Twelve graduate students from Stony Brook University participated in the university's annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition held on March 28. Sai Abasolo, a doctoral candidate in biomedical engineering, emerged as the winner after a competitive event. The 3MT competition offers graduate students the chance to present their dissertation research clearly and concisely in just three minutes using one PowerPoint slide.
Originating from The University of Queensland in Australia, the 3MT competition aims to enhance students' communication skills, encouraging them to present complex research in an engaging manner while avoiding technical jargon. The audience gets a glimpse into the research being conducted by students in various disciplines, gaining insight into future advancements in research, design, and innovation.
Participants receive coaching from research communication experts, drawing on techniques from the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science. Celia Marshik, dean of The Graduate School, expressed her enjoyment of the event and gratitude towards students who communicate their research to a general audience. "It’s always such a joy to hear about the amazing research that our graduate students and postdocs are doing on this campus," she remarked.
Abasolo's winning presentation, "Growing Bones: Body Not Included," focused on her research in tissue engineering. Abasolo plans to pursue a career in regenerative medicine as an industry scientist/engineer. "I feel very proud to have won," she said, emphasizing the excitement of sharing her work with an interested audience.
Abasolo also received the People's Choice award, while Maryam Azmi, a doctoral candidate in genetics, was named runner-up with her presentation "Shrinking Brain’s Superheroes." Azmi found the experience exhilarating and appreciated the audience's engagement with her work.
Antonio Novaes, a postdoctoral associate in the Agrawal Lab, won the Postdoc Spotlight. Novaes described the experience as "incredibly rewarding," reinforcing his confidence and belief in his capabilities.
Carl Lejuez, Stony Brook’s executive vice president and provost, highlighted the importance of seizing opportunities to communicate research effectively. "This event is a great example of an opportunity to do that," he said.
Molly Lotz, director of research training initiatives at the Graduate School, praised the transformation of students' presentations through coaching and the support they provided to one another. "All of the speakers did a phenomenal job of distilling their research findings," she noted.
– Robert Emproto