UW Selects Winners of Three-Minute Thesis Competition

The University of Wyoming School of Graduate Education has named winners of the 2026 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition, an annual showcase where graduate students distill their research into compelling three-minute presentations for a general audience. The competition took place Sept. 22 in the West Ballroom of the Wyoming Union.

This year’s winners, listed by hometown, major and thesis title, are:

-- First place: Ian Fletcher, Rock Springs, economics, “The Intangibility of Risk Reduction.”

-- Second place: Charlotte Magee, New York City, psychology, “Making Sense of Trauma: Autism and Information Processing.”

-- Third place: Faraz Sufyan, Karachi, Pakistan, petroleum engineering, “From Bubbles to Barrels.”

-- People’s Choice: Gisela Mena, Quito, Ecuador, chemical engineering, “Supercritical Water Gasification of Coal for Low-Carbon Hydrogen Production.”

The 3MT competition, founded by the University of Queensland and adopted worldwide, builds students’ public communication skills by challenging them to explain complex research clearly and concisely using just one slide and three minutes.

“3MT is a powerful reminder that research matters most when people can understand it,” says Carolyn Pepper, vice president and dean of the Graduate School. “Our finalists demonstrated exceptional clarity and impact, and we’re thrilled to celebrate their scholarship and communication excellence.”

Fletcher emphasizes the importance of translating economic research into real-world relevance.

“Risk is something everyone deals with, even if they don’t use that word for it. People experience it as uncertainty about their jobs or their health, but it shapes household and policy decisions all the same,” Fletcher says. “Preparing for 3MT made me think hard about how to make my work accessible to everyone. I’m grateful to my mentors and classmates who supported me throughout the process -- and to the UW School of Graduate Education for the opportunity.”

Next spring, Fletcher will compete in the regional 3MT Competition, which will take place virtually. The event gathers all winners in the region to compete for a chance to participate in the national competition.

The regional competition will take place at the Western Association of Graduate Schools annual meeting in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, Monday-Thursday, March 29-April 1. The Western region of the Council of Graduate Schools includes accredited institutions of higher education in the western United States, Canada, Mexico and the Pacific Rim that offer master’s and/or doctoral degrees.

For more information about the UW School of Graduate Education’s 3MT program, including future competition dates and participation guidelines, go to www.uwyo.edu/uwgrad/enrolled-students/wyothreemt.html.