OSU hosts its first 3MP competition finals
Monday, November 16, 2015
The Oklahoma State University Graduate College hosted its first Three Minute Presentation (3MP) competition finals for non-thesis master’s, education specialist and graduate certificate students Nov. 12 in the Student Union Theatre. Raghav Nargotra, a master’s student in management information systems, was awarded first place and $1,000 for his presentation on how data analysis is changing the future.
The 3MP competition is unique to OSU’s Graduate College. OSU is the first university to start a 3MP competition for students not eligible to compete in the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®).
Dr. Ken Clinkenbeard, associate dean of the Graduate College and the 3MP organizer, welcomed approximately 175 people to the competition. Audience members ranged from faculty and curious graduate students to family supporters of the competitors.
Along with Nargota, finalists included Autumn Zong, a master’s student in environmental sciences, who was awarded second place and $750 for her electronic recycling presentation; Monika Ambadi, a master’s student in management information systems, was awarded third place and $500 for her business intelligence presentation. Rajest Tolety, who’s earning a master’s in management information systems, engaged the audience with his presentation about predictive analytics, which earned him the People’s Choice Award and $1,000.
Lindsey Corbit, a graduate student in the School of Media & Strategic Communication, said she attended the competition to see what it was all about as she gears up to begin her own research.
“It was really interesting to hear the various presentation topics,” Corbit said. “I really enjoyed the competition.”
The judges: Cinthya L. Allen, area manager-external affairs for AT&T Corporate, Pam Ehlers, director of OSU Career Services, David Pitts, senior vice president of Stillwater National Bank & Trust, Mackenzie Wilfong, associate counsel for the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents, and Stillwater Mayor Gina Noble critiqued the competitors in the categories of communication, comprehension and engagement.
Dr. Clinkenbeard concluded the competition with an invitation to attend the university’s first Presidential Fellows Three Minute Challenge, a competition in which the finalists and the People’s Choice winners from both the 3MT and 3MP will compete against each other April 14.
Story by Taylor Nicole Young