Silver-tongued graduate students compete in聽"Three Minute Thesis" talks.
In three minutes flat, Hannah Glick (SLHSci鈥12; PhD鈥19) breezed through six years of her doctoral research on hearing loss, convincing a roomful of spectators to get their ears tested ASAP. Her only prop was a single PowerPoint slide showing an ear and a hearing aid.
鈥淲e disregard [hearing loss] as a normal part of aging, and young people don鈥檛 do a good job protecting themselves,鈥 said Glick, the PhD candidate who won CU鈥檚 second annual 鈥淭hree Minute Thesis鈥 contest, or 鈥3MT,鈥 in February. 鈥淲e need to put hearing healthcare higher up on the health priority list.鈥
Even mild hearing loss can compromise cognition and emotional health, she explained. But Glick has found that outfitting hearing-impaired adults with hearing aids can help reverse these other effects.
Founded in Australia in 2008, 3MT challenges young scholars to explain their work quickly in simple, jargon-free terms with a single graphic aid. Now, over 600 universities across 65 countries participate. This was CU鈥檚 second year.
Judges evaluate contestants based on their ability to engage listeners in the topic聽 and convey the value of their research. A doctoral candidate in audiology, cognitive science, and speech, language and hearing, Glick wowed judges and audience alike, walking away with the 鈥淧eople鈥檚 Choice鈥 award and the firstplace prize, taking home $2,000.
Runner-up Luke Bury (PhDAeroEngr鈥21) talked about engineering space landings and exploring the subsurface oceans of Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter.
He earned $750. In all, 11 students made the final round, from an original pool of 28. The candidates participated in a series of fall workshops organized by CU鈥檚 Graduate School, honing their presentations and polishing their oratory.
Glick also did a lot of rehearsing in front of the mirror. If she wins the regional 3MT contest in Arizona in March, she鈥檒l proceed to nationals.
Besides refining her communications skills, Glick said, 3MT opened her eyes to the breadth and impact of her fellow CU students鈥 work: 鈥淧eople are working on some really cool stuff.鈥
Photo courtesy Hannah Glick
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