Three Minute Thesis

Meet 3MT Finalist Casey Hunt

Cay Leytham-Powell — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:36:11 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Casey Hunt Cay Leytham-Powell Thu, 01/23/2025 - 07:36

The 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

That’s the question eleven graduate students will be wrestling with as part of the Graduate School’s eighth annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, which will be held in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom on Feb. 13, 2025, from 4 to 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.

This event challenges students to explain their thesis to the general public. They are then evaluated by a panel of judges from across the university and local community, including Waleed Abdalati, executive director of the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and professor of geography; Jared Bahir Browsh, director of critical sports studies and an assistant teaching professor; Sonia DeLuca Fernández, senior vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion; and Aaron Brockett, City of �鶹ӰԺ mayor.

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today is Casey Hunt, a doctoral candidate in the ATLAS Institute, specializing in human-robot interaction and participatory design. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Building a Shared Future: A Toolkit for Collaborative Robot Design.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

My work explores how to design prototyping materials to help non-engineers meaningfully contribute their expertise and perspective during the design of robots.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

After being part of the development of bespoke hardware and software for a cancer research startup, I became aware of the challenges of these processes. I became interested in representing the voices of users and navigating tradeoffs in technology development.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I love listening and collaborating with people. Everyone has really interesting and impactful ideas about the future of technology, I love hearing these ideas and providing a platform that allows these ideas to be shared.

What did you do before coming to CU �鶹ӰԺ for graduate school?

Quality assurance and quality control in the pharmaceutical industry.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

Crochet, hiking, camping, cooking and gardening.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

When I was in high school, I saw Earth Wind and Fire live in concert five times at various music festivals in Colorado and Wyoming.

Casey Hunt is one of eleven people competing in the 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition, which will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Heiko Kabutz

Cay Leytham-Powell — Wed, 22 Jan 2025 14:26:57 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Heiko Kabutz Cay Leytham-Powell Wed, 01/22/2025 - 07:26

The 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today’s is Heiko Kabutz, a doctoral candidate in mechanical engineering, specializing in robotics. His 3MT presentation’s title is, “Enhancing Locomotion through Shape Morphing in Insect Robots.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

I research how locomotion in confined spaces by robotic systems can be enhanced through the development of shape-morphing insect-scale robots capable of omnidirectional terrain-adaptation.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

I like robots.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I get to play with robots and animals.

What did you do before coming to CU �鶹ӰԺ for graduate school?

Study and build robots in my free time.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

Downhill unicycling and white-water kayaking.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I have unicycled down every outdoor stair set with at least 3 steps, a total of 456 stair sets, on the �鶹ӰԺ campus.

Heiko Kabutz is one of eleven people competing in the 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition, which will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Heather Kenny-Duddela

Cay Leytham-Powell — Tue, 21 Jan 2025 14:32:50 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Heather Kenny-Duddela Cay Leytham-Powell Tue, 01/21/2025 - 07:32

The 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today’s is Heather Kenny-Duddela, a doctoral candidate in ecology and evolutionary biology, specializing in the behavioral ecology of birds. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Feathered Flings: The Dating Lives of Barn Swallows.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

I seek to understand how movement behavior and social interactions contribute to the process of mate choice in barn swallows.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

I enjoy being outside and observing animals in their natural habitats. I think it is fascinating to try and understand the lives and behaviors of animals. I became interested in birds after taking an ornithology class in undergrad, and I enjoy the process of studying wild birds, working together with a research team, and discovering new information about how the world works.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I love getting to handle barn swallows and see them up close. This type of interaction gives me so much appreciation for wildlife and motivates me to help protect wild birds.

What did you do before coming to CU �鶹ӰԺ for graduate school?

I received a Master's degree in Biology from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where I studied the response of bluebirds to experimental traffic noise. Before starting my graduate studies, I held several research positions including as the lab manager of a frog research lab in Washington state, and a post-bac researcher at the Archbold Biological Station in central Florida.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

Outside of work, I enjoy playing Ultimate Frisbee, doing Zumba and salsa dancing, and hiking. I also like reading fantasy and sci-fi novels.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

My husband is from south India and his first language is Telugu. I'm working on learning Telugu so that I can speak with his mom and other relatives who still live in India.

Heather Kenny-Duddela is one of eleven people competing in the 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition, which will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Anna Deese

Cay Leytham-Powell — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 14:27:53 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Anna Deese Cay Leytham-Powell Thu, 01/16/2025 - 07:27

The 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today’s is Anna Deese, a doctoral candidate in education policy, specializing in school district governance. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Fixing the problems of local control.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

The local control of American school districts is generally a pretty nifty thing but has long been used to hurt minoritized racial groups; I'd like to fix that.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

My experience as an elected board member was amazing, but brought up a lot of questions about my role—was I serving the students or the community? Did that role change based on the issues we were discussing? There are a lot of materials out there that try to help school board members do their jobs well, but I kept wondering who defined what a "good job" was, and what students were best served by this "good" job.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I get to live my values with this research. And I get to make maps.

What did you do before coming to CU �鶹ӰԺ for graduate school?

As a "mature" student, I have had a lot of different experiences—I served in the Army National Guard, worked as a management consultant, taught high school science in Chicago and Oregon, and helped run a company focused on the professional development of teachers. I also served as an elected school board member in Montana and have my principal's licensure.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

I'm a mother so that takes up a lot of time—and i enjoy it. I like to read mystery/thriller stories.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

Two related things folks should know about me: My blood type is B+. And I'm very clumsy. Folks in the front row should look out.

Anna Deese is one of eleven people competing in the 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition, which will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Casey Middleton

Cay Leytham-Powell — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 15:03:50 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Casey Middleton Cay Leytham-Powell Wed, 01/15/2025 - 08:03

The 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today’s is Casey Middleton, a doctoral candidate in computer science, specializing in infectious disease modeling. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

I use math to understand how we can control the spread of infectious diseases.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

Computer science offers a flexible program to develop many computational tools to answer scientific questions!

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I spend every day doing work that can create a world with less sickness and death.

What did you do before coming to CU �鶹ӰԺ for graduate school?

Housing policy analyst, Zumba teacher, pharmacy technician, high school geometry teacher.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

I love rock climbing, trail running, downhill and backcountry skiing, embroidery, and sewing!

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I can doggy paddle super fast.

Casey Middleton is one of eleven people competing in the 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition, which will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Meet 3MT Finalist Aoife Henry

Cay Leytham-Powell — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 14:21:15 +0000

Meet 3MT Finalist Aoife Henry Cay Leytham-Powell Mon, 01/13/2025 - 07:21

The 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

What is the best way to distill a multitude of information into just three minutes?

In the days leading up to the event, we’ll feature each of the competitors. Today’s is Aoife Henry, a doctoral candidate in electrical, computer and energy engineering, specializing in forecast-enabled wind farm control. Her 3MT presentation’s title is, “Directing Turbine with Foresight: The Shepard and the Sheepdog find a Crystal Ball.”

If you had to describe your research in one sentence, what would you say?

Directing turbines in a wind farm in a way that is adaptable to unpredictable and varying wind conditions and can produce the most overall wind farm power, as well as satisfying other objectives e.g. reducing damage, cooperating with the grid, coordinating with energy storage systems such as batteries etc.

What led you to pursue your doctoral degree in your field of study?

A series of happy accidents—completed my Master's thesis at CU �鶹ӰԺ in the pre-vaccine pandemic days as part of the Colorado-Europe Exchange program, my thesis supervisor convinced me to come back for graduate school, and my current supervisor, Lucy, happened to have an opening for me. I'd wanted to work for NREL for sometime and live somewhere amenable to running, so I had my eye on �鶹ӰԺ for a while.

What is your favorite thing about the research you do?

I love coding and I love working with brilliant people at NREL and beyond who are enthusiastic to share their wisdom and practice their skills for the greater good.

What did you do before coming to CU �鶹ӰԺ for graduate school?

A lot of biking and studying in Zurich.

What are your hobbies/what do you enjoy doing outside of your academic work?

I run most days and now and again I do standup comedy.

Tell us a random fact about yourself

I speak the barely alive language of Irish Gaelic, because my Dad has always been an enthusiast and spoke it to us growing up. When I was a child, I also spoke the virtually dead language of Scots Gaelic, because the same father put us in Gaelic-speaking schools where we grew up in Edinburgh. The benefit of this is that I can safely speak in private to my father and a select few friends in any public setting.

Aoife Henry is one of eleven people competing in the 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition, which will be held Feb. 13, from 4 to 6 p.m.

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Save the date for the 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition, Feb. 13

Cay Leytham-Powell — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 14:31:38 +0000

Save the date for the 2025 Three Minute Thesis final competition, Feb. 13 Cay Leytham-Powell Wed, 12/18/2024 - 07:31

This annual event, which showcases graduate students' ability to distill their nine-hour thesis down to three minutes, returns to campus

If you go

Who: Everyone
What: Three Minute Thesis final competition
When: Feb. 13, 4 to 6 p.m.
Where: Glenn Miller Ballroom (UMC)

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, an annual tradition that celebrates graduate students while they explain their thesis research in three minutes or less, will take place on Feb. 13, 2025, from 4 to 6 p.m., in the University Memorial Center’s Glenn Miller Ballroom.

Eleven students will be competing in this event, which is free and open to the public, but registration is required. This year’s competitors include:

Anna Deese, educational foundations, policy and practice
Celeste Guiles, aerospace engineering
Aoife Henry, electrical, computer and energy engineering
Casey Hunt, ATLAS Institute
Heiko Kabutz, mechanical engineering
Heather Kenny-Duddela, ecology and evolutionary biology
Casey Middleton, computer science
Nandi Pointer, media studies
Hunter Ray, aerospace engineering
Anna Turner, media studies
Marwa Yacouti, aerospace engineering

The 3MT event began in 2008 when the state of Queensland, Australia, suffered from a severe drought. To conserve water, residents were encouraged to time their showers, and many people had a three-minute egg timer fixed to the wall in their bathroom. The then-Dean of the University of Queensland Graduate School, Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson, decided to apply the same approach with his students in a first of its kind competition.

3MT challenges graduate students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. To prepare, beginning last fall, 31 students were asked to participate in a series of workshops focusing on storytelling, writing, presentation skills and improv comedy techniques. They then held a preliminary competition for the 16 remaining and whittled the competition down to eleven finalists.

The graduate students competing during this year’s 3MT finals will be evaluated by a panel of judges on their comprehension, content, engagement and communication. Judges this year include Waleed Abdalati, executive director of the Cooperative Institute for Research In Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and professor of geography; Jared Bahir Browsh, director of critical sports studies and an assistant teaching professor; Sonia DeLuca Fernández, senior vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion; and Aaron Brockett, City of �鶹ӰԺ mayor.

The winner of the competition will receive $1,500 in prize money and will have the chance to compete at the state and regional competitions as the �鶹ӰԺ’s representative. The runner-up and the People’s Choice winner, voted on by the live audience, will also receive funding.

More information about the competition is available on the Three Minute Thesis web page.

This annual event, which showcases graduate student’s ability to distill their nine-hour thesis down to three minutes, returns to campus.

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2024 Three Minute Thesis competition application now open

Cay Leytham-Powell — Thu, 12 Sep 2024 21:05:03 +0000

2024 Three Minute Thesis competition application now open Cay Leytham-Powell Thu, 09/12/2024 - 15:05

The application for the Three Minute Thesis competition is now open for interested doctoral students.

3MT is an academic competition that challenges students to summarize their thesis in three minutes for a general audience and a panel of judges, who rate their performance. The three winners of the competition, along with a people’s choice winner, receive prize money, with the first-place recipient receiving $1,500 and a chance to represent the university at the regional, national and international competitions.

To participate, you must be a CU �鶹ӰԺ doctoral student admitted to candidacy by December 1, 2024, and be enrolled for spring 2025 and expect to graduate in May 2025 or later. Graduates or alumni are not eligible. The deadline for registering is Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 11:59 p.m. 

Application closes Oct. 1

Apply Here

“Amazing research happens every day by graduate students, but it often flies under the radar. The Three Minute Thesis competition is an opportunity to showcase that creative and innovative work and the talented students that make it happen,” Scott Adler, the dean of the Graduate School, said previously.

The 3MT event began in 2008 when the state of Queensland, Australia, suffered from a severe drought. To conserve water, residents were encouraged to time their showers, and many people had a three-minute egg timer fixed to the wall in their bathroom. The then-dean of the University of Queensland Graduate School, Emeritus Professor Alan Lawson, decided to apply the same approach with his students in a first of its kind competition.

It has since spread across the globe, including to CU �鶹ӰԺ.

Prior to CU �鶹ӰԺ’s competition, which takes place every February and is one of the Graduate School’s signature events, students participate in a series of workshops to improve their presentation and research communication skills, helping them to effectively (and succinctly) explain the significance of their research. These workshops also provide a chance for students to forge connections within a like-minded cohort from across the disciplines.

One such workshop or presentation scheduled for this year, among others discussing things like storytelling framework and improvisation techniques, is an exclusive talk by international 3MT winner, and Marvin H. Caruthers Endowed Chair for Early-Career Faculty Assistant Professor Samuel Ramsey on science communication. Watch Dr. Sammy’s winning 3MT presentation here.

For more information, including seeing the past winners, refer to the 3MT website. For all other questions, contact Hailey Herman at hailey.herman@colorado.edu.

Interested doctoral students must register by Oct. 1 to participate in this signature event.

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Student competing during the 2023-24 3MT Final Competition. Photograph by Casey Cass/�鶹ӰԺ.

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Zach Schiffman wins Colorado Three Minute Thesis competition

Cay Leytham-Powell — Tue, 21 May 2024 21:53:13 +0000

Zach Schiffman wins Colorado Three Minute Thesis competition Cay Leytham-Powell Tue, 05/21/2024 - 15:53

CU �鶹ӰԺ doctoral student takes first prize in state 3MT competition for presentation on the urea molecule

Zach Schiffman, a doctoral candidate in chemistry, beat out participating universities within Colorado to win the state Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition last month. He won with his presentation, “The Urea Molecule: From Fertilizer . . . to Climate Change?”

This is the second win for Schiffman, who took first prize in the Graduate School’s annual 3MT competition earlier this year. As part of his winnings, he was then invited to represent the university at both the regional (Western Region of Graduate Schools) and state (Colorado Council of Graduate Schools) competitions.

The 3MT event, which began at the University of Queensland in 2008, challenges graduate students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience. To prepare, CU �鶹ӰԺ graduate students participate in a series of workshops focusing on storytelling, writing, presentation skills and improvisation comedy techniques. The Graduate School then holds a preliminary competition to whittle down the competition to ten finalists, who participate in the final competition at the beginning of February.

More information about the 3MT competition, including how to get involved in the 2024–25 school year, is available on the 3MT webpage.

CU �鶹ӰԺ doctoral student takes first prize in state 3MT competition for presentation on the urea molecule.

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Announcing the 2024 Three Minute Thesis Winners

Cay Leytham-Powell — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 21:57:29 +0000

Announcing the 2024 Three Minute Thesis Winners Cay Leytham-Powell Fri, 02/09/2024 - 14:57

Ten students participated in this year’s final competition for a chance at prize money and a chance to represent CU �鶹ӰԺ at the regional competition.

Environmental advertising, the mental health toll of being a drone pilot, and accessible robot building were a few of the topics presented during the seventh annual Three Minute Thesis Competition on Feb. 7, 2024.

This event challenges graduate students to craft a three-minute elevator pitch for their complex—and sometimes difficult to make sense of—research in a way that even an everyday person could understand.

This year, the ten competitors did just that to a packed Glenn Miller Ballroom and a panel of judges, which included Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell. The judges then evaluated the competitors on comprehension, content, engagement and communication.

“The Three Minute Thesis competition is one of my favorite Graduate School events for many reasons, and this year was no exception,” said Scott Adler, dean of the Graduate School. “It is of vital importance that the public understand the valuable work that graduate students are doing every day, and how it can impact them in lasting and positive ways, and this event does just that. Every year I am amazed and inspired by the incredible research that our students are doing, it makes me very proud to be dean of the Graduate School.”

The 2024 winners are:

First Place

Zach Schiffman, chemistry, The Urea Molecule: From Fertilizer… to Climate Change?

Second Place

Spencer Zeigler, geological sciences, The Missing Pages of Earth History

People’s Choice

Aaquib Tabrez, computer science, Building Trust & Reliance in Human-Machine Teams via Transparent Algorithms

Schiffman will receive $1500 in prize money and will represent CU �鶹ӰԺ at the Western Association of Graduate Schools competition. Zeigler and Tabrez will receive $750 and $500 in research funds, respectively.

Judges for this year’s event were College of Arts and Sciences Dean Glen Krutz, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences Associate Dean Charles Musgraves, Professor of Sociology Lori Hunter, and Nobel Laureate Eric Cornell. Bud Coleman, Roe Green endowed chair in theatre, was the event’s emcee.

More information about the 2025 Three Minute Thesis Competition will be available on the Three Minute Thesis competition web page this fall.

Ten students participated in this year’s final competition for a chance at prize money and a chance to represent CU �鶹ӰԺ at the regional competition.

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First place winner Zach Schiffman giving his presentation. Photo by Patrick Campbell/�鶹ӰԺ.