Three Minute Thesis

2024 Three Minute Thesis competition application now open

Cay Leytham-Powell — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 21:05:03 +0000

2024 Three Minute Thesis competition application now open Cay Leytham-Powell Thu, 09/12/2024 - 15:05

The application for the Three Minute Thesis competition is now open for interested doctoral students.

3MT is an academic competition that challenges students to summarize their thesis in three minutes for a general audience and a panel of judges, who rate their performance. The three winners of the competition, along with a people’s choice winner, receive prize money, with the first-place recipient receiving $1,500 and a chance to represent the university at the regional, national and international competitions.

To participate, you must be a �� Boulder doctoral student admitted to candidacy by December 1, 2024, and be enrolled for spring 2025 and expect to graduate in May 2025 or later. Graduates or alumni are not eligible. The deadline for registering is Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m. 

Application closes Oct. 1

Apply Here

“Amazing research happens every day by graduate students, but it often flies under the radar. The Three Minute Thesis competition is an opportunity to showcase that creative and innovative work and the talented students that make it happen,” Scott Adler, the dean of the Graduate School, said previously.

The 3MT event began in 2008 when the state of Queensland, Australia, suffered from a severe drought. To conserve water, residents were encouraged to time their showers, and many people had a three-minute egg timer fixed to the wall in their bathroom. The then-dean of the University of Queensland Graduate School, Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson, decided to apply the same approach with his students in a first of its kind competition.

It has since spread across the globe, including to �� Boulder.

Prior to �� Boulder’s competition, which takes place every February and is one of the Graduate School’s signature events, students participate in a series of workshops to improve their presentation and research communication skills, helping them to effectively (and succinctly) explain the significance of their research. These workshops also provide a chance for students to forge connections within a like-minded cohort from across the disciplines.

One such workshop or presentation scheduled for this year, among others discussing things like storytelling framework and improvisation techniques, is an exclusive talk by international 3MT winner, and Marvin H. Caruthers Endowed Chair for Early-Career Faculty Assistant Professor Samuel Ramsey on science communication. Watch Dr. Sammy’s winning 3MT presentation here.

For more information, including seeing the past winners, refer to the 3MT website. For all other questions, contact Hailey Herman at hailey.herman@colorado.edu.

Interested doctoral students must register by Oct. 1 to participate in this signature event.

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Student competing during the 2023-24 3MT Final Competition. Photograph by Casey Cass/University of Colorado Boulder.

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Zach Schiffman wins Colorado Three Minute Thesis competition

Cay Leytham-Powell — Tue, 21 May 2024 21:53:13 +0000

Zach Schiffman wins Colorado Three Minute Thesis competition Cay Leytham-Powell Tue, 05/21/2024 - 15:53

�� Boulder doctoral student takes first prize in state 3MT competition for presentation on the urea molecule

Zach Schiffman, a doctoral candidate in chemistry, beat out participating universities within Colorado to win the state Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition last month. He won with his presentation, “The Urea Molecule: From Fertilizer . . . to Climate Change?”

This is the second win for Schiffman, who took first prize in the Graduate School’s annual 3MT competition earlier this year. As part of his winnings, he was then invited to represent the university at both the regional (Western Region of Graduate Schools) and state (Colorado Council of Graduate Schools) competitions.

The 3MT event, which began at the University of Queensland in 2008, challenges graduate students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. To prepare, �� Boulder graduate students participate in a series of workshops focusing on storytelling, writing, presentation skills and improvisation comedy techniques. The Graduate School then holds a preliminary competition to whittle down the competition to ten finalists, who participate in the final competition at the beginning of February.

More information about the 3MT competition, including how to get involved in the 2024–25 school year, is available on the 3MT webpage.

�� Boulder doctoral student takes first prize in state 3MT competition for presentation on the urea molecule.

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Announcing the 2024 Three Minute Thesis Winners

Cay Leytham-Powell — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 21:57:29 +0000

Announcing the 2024 Three Minute Thesis Winners Cay Leytham-Powell Fri, 02/09/2024 - 14:57

Ten students participated in this year’s final competition for a chance at prize money and a chance to represent �� Boulder at the regional competition.

Environmental advertising, the mental health toll of being a drone pilot, and accessible robot building were a few of the topics presented during the seventh annual Three Minute Thesis Competition on Feb. 7, 2024.

This event challenges graduate students to craft a three-minute elevator pitch for their complex—and sometimes difficult to make sense of—research in a way that even an everyday person could understand.

This year, the ten competitors did just that to a packed Glenn Miller Ballroom and a panel of judges, which included Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell. The judges then evaluated the competitors on comprehension, content, engagement and communication.

“The Three Minute Thesis competition is one of my favorite Graduate School events for many reasons, and this year was no exception,” said Scott Adler, dean of the Graduate School. “It is of vital importance that the public understand the valuable work that graduate students are doing every day, and how it can impact them in lasting and positive ways, and this event does just that. Every year I am amazed and inspired by the incredible research that our students are doing, it makes me very proud to be dean of the Graduate School.”

The 2024 winners are:

First Place

Zach Schiffman, chemistry, The Urea Molecule: From Fertilizer… to Climate Change?

Second Place

Spencer Zeigler, geological sciences, The Missing Pages of Earth History

People’s Choice

Aaquib Tabrez, computer science, Building Trust & Reliance in Human-Machine Teams via Transparent Algorithms

Schiffman will receive $1500 in prize money and will represent �� Boulder at the Western Association of Graduate Schools competition. Zeigler and Tabrez will receive $750 and $500 in research funds, respectively.

Judges for this year’s event were College of Arts and Sciences Dean Glen Krutz, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Associate Dean Charles Musgraves, Professor of Sociology Lori Hunter, and Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell. Bud Coleman, Roe Green endowed chair in theatre, was the event’s emcee.

More information about the 2025 Three Minute Thesis Competition will be available on the Three Minute Thesis competition web page this fall.

Ten students participated in this year’s final competition for a chance at prize money and a chance to represent �� Boulder at the regional competition.

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First place winner Zach Schiffman giving his presentation. Photo by Patrick Campbell/University of Colorado Boulder.

Know before you go: Three Minute Thesis competition, Feb. 7

Cay Leytham-Powell — Mon, 05 Feb 2024 15:03:10 +0000

Know before you go: Three Minute Thesis competition, Feb. 7 Cay Leytham-Powell Mon, 02/05/2024 - 08:03

This annual event, which showcases graduate student’s ability to distill their nine-hour thesis down to three minutes, comes back Feb. 7 at 4 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

That’s the question that ten graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School’s seventh annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) final competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom on Feb. 7, 2024, from 4 to 6 p.m.

This event challenges students to explain their thesis to the general public. They are then judged by a panel of judges from across the university, including Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell. Winners of the event will be announced at the end of the program and the audience will have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice award.

While the event is free and open to the public, space is limited and registration is required for in-person attendance. The event will also be live-streamed.

If you go

Date: Feb. 7, 2024

Time: 4 - 6 p.m.

Location: University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom or over livestream

This year’s competitors include:

Leopold Beuken, mechanical engineering, Flight by Feel
Georgia Butcher, anthropology, Drone Pilots & Remote War: An Anthropological Investigation
Saima Kazmi, advertising, public relations and media design, Psychological Distance in Ads and Moral Disengagement
Lyanna Kessler, integrative physiology, Aftershock: When COVID Becomes Long COVID
Alex Meyer, aerospace engineering, Binary Asteroids and the DART Impact
Zachary Schiffman, chemistry, The Urea Molecule: From Fertilizer… to Climate Change?
Emma St. Lawrence, media studies, To Seek Newer Worlds: Mediating Reality in a Time of Plague
Aaquib Tabrez, computer science, Building Trust & Reliance in Human-Machine Teams via Transparent Algorithms
Ruhan Yang, creative technology and design, cubo: Paper Modular Robot You Can Build From Home
Spencer Zeigler, geological sciences, The Missing Pages of Earth History

The 3MT event began in 2008 when the state of Queensland, Australia, suffered from a severe drought. To conserve water, residents were encouraged to time their showers, and many people had a three-minute egg timer fixed to the wall in their bathroom. The then-Dean of the University of Queensland Graduate School, Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson, decided to apply the same approach with his students in a first of its kind competition.

3MT challenges graduate students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. To prepare, beginning last fall, 25 graduate students participated in a series of workshops focusing on storytelling, writing, presentation skills and improv comedy techniques. They then held a preliminary competition at the end of the fall 2023 semester and whittled the competition down to ten finalists.

The graduate students competing at this year’s 3MT finals will be evaluated by a panel of judges on their comprehension, content, engagement and communication.

