2019 Three Minute Thesis® Competition

Overview

Founded by The University of Queensland in 2008.

Competitions are now held at over 200 universities and colleges across Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Europe, New Zealand, Asia Pacific, Central and South America, and Middle East.

Competitors have 3 minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance.

Competitors must consolidate their ideas and research discoveries so they can be presented concisely to a non-specialist audience.

Eligibility

Any doctoral candidate (Ph.D. or Ed.D.) enrolled at Ohio University that has been admitted to candidacy (e.g., passed comprehensive exams) and whose culminating project is a research-based dissertation.

Must be enrolled as a student during the semester in which the competition takes place
Cannot already have defended his or her dissertation

Any masters candidate enrolled at Ohio University that has completed significant work toward his or her culminating project

Must be enrolled as a student during the semester in which the competition takes place

All participants must be available to participate in one of the semi-final rounds (either Monday, February 11, 2019 OR Wednesday, February 13, 2019) AND the final round, Tuesday, February 19, 2019.

Rules

A single static PowerPoint slide is permitted (no slide transitions, animation, or ‘movement’ of any kind); the slide must be presented from the beginning of the oration.
No additional electronic media is permitted.
No additional props are permitted.
Presentations are limited to 3 minutes; competitors exceeding this time limit will be disqualified.
Presentations are spoken word only.
The decision of the adjudicating panel is final.

Judging Criteria

Comprehension & Content

Did the presentation:
- Provide an understanding of the background of the research question being addressed and its significance?
- Clearly describe the key results of the research including conclusions and outcomes?
- Follow a clear and logical sequence?
Were the thesis topic, key results and research significance and outcomes communicated in language appropriate to a non-specialist audience?
Did the presenter:
- Avoid scientific jargon?
- Explain terminology?
- Provide adequate background information to illustrate points?
Did the presenter spend adequate time on each element of the presentation, or did he or she elaborate for too long on one aspect, or was the presentation rushed?

Engagement

Did the oration make the audience want to know more? Was the presenter careful not to trivialize or generalize the research?
Did the presenter:
- Convey enthusiasm for the research?
- Capture and maintain the audience’s attention?
- Have sufficient stage presence, eye contact and vocal range?
- Maintain a steady pace and have a confident stance?
Did the PowerPoint slide enhance the presentation? Was it clear, legible, and concise?

Awards and Prizes

Cash prizes* awarded to:

1st place ($300)
2nd place ($200)
3rd place ($100)
People’s Choice ($100)

All participants will receive a t-shirt.

Format

Semi-finals

Monday, February 11, 2019 at 7 P.M. AND
Wednesday, February 13, 2019 at 7 P.M.

Finals

Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at 7 P.M.

Deadlines

Registration Deadline - Friday, January 25, 2019 at the following website: 2019 Ohio University Three Minute Thesis® Competition Registration
Slide Submission - Friday, February 8, 2019 at the following website: 2019 Ohio University Three Minute Thesis® Competition PowerPoint Slide Submission

The winners and judges of the 3MT competition from left to right: Elizabeth P. Sayrs, Cassandra Thompson, Kelee Riesbeck, Sharif Wahab, Joseph C. Shields, Silvana Duran Ortiz and Steve Patterson.

Useful Resources

Videos of the 2018 Ohio University Three Minute Thesis® Competition winning presentations can be viewed on the Ohio University YouTube site. To view, click here.

Videos of the 2017 Ohio University Three Minute Thesis® Competition winning presentations can be viewed on the Ohio University YouTube site. To view, click here.

To help you prepare your slide, watch a short video prepared by Sean McGraw, the 2016 Ohio University Three Minute Thesis® Competition winner. To view, click here.

**2018 Winners**
Award	Name	Title of Presentation	College	Program
1st Place	Silvana Duran Ortiz	Can we extend life- and health-span by decreasing Growth hormone action?	College of Arts and Sciences	Molecular and Cellular Biology
2nd Place	Cassandra Thompson	Withering Waters and Teetering Temperatures: How one frog copes with pool permanency	College of Arts and Sciences	Biological Sciences
3rd Place	Sharif Wahab	Effectiveness of Online Portal for Climate Adaptation Knowledge Diffusion	Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs	Environmental Studies
People's Choice - Doctoral Student	Silvana Duran Ortiz	Can we extend life- and health-span by decreasing Growth hormone action?	College of Arts and Sciences	Molecular and Cellular Biology
People's Choice - Master's Student	Sharif Wahab	Effectiveness of Online Portal for Climate Adaptation Knowledge Diffusion	Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs	Environmental Studies

**2018 Finalists**
3 MT Finalist	Master's or Doctoral Student	Title	College and Program
Silvana Duran Ortiz	Doctoral Student	Can we extend life- and health-span by decreasing Growth hormone action?	College of Arts and Sciences Molecular and Cellular Biology
Basil Masri Zada	Doctoral Student	Practices of Everyday Life and the Syrian Body in Syrian art of the Syrian Crisis since 2011	College of Fine Arts Interdisciplinary Arts
Mersad Raeisi	Doctoral Student	Chemistry that Self-assembles	College of Arts and Sciences Chemistry
Ali Rafiei Miandashti	Doctoral Student	Small Gold Structures for Treatment of Cancer	College of Arts and Sciences Chemistry
Pratik Shriwas	Doctoral Student	Glucose-uptake inhibition: A novel way to starve cancer to death	College of Arts and Sciences Biological Sciences
Sk Abu Talha	Master's Student	Evaluation of Bond Strength of Micro-surfacing Mixes with and without Tack Coat	Russ College of Engineering and Technology Civil Engineering
Cassandra Thompson	Master's Student	Withering Waters and Teetering Temperatures: How one frog copes with pool permanency	College of Arts and Sciences Biological Sciences
Sharif Wahab	Master's Student	Effectiveness of Online Portal for Climate Adaptation Knowledge Diffusion	Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs Environmental Studies