Eleven Ohio University graduate students will test how well they can describe their research or creative work to the general public during the 3 Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition on Feb. 3.
The 3MT® competition was developed by The University of Queensland in 2008 to help graduate students hone their communication skills. The competitions now are held at more than 200 higher education institutions in 18 countries, according to the 3MT® website.
At Ohio University, 10 doctoral students and one master’s student will compete at the university’s inaugural competition on Wednesday, Feb. 3, in Stocker 103. The event is sponsored by the Graduate College to help students learn to effectively present their work to audiences outside of their area of specialization.
Students will present one visual and have three minutes to describe their project to the audience and a panel of faculty and administrator judges.
“This is harder than it looks. These students have spent years learning and working on their theses. To present your work to a general audience in three minutes and with only one slide will really be a challenge,” said David Koonce, associate dean of the Graduate College.
University and local community members are invited to attend the free event and can vote for their favorite presentation. Cash prizes will be awarded to the first, second and third place winners, as well as the People’s Choice pick.
The 11 participants are students in Russ College of Engineering and Technology, College of Arts & Sciences, Patton College of Education, and Scripps College of Communication. Examples of topics to be presented are:
- “The role of news in fighting Ebola: Is covering Ebola as an African journalist a professional suicide?”
- “What happened to freedom? The policing of the American campus and its relationship to liberty.”
- “Non-invasive skin cancer detection and diagnosis.”
- “Black holes: Little engines that control the evolution of galaxies.”
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