Campus Connection

Eight participate in contest to simplify their research

The first-ever UWL 3-Minute Thesis Competition was a success. Graduate students from the departments of Public Health, Software Engineering, School Psychology, Biology and Physical Education Teaching competed for four scholarships. Participants articulated the content and importance of their research to the general audience clearly and enthusiastically, all in less than three minutes. The eight graduate students participating described their work to a general audience in just three minutes using one powerpoint slide. The judges from off campus struggled to determine the winners. “It was a great opportunity for the university to showcase the exciting research that our graduate students are working on,” notes Katherine Sell, a graduate assistant in the Office of Graduate Studies. This was the first-ever 3MT at UWL. The idea for the now worldwide popular competition was born at the University of Queensland in 2008. It came about when the state of Queensland was suffering severe drought. To conserve water, residents were encouraged to time their showers, with many using a three-minute egg timer fixed to the wall in their bathroom. The dean of the university’s graduate school started the competition. Since 2011, its popularity has increased and 3MT events are now in more than 350 universities in 58 countries. Plans are underway to hold the competition again early next spring.