The Three Minute Thesis Competition
An 80,000 word Ph.D. thesis would take 9 hours to present. Their time limit...3 minutes.
Special thanks to our sponsor RiverStone for supporting this event.
3MT Overview
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) celebrates the exciting research conducted by PhD students around the world. Developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), the competition cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. Presenting in a 3MT competition increases their capacity to effectively explain their research in three minutes, in a language appropriate to a non-specialist audience. Competitors are allowed one PowerPoint slide, but no other resources or props.
Our 3MT
We’re hosting our 7th annual 3MT competition this year, and we are excited to do this in person again! To help students prepare for the 3MT we offer a 6-part workshop series that will guide students through the whole process-- developing the talk, creating the slide, and practicing the presentation. Learn more about each session with the workshop series flyer and be sure to register for the competition if you want to participate.
2021 3MT Winners
Past Participants
The Graduate School faciliates a six-part workshop series designed to help prepare you for the 3MT competition. From brainstorming your presentation content to honing your public speaking skills, these workshops guide you through all the necessary steps for a successful 3MT. Read more about each workshop on the workshop series flyer. See this semester's schedule and register for the competition here.
2021
- 1st place: David Heit, Msc Wildlife and Conservation Biology
- 2nd place: Via D'Agostino, MFA Fiction Writing
- 3rd place: Hannah Lightcap, PhD Psychology
- People’s Choice Award: Jess Flarity, PhD English Literature
2020 - See all participants here
- 1st place: Jordan Pierce, MS Oceanography
- 2nd place: Allison Giannotti, PhD Composition & Rhetoric
- 3rd place: Isaiah Paolo Atienza Lee, PhD Molecular and Evolutionary Systems Biology
- People’s Choice Award: Danial Mirzaiyanrajeh, PhD Civil & Environmental Engineering
- People’s Choice Runner Up: Kerry Dykens, MS Oceanography
2019
- 1st place: Sidney Birch, PhD Molecular & Evolutionary Systems Biology
- 2nd place & People’s Choice Award: Zane Relethford, PhD Chemistry
- 3rd place: Katherine Ineson, PhD NRESS
2018
- 1st place: Jovana Milosavljevic Ardeljan, PhD Education
- 2nd place: Devon O'Rourke, PhD Molecular and Evolution Systems Biology
- 3rd place & People’s Choice Award: Kaitlyn Belknap, M.S. Genetics
2017
- 1st place: Drummond Biles, PhD, Mechanical Engineering
- 2nd place: Meagan Wengrove, PhD Ocean Engineering
- 3rd place: Ryan Stevens, PhD Natural resources
- People’s Choice Award: Rev. Holland Prior, MFA Creative Nonfiction
- People’s Choice Runner Up: Jovana Milosavljevic Ardeljan, PhD Education
2016
- 1st place & People’s Choice Award: Lesley Atwood, PhD Agroecology
- 2nd place: Susan Deily Swearingen, PhD History
- 3rd place: Maria Marin Jarrin, PhD Oceanography
2022 Competition
2022 3MT Practice Round:
- Who: Open to all graduate students (space limited)
- When: 3-5pm February 16th
- Where: Durham - location to be announced
- Registration: Closes February 11th
2022 3MT First Round:
- Who: Open to all graduate students (spaces limited)
- When: 3-5pm March 1st and 2nd
- Where: MUB Theater II
- Registration: Closes Friday February 18th
- Note: Students must be available for one of the first round dates as well as the final round
2022 3MT Final Round:
- Who: Top 12 students from first round advance
- When: 3-5 p.m. March 22nd
- Where: MUB Theater II
- A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted. No slide transitions, animations, or "movement" of any description are allowed. 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, etc.) are permitted.
- Presentations are limited to 3 minutes maximum and competitors exceeding 3 minutes are disqualified.
- Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g., no poems, raps or songs).
- Presentations are to commence from the front of the theater.
- Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter starts their presentation through either movement or speech.
- The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.
3 Minute Thesis presentations are judged using the following criteria:
Comprehension and Content
- Did the presentation provide an understanding of the background to the research question being addressed and its significance?
- Did the presentation clearly describe the key results of the research including conclusions and outcomes?
- Did the presentation follow a clear and logical sequence?
- Was the thesis topic, key results and research significance and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
- Did the speaker avoid scientific jargon, explain terminology and provide adequate background information to illustrate points?
- Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of their presentation - or did they elaborate for too long on one aspect so that other aspects of the presentation felt rushed?
Engagement and Communication
- Did the oration make the audience want to know more?
- Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize their research?
- Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research?
- Did the presenter capture and maintain their audience's attention?
- Did the speaker have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range; maintain a steady pace, and have a confident stance?
- Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation - was it clear, legible, and concise?