The winner of the competition will receive $1,500 in prize money and will have the chance to compete at the regional competition as the University of Colorado Boulder’s representative. The runner-up and the People’s Choice winner, voted on by the live audience, will also receive funding.

Judges for this year’s event are College of Arts and Sciences Dean Glen Krutz, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Associate Dean Charles Musgraves, Professor of Sociology Lori Hunter, and Physics Professor and Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell. Bud Coleman, Roe Green endowed chair in theatre, will be the event’s emcee.

More information about the competition is available on the Graduate School's 3MT web page.

This annual event, which showcases graduate student’s ability to distill their nine-hour thesis down to three minutes, comes back Feb. 7 at 4 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Spencer Zeigler

Cay Leytham-Powell — Fri, 02 Feb 2024 23:47:21 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Spencer Zeigler Cay Leytham-Powell Fri, 02/02/2024 - 16:47

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

That’s the question ten graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School’s seventh annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom on Feb. 7, 2024, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

This event challenges students to explain their thesis to the general public. They are then evaluated by a panel of judges from across the university, including College of Arts and Sciences Dean Glen Krutz, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Associate Dean Charles Musgraves, Professor of Sociology Lori Hunter, and Physics Professor and Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell.

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll be featuring each of the competitors. Today’s is Spencer Zeigler, a geological sciences doctoral candidate who focuses on geochronology (the science of age dating earth materials, like rocks, minerals, fossils, and geologic events) and thermochronology (the study of the thermal evolution of a region of a planet). Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “The Missing Pages of Earth History.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

I use radioactive decay to try and figure out when, how, and why the northern Canadian landscape has changed over the past 600 million years.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

My favorite thing about my research is a process called "mineral separation." I start with an armful of rock and turn that into just a pinch of sand-sized material which should be entirely composed of 1 mineral—apatite. It is physical work that includes sledgehammers, magnets, and liquids that are 4x denser than water! The best part is that you get to see your progress at the end of the day.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

My advisor (Becky Flowers), who I was doing research for during my 'gap year', knew that I've got a huge weakness for volcanoes—the weirder the better. So, she offered me a position working on the strangest volcanoes in the whole world—kimberlites. I loved working in her lab and with her, so I decided to stay. In addition to studying awesome volcanoes, I'm essentially getting a PhD in time travel; I get to look back hundreds of millions of years into the past and tell a story about why a place looks the way it does today.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

I am a public transit/safer streets/bike/pedestrian advocate. I work closely with Safer Streets, Better Broomfield, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to make our streets better and safer for everyone. In that same vein, I enjoy commuting to campus by bike—but I really love doing Costco runs on my bike. :) I also enjoy knitting scarves, listening to podcasts, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing cornhole (where's the �� Boulder league?!) and gluten free baking.

What is your favorite food and why?

Sweet potato. So versatile! So healthy! You can mash, twice-bake, roast, make French fries, hash browns, YUM! Also, they are just pretty. Always adds a nice pop of color to a plate.

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Ruhan Yang

Cay Leytham-Powell — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 23:32:07 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Ruhan Yang Cay Leytham-Powell Thu, 02/01/2024 - 16:32

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll be featuring each of the competitors. Today’s is Ruhan Yang, a doctoral candidate in the ATLAS Institute who focuses on human-computer interaction. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “cubo: Paper Modular Robot You Can Build at Home.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

I make making easier.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

My advisor showed me that doing research can be fun.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

Make everything out of paper, with other people in our lab.

What is your favorite food and why?

Szechuan hot pot. It's from my hometown.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I really like fire hydrants, they are cute. But the pipes they have in the ground are extremely tall, and I didn't like them as much once I learned that.

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Aaquib Tabrez

Cay Leytham-Powell — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 18:30:20 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Aaquib Tabrez Cay Leytham-Powell Wed, 01/31/2024 - 11:30

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll be featuring each of the competitors. Today’s is Aaquib Tabrez, a computer science doctoral candidate who focuses on robotics. His 3MT presentation’s title is, “Building Trust and Reliance in Human-Machine Teams via Transparent Algorithms.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

I teach robots and autonomous systems to better communicate back to people such that they are more transparent, trustworthy and reliable, aiming to enhance human-machine communication and collaboration.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

What I love most about my research is the incredible freedom I have to chase after any problem that I want. There's something thrilling about tackling brand new challenges, ones that nobody has ever solved before, especially knowing these solutions can make a big difference, from big-picture changes to easing daily life for people. Plus, I get to play around with all sorts of cool robotics platforms, which is just so much fun and always keeps me excited about what I'm doing.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

I've always dreamed of being a scientist since I was a child. I've always been fascinated by how people think and solve problems, and I wanted to replicate this in machines to help people make better decisions. When I started grad school, my driving motivation was to explore and expand the boundaries of what humans and robots could achieve together, pushing beyond what was previously possible.

What did you do before coming to �� Boulder for graduate school?

Before coming to �� Boulder for graduate school, I was a Procurement Manager at Daimler. I also took on a role as a social fellow with Yuva Prerna Yatra. This part of my life took me to the Himalayas, where I got to travel, learn and work closely with local entrepreneurs.

What is your favorite food and why?

My favorite food is Haleem, a traditional dish that combines wheat, barley, lentils and meat, like beef or mutton. It's this rich, slow-cooked dish that's just savory, comforting and really hearty. I especially love it not just because it tastes incredible, but also because it reminds me of the childhood days of Ramadan. We used to have it after a whole day of fasting, and it always brought my friends and family together, making those long days really worthwhile.

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Emma St. Lawrence

Cay Leytham-Powell — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 22:10:24 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Emma St. Lawrence Cay Leytham-Powell Tue, 01/30/2024 - 15:10

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll be featuring each of the competitors. Today’s is Emma St. Lawrence, a doctoral candidate in media studies who focuses on affective media (how media affects human emotions) and new materiality (the role of non-human entities in how connections are made). Their 3MT presentation’s title is, “To Seek Newer Worlds: Mediating Reality in a Time of Plague.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

I study the way we use stories to make sense of ourselves and our world.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

I've always been a strong believer in the power of stories and how they shape both our identities and the way we interact with the world. Even after investigating this core idea in my BA and MA, I found I still wasn't quite done thinking about it—and even in my last year of a PhD, I find I haven't yet tired myself out on the subject.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

All the media I personally engage with counts as research! Reading, listening, streaming, watching in theatres—every story I encounter helps me draw new connections and reframe how I view the vast, interconnected universe of modern media.

What did you do before coming to �� Boulder for graduate school?

I've more-or-less done all my schooling at King's College London (BA) and University of Southern California (MA) back-to-back. On the way, however, I've been able to explore and work in a few different areas of the cultural sector (museums, film archives, film studios, arts promotion, etc).

What is your favorite food and why?

Pomegranates, but they've got to be the whole, fresh ones; none of the packaged seeds, please. They require effort and time spent taking the admittedly frustrating fruit apart, but they're so incredibly delicious and rich with reward.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

A monkey stole my ice cream once when I was a kid and I've hated all primates ever since.

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Zach Schiffman

Cay Leytham-Powell — Fri, 26 Jan 2024 20:20:36 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Zach Schiffman Cay Leytham-Powell Fri, 01/26/2024 - 13:20

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll be featuring each of the competitors. Today’s is Zach Schiffman, a doctoral candidate in chemistry, with a focus on atmospheric aerosol. His 3MT presentation’s title is, “The Urea Molecule: From Fertilizer... to Climate Change?”

What did you do before coming to �� Boulder for graduate school?

I studied sources for green energy as an undergrad at William & Mary.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

I love to learn about the world around us, and I love to share my learning with others. Atmospheric Science is relevant to every person.

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

I study how molecules in the sky work!

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

Writing, speaking, and meeting other scientists. All about science communication.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I used to be a "ghost tour" guide in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia, where I used to lead tours around in the middle of the night and tell them old ghost stories!

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Alex Meyer

Cay Leytham-Powell — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 19:35:48 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Alex Meyer Cay Leytham-Powell Thu, 01/25/2024 - 12:35

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll be featuring each of the competitors. Today’s is Alex Meyer, a doctoral candidate in aerospace engineering sciences, specializing in astrodynamics and satellite navigation. His 3MT presentation’s title is, “Binary Asteroids and the DART Impact.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

Binary asteroids are complicated and can do some really weird things if you bump into them.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

I'm really interested in space exploration and I wanted to learn how to fly spacecraft.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

It's romantic and captures the imagination.

What did you do before coming to �� Boulder for graduate school?

I was in undergrad at University of Wisconsin Madison, where my research was in cellular mechanics.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

I like reading, building LEGO models, board games, gaming, and the Boulder staples of hiking, camping and skiing.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I have displayed my LEGO builds at national conventions.

The 2024 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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