3MT Website |Competition Rules |Competitor Guide |Competitor FAQ

2023 Presentations|2020 Presentations|2019 Presentations|2018 Presentations

Final Rounds

 

What is 3MT?

The 3MT is an important international competition that aims at celebrating research conducted by doctoral and masters students. According to the University of Queensland, founder of the event, the 3MT “cultivates students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills”.

Participants have three minutes and a single static slide to effectively explain their research in a language that is appropriate to a non-specialist audience.

Why participate?

Participating in the 3MT competition is a valuable opportunity to enhance your communication and research presentation skills while contributing to Michigan Tech’s vibrant research culture. Top competitors and the People’s Choice winner will also receive cash prizes.

Moreover, winners of the Michigan Tech 3MT competition earn the chance to represent the university at regional, national, and potentially international levels, opening doors for exceptional networking and professional development opportunities.

Competition Info

Michigan Tech’s 2024 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition is set for November 7, 2024, at the Isle Royale Ballroom in the Memorial Union Building.

Schedule:

  • Preliminary Rounds: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Finals: 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Cash Prizes:

  • First Place: $300
  • Second Place: $200
  • People’s Choice Award: $100
 
 

Competition Rules

  • 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) 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 stage.
  • 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.

Participant Training

GSG is organizing a training session to give participants the opportunity to practice their presentations and receive feedback from other participants and mentors. This session will help participants refine their presentations, identify overly technical sections, and make improvements ahead of the competition. The 3MT Workshop will take place from Wednesday, October 30, to Friday, November 1, in the J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, Room 244.

2024 Winners

Click here to watch!

First Place:

  • Ahmad Bshennaty’s (PhD student, Biomedical Engineering)
  • Presentation Title: “Digital Twins for Understanding Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation”

Second Place:

  • Kwadwo Boateng’s (PhD student, Civil Engineering)
  • Presentation Title: “Recycling Scrap Tires for Road Construction”

People’s Choice Award:

  • Satya Sai Kumar Pilli (Master’s student, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering)
  • Presentation Title: “Increasing Efficiency for a Hybrid Model”

2023 Winners

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First Place:

  • Gustavo Bejar Lopez (Phd student, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences)
  • Presentation Title: “An interdisciplinary approach for the characterization of lahars on Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala“

Second Place:

  • Ellianna Sempek (Master’s student, Biological Sciences)
  • Presentation Title: “Investigating the Mitochondrial Function of miRNA-483 Deficient Pancreatic Islets“

People’s Choice Award:

  • Cody Tuftee (Phd student, Biomedical Engineering)
  • Presentation Title: “Drug Eluting Granular Hydrogel Scaffolds as an Immunomodulatory Cornea Wound Sealant“

2021 Winners

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First Place:

  • Priyanka Kadav
  • Presentation Title: “Capture and Release: A novel protein purification technique”

Second Place:

  • Emily Shaw
  • Presentation Title: “Quantifying Mixture Toxicity to Better Understand Risks

People’s Choice Award:

  • Yue Emily Kang
  • Presentation Title: “Ronust Numerical Solvers for Flows in Fractured Porous Media”

2020 Winners

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First Place:

  • Jordan Ewing
  • Presentation Title: “Terrain Traversing: X Marks the Spot”

Second Place:

  • Ninad Mohale
  • Presentation Title: “Development of a Physically-Based Creep Model Incorporating ETA Phase Evolution for Nickel-Base Superalloys”

People’s Choice Award:

  • Jordan Ewing
  • Presentation Title: “Terrain Traversing: X Marks the Spot”

2019 Winners

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First Place:

  • Jacob Blazejewski
  • Presentation Title: “I use the RBF Method to Solve PDEs on MS”

Second Place:

  • Sagar Patil
  • Presentation Title: “Detecting Hydrous Minerals on Martian Surface”

People’s Choice Award:

  • Jordan Ewing
  • Presentation Title: “Remote Sensing for Soil Strength Characterization”

2018 Winners

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First Place:

  • Niranjan Miganakallu
  • Presentation Title: “Water Injection in Gasoline Engines”

Second Place:

  • Stephania Vaglica
  • Presentation Title: “Carbon Nanotube Thinfilm Loudspeakers for Commercial Purposes”