UW School of Graduate Education Organizes First Round of 3MT Competitions

The University of Wyoming School of Graduate Education recently organized the first Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) event, with winners of individual college competitions advancing to the campuswide university level in September.

Competing students each must give a three-minute presentation on their research and are allowed the use of one static slide to present individual research with no jargon, animations or extra props.

The goal is to make their research easily understandable for a general audience. The 3MT competition originated in 2008 at the University of Queensland in Australia.

The top-scoring students in each college will advance to the university-level 3MT competition -- unless noted. To be eligible to compete in the university level, a student must be an enrolled doctoral student and have placed in the college-level competition.

The winners of the university-level competition then will advance to the regional competition in Denver, Colo., in the spring.

UW colleges also elected a People’s Choice Award winner by voting on their favorite presentation during the first round of competition.

UW students placing in the first round are listed by hometown and major. Individuals noted with (*) will not advance to the university-level 3MT competition:

College of Business

First place: Sayandeep Paul, People's Choice Award winner, Kolkata, India, economics.

Second place: Zahra “Safa” Karami, Tehran, Iran, marketing.

Third place: Srutakirti Mukherjee*, Kolkata, India, economics.

College of Engineering and Physical Sciences

First place: Cesar Gerardo Freyre Pinto, Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, civil engineering.

Second place: Preetika Kaur, Ludhiana, Punjab, India, civil engineering.

Third place: Varun Bharadwaj, Udupi, India, electrical engineering.

Fourth place: Alirza Orujov, Aghstafa, Azerbaijan, chemical and biomedical engineering.

Fifth place: Shamel Perez Buenfil, Merida, Mexico, civil engineering.

College of Arts and Sciences

First place: Annyher Reyes Ayala, Modesto, Calif., psychology.

Second place: McKenna Litynski, People’s Choice Award, Maryland, anthropology.

Third place: Jaylan Melek Aliev*, Boise, Idaho, experimental psychology with a concentration in law.

College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources

First place: Nicki Nimlos, Missoula, Mont., rangeland ecology and watershed management.

Second place: Dipanjoli Baral Dola, Bangladesh, plant sciences.

Third place: Haritha Prabha, Calicut, Kerala, India, molecular biology.

Fourth place: Kiet Tran*, People’s Choice Award, Vietnam, molecular biology.

Fifth place: McKenzie Barth*, College Choice Award/Most Wyoming relevant recognition, Upsala, Minn., plant sciences.

College of Education

First place: Fay Quiroz*, Green River, curriculum and instruction, mathematics education.

Second place: Traci Jackson*, San Diego, Calif., curriculum and instruction, mathematics education.

Third place: Esperansa Aguilera, Boise, Idaho, higher education administration.

Fourth place: Bolaji Akorede, Oyo State, Nigeria, curriculum and instruction, science education.