Syracuse Sun

On April 4, ten graduate students participated in the annual Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition sponsored by the Graduate School. The event challenges participants to present their research findings concisely within a three-minute timeframe.

The winner, Jayda Felder, a doctoral student in social psychology at the College of Arts and Sciences, captivated the judges with her presentation titled “The Predictive Value of Casual Dating Advice for Romantic Relationship Outcomes.” For her achievement, she received a 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 and a one-year membership in the Society for the Teaching of Psychology.

Glenn Wright, executive director of professional and career development at the Graduate School, remarked on the event's impact, stating, “The cliché is that academic research is both impenetrable and pointless. The 3MT really challenges graduate students to tackle that perception head-on, explaining quickly and clearly what their research is and why it makes a difference. That’s a great skill when engaging the public, and highly useful in academia, too.”

The competition included a diverse range of topics from the other nine contestants:

- Nimisha Krishnan (Ph.D. in physics) explored cellular transport systems.

- Bramsh Khan (Ph.D. in social science) delved into gendered infrastructure violence in Balochistan, Pakistan.

- Mary Theresa Pagan (Ph.D. in sociology) examined the roles of care work and social support in widows' physical activity.

- Sarah Nahar (Ph.D. in religion) proposed sustainable waste management practices.

- Ratnakshi Mandal (Ph.D. in chemical engineering) investigated Alzheimer's and memory loss.

- Abigail Helen Long (Ph.D. in composition and cultural rhetoric) addressed writing teachers' access needs.

- Nghia Le Ba Thai (Ph.D. in bioengineering) presented an artificial matrix for chronic wounds.

- Paul Sagoe (Ph.D. in biomedical engineering) discussed the potential of nanoparticles in treating arthritis.

- Qingyang Liu (Ph.D. in human development and family science) focused on early material hardship and children’s self-regulation.

Matthew Carr, Davoud Mozhdehi, and Sylvia Sierra served as judges for the 3MT event, which was moderated by Glenn Wright. This competition, originally developed at the University of Queensland in Australia, is now a global phenomenon held at various colleges and universities.