The graduate finalists of the Three Minute Thesis competition will go head to head this Friday to present many hours of research in under three minutes.
A typical thesis in the College of Science and Engineering is at least 100 pages, but this year, students had the opportunity to boil their research down and compete against classmates for cash prizes.
Contestants have three minutes and one PowerPoint slide to effectively explain their research. The language has to be appropriate for a non-specialist audience. Those who exceed three minutes are disqualified.
This is the first year the college is hosting a Three Minute Thesis competition. Magnus Rittby, senior associate dean of the College of Science and Engineering, said he heard of the competition at a workshop in New York.
He thought it would be a fun way to get the College of Science and Engineering more involved in the community.
After holding preliminary competitions, the six finalists for Friday’s contest are: Nelli Bodiford, Kevin Claunch, Amy Hardy, Joe Kimball, Leah Thornton and Jordan White.
“We have been pushing for this for some years, so we are really excited to give more than a poster,” Kimball said, “which I think shows TCU investing in its commitment toward supporting graduate students’ and professors’ research.”
Kimball’s presentation is titled, “Finding Waldo Easily for Early Detection of Diseases.” He will present a new excitation method in fluorescence to detect diseases at their earliest stages.
Hardy’s presentation is titled, “Can the Common Cold Set the Stage for Alzheimer’s?” She will discuss the link between chronic inflammation and Alzheimer’s.
“I have enjoyed the 3MT program and feel it is a great way for preparation for a career involving public speaking as well as a way to stretch us to explain research in brief and layman’s terms,” Hardy said. “I look forward to Friday.”
Students, faculty and others interested can see the graduate students compete in the Three Minute Thesis competition on Friday in Sid W. Richardson Building Lecture Hall one from 5-6 p.m.
