Three Minute Thesis

Three Minute Thesis Logo

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition celebrates the exciting research being performed by graduate students and cultivates their academic, presentation and research communication skills by challenging them to present their research to a non-specialist audience in three minutes (180 seconds!) or less using only one PowerPoint slide. Developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) in 2008, the 3MT® Competition is currently held at 900 colleges and universities across more than 85 countries worldwide.

The Graduate School hosted Binghamton University's 5th annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition during Research Days on Thursday, April 18, 2024.

Congratulations to our Spring 2024 winners!

1st Place and People's Choice: Emma Glynn - Biological Sciences, PhD

Title: Bacterial "Bodybuilders" Rely on Protein to Stay Big and Strong Too!

Faculty Adviser: Karin Sauer

2nd Place: Emma Pawliczak - Mechanical Engineering, PhD

Title: Silver Spray: Shielding Electronics While Keeping Them Slim

Faculty Adviser: Paul Chiarot

3rd Place: John Antonacci - Sociology, PhD

Title: Climate, War, and Economic Crisis - Lessons from Early Modernity

Faculty Adviser: Jason Moore

Prizes:

  • 1st Place: $500.00
  • 2nd Place: $400.00
  • 3rd Place: $300.00
  • People’s Choice: $150.00 (selected via audience vote at the conclusion of the event)

Eligibility Rules:

  • Currently enrolled course-complete (CC) master’s and doctoral students who have been admitted to candidacy (ABD) from all disciplines are eligible to compete.
  • Students should be in the final stages of their graduate career so that they have sound conclusions and impacts from their research.
  • Students must be in good academic standing (GPA of 3.0 or higher).
  • All research presented must be associated with Binghamton University.
  • Alumni and previous winners are not eligible to participate. Past participants are welcome to participate again. 

How to participate in the 3MT® Competition:

  • Step #1 - Discuss your interest in participating in the 3MT® Competition with your faculty adviser. Obtain their approval to participate and present your research.
  • Step #2 - Submit a 3MT Competition Registration Form by March 8th. [*Note: When selecting your presentation title, please try to avoid technical jargon and choose a title that is short, catchy and true to your research.]
  • Step #3 - One-on-one prep sessions will begin the week of March 11th. 
  • Step #4 - Final title and PowerPoint slide are due by April 15th.

Presentation 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 will be disqualified.
  • Presentations are to be spoken word (e.g. no poems, raps or songs).
  • Presentations are considered to have commenced when a presenter begins speaking.
  • The decision of the judging panel is final. 

Judging Criteria:

The goal is for the presenter to successfully engage a non-specialist audience and effectively convey the excitement and innovation of their research. Presentations will be evaluated by a diverse judging panel focusing on two core competencies:

Content and Comprehension 

  • Did the presentation help the audience understand the research?
  • Did the presentation clearly describe the conclusions, outcomes and impact of the research? 

Communication and Engagement

  • Was the presentation clearly delivered using language appropriate for a non-specialist audience?
  • Did the presenter convey enthusiasm for their research and did they capture and maintain the audience's attention?

Here are the Spring 2024 participants:

Name Major Program Faculty Adviser
John Antonacci Sociology Doctoral Jason W. Moore
Madeleine Beaulieu Biochemistry and Chemical Biology Doctoral Susan Bane
Drew Cook Cognitive Psychology Doctoral Deanne L. Westerman
Maya Cowan Anthropology Doctoral Douglas Holmes
Emma Glynn Biological Sciences Doctoral Karin Sauer
Fabiha Islam Industrial Systems Engineering Doctoral Chao (Amanda) Shi
Austin Kippes Philosophy Doctoral Mattias Iser
Pranay Nirapure Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Bahgat Sammakia
Mercy Olorunshola Biological Sciences Doctoral David Davies
Emma Pawliczak Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Paul Chiarot
Ashaar Rasheed Healthcare Systems Engineering Master's Sreenath Chalil Madathil
Shazrah Syed Biological Sciences Doctoral Claudia Marques
Juliana Thompson History Master's Robert Parkinson

Watch our Spring 2023 3MT Competition online here. 

Watch winning 3MT presentations from around the world online here. 

Questions?

Please contact Ellen Tilden (etilden@binghamton.edu), Associate Director for Academic & Graduate Student Affairs, with any questions or concerns you may have regarding the 3MT® Competition or your eligibility to participate.