Three-Minute Thesis Competition

3MT at UMD

What is 3MT®?

The 3-Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition founded by the University of Queensland that challenges graduate students to communicate the significance of their independent projects without the use of props or industry jargon, in just three minutes. The exercise develops academic, presentation, and research communication skills and enhances the capacity of research students to explain their work to a non-specialist audience and to leave their audience wanting to know more. Presenting in a 3MT competition cultivates grad students’ academic, presentation, and research communication skills. Competitive participants have a well-conceived research project, compelling data collected, and a novel story to share.

2023 Competition

UMD held its third annual 3MT Competition on Friday, October 20, 2023.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 3MT@UMD Competition!

• Anuj Kumar Singh (Chemistry) - Winner
• Ross Brink (Chemistry) - Runner Up
• Anuj Kumar Singh (Chemistry) - People's Choice

Anuj Kumar Singh will represent UMD at the 2023 3MT System-wide Competition, which takes place on Friday, November 10 at the Coffman Memorial Union Theater on the Twin Cities campus.

Thank you to our 2023 Judges:

• Elizabeth Boileau, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Human Sciences
• Aaron Boyson, Associate Professor and Department Head, Department of Communication
• Alec Habig, Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy

2022 Competition

UMD held its third annual 3MT Competition on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 3MT@UMD Competition!

• Vishruthi Manickavasagan (Civil Engineering) - Winner
• Pranav Sharma (Civil Engineering) - Runner Up
• Vishruthi Manickavasagan (Civil Engineering) - People's Choice

Vishruthi Manickavasagan represented UMD at the 2022 3MT System-wide Competition, which took place on Friday, November 11 at the Coffman Union Theater on the Twin Cities campus.  Please view: Vishruthi Manickavasagan's presentation or all of the 2022 presentations.

Thank you to our 2022 Judges:

• Erik Brown, Associate Vice Chancellor, UMD Graduate School
• Kim Habig, Staff, UMD Graduate School
• Krista Twu, Associate Professor and Department Head, Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies
• Ariuna Taivan, Associate Professor and MBA Director of Graduate Studies, Department of Economics

2021 Competition

The system-wide contest took place on Friday, November 12, 2021 on the Twin Cities campus. Local rounds took place the week of October 18. UMD was represented by Katie Cassidy, Water Resources Science MS student. To view Katie Cassidy and the other 2021 competitors' presentations: 3MT 2021.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 3MT@UMD Competition!

• Katie Cassidy (Water Resources Science) - Winner
• Erin Bergen (Integrated Biosciences) - Runner Up
• Katie Cassidy (Water Resources Science) - People's Choice

Thank you to our 2021 judges:

• David Gore, Professor & Department Head, Department of Communication
• Kim Habig, Staff, UMD Graduate Office
• John Hatcher, Associate Professor, Department of Communication
• Jennifer Liang, Professor, Department of Biology & Director of Graduate Studies, Integrated Biosciences Program

2020 Competition

The 2020 UMN Systemwide 3MT competition was held on Friday, November 13. The UMD competition is hosted each fall, and the winner represents UMD at the systemwide competition.

2019 Competition

The inaugural UMD 3MT competition took place in spring 2019, culminating with the final round on April 30th. The runner-up of the event, Gills Fai, presented his talk to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents on June 13th, 2019.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2019 3MT@UMD Competition!

• Kirsten Rhude (Water Resources Science) - Winner
• Gills Fai (Mechanical Engineering) - Runner-Up
• Kirsten Rhude (Water Resources Science) - People's Choice

And Congratulations to the 2019 Finalists!

• Alejandro Fernandez (Geology)
• Emilie Richard (Geology)
• Caro Shull (Water Resources Science)
• Daniel Zoltek (Chemistry)

Thank you to our 2019 judges:

• Scott Lanyon, Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Education
• John Dowling, Director, Sea Grant College Program
• David Gore, Associate Professor & Department Head, Department of Communication
• Jennifer Liang, Associate Professor, Department of Biology & Director of Graduate Studies, Integrated Biosciences Program

Eligibility:

Master’s and doctoral students active in UMD and University-wide programs are eligible to participate in UMD’s 3MT® competition. UMD winners will have opportunities to advance to the UMN Systemwide competition and/or to bring their presentation to the UMN Board of Regents.

Questions? Contact the UMD Graduate School Office at [email protected].