Three Minute Thesis Competition

The Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) is an exciting, fast-paced event showcasing the research of graduate students across campus. Each scholar is given three minutes to present their research displayed to the audience and judging panel in a single presentation slide. The competition boasts cash prizes for winners in each category.

You'll be amazed at what these scholars can fit into a three-minute presentation. You don't want to miss this competition!