finals are open to the public, and audience members will have an opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award.

The first-place winner will receive a $1,100 scholarship and advance to represent ETSU at the next stage of the competition. Second- and third-place finishers will each receive a $750 scholarship.

Author

  • Cristal Ahmed

    I am a PhD candidate in the Biomedical Science program at Quillen College of Medicine, specializing in the Neuroscience concentration. As a first-generation Latina researcher, my doctoral work in the Justin T. Gass Laboratory focuses on the neurobiological intersections of Alcohol Use Disorder and PTSD, with a specific emphasis on mitochondrial health. Beyond the lab, I serve as the Social Media Manager and Activities Coordinator for the Biomedical Science graduate program, where I work to foster a connected and vibrant community for my fellow graduate students at East Tennessee State University.

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