Jennifer Gilby, M.S. in Bioinformatics student, was selected as the first-place winner in the 2023 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition on Nov. 17 for the presentation titled Metagenomic Analysis of Non-Human Pathogens in North Carolina Wastewater.
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) is an academic research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia that challenges graduate students to succinctly summarize their research for a non-specialist audience in three minutes or less. 3MT is a key element in preparing graduate students to communicate for success in their chosen career pursuits. This year’s competition was generously sponsored by Raju Law.
Jennifer Gilby, M.S. in Bioinformatics student and Three Minute Thesis first-place winner, presents.
Also taking honors in the 3MT finals were:
- Brent Reed, Ph.D. in Organizational Science student, received second place for Ups and Downs: Daily Challenges at the Intersection of Work and Health
- Allison Stadick, Ph.D. in Nanoscale Science student, received third place for Killing Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria with Light-Activated Magnetic Metal Nanoparticles
Brent Reed, Ph.D. in Organizational Science student
Allison Stadick, Ph.D. in Nanoscale Science student
This year’s People’s Choice Award went to Nneka Ubi, M.S. in Construction & Facilities Engineering student, for Money Matter$: Analyzing the Salaries of US Facility Managers.
Ten finalists were selected from the 79 students who participated in the competition's preliminary round. Other finalists included:
- Andrew Dunphy, Ph.D. in Biology student
- Substance P: The Instigator of Brain Inflammation
- Matthew Gerson, Ph.D. Organizational Science student
- Weight-Based Meta-Stereotypes and Stereotype Threat Predict Negative Workplace Outcomes: Ramifications for Overweight and Obese Employees
- Tanner Hardy, M.S. in Economics student
- Art for Money: Why Florence was the Center of Art in the Renaissance
- Alisa Hutagalung, M.S. in Bioinformatics student
- Comparative Embryology of the Specialized Nasal Turbinals of Chiroptera
- Amit Kumar, Ph.D. in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems (INES) student
- Comparative Analysis of Mental Workload and Varying Levels of Stress in Construction Workers in Building versus Highway Construction Environment
- Woheeb Muhammad Saeed, Ph.D. Optical Science & Engineering student
- Journey to Affordable Surgeries
2023 3MT Finalists
This year’s competition was judged by community partners across several industries:
- Susan Clifford, Head of Human Resources for Commercial Businesses, Equitable
- Erin Katzner, President & CEO, Carolina Raptor Center
- Aida Miros, Senior Manager of Data Science, Lowe’s
- Sen. Mujtaba A. Mohammed '08, North Carolina State Senator
Pictured Left to Right: Katherine Hall-Hertel, Erin Katzner, Aida Miros, Interim Dean Pinku Mukherjee, Susan Clifford, Sen. Mujtaba A. Mohammed '08
In support of research communications, UNC Charlotte was awarded a three-year National Science Foundation Innovations in Graduate Education grant of approximately $500,000 to explore best practices in training STEM graduate students to communicate their research to non-specialist audiences.
Graduate students who take on 3MT have an opportunity to participate in personal coaching and instruction on public presentations through the Thomas L. Reynolds Center for Graduate Life and Learning.
A recording of the 2023 event is available on the Reynolds Center for Graduate Life and Learning’s YouTube channel.