Top grad students compete in 3MT finals

Thursday, March 3, 2016

The Oklahoma State University Graduate College will host its fourth Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) finals competition today for graduate students presenting their master’s and Ph.D. thesis.

Dr. Ken Clinkenbeard, associate dean of the Graduate College and the 3MT® organizer, notes that since the inaugural competition at OSU in 2013, the interest of students to participate has increased from 40 students in 2013 to 148. 

3MT® is designed to teach students the important skill of explaining how their graduate discipline is relevant to addressing societal needs to audiences outside their field of study. The first 3MT® was held in 2008 at the University of Queensland in Australia, and since then the competition has spread to colleges and universities around the world.

“Our colleges are very supportive of the goal of the 3MT®,” Clinkenbeard said. “Students acquire the skill of learning to communicate in a concise and engaging manner what they do as researchers and its relevance to the public good.”

The challenge lies in the students’ ability to present their research to a general audience in less than three minutes using only one PowerPoint slide. Students are judged on their communication style, comprehension of material and engagement with the audience. The winner receives $1,000 and will represent OSU at a regional 3MT® competition. Second- and third-place students win $750 and $500 respectively, and the People’s Choice Award winner takes home $1,000.

Today’s finals begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Theater. Presentations are open to the public, who are encouraged to vote for their favorite People’s Choice Award presentation. For more information, visit https://gradcollege.okstate.edu/3MT-Finalists-Presentations.

The Graduate College would also like to extend an invitation to the first Presidential Fellows Three Minute Challenge, a competition in which the finalists and the People’s Choice winners from both the 3MT® and OSU’s original Three Minute Presentation will compete against each other April 14 at 3:30 p.m. in the Student Union Theater.

Story by Taylor Young

PHOTOS: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ostatenews/albums/72157663032377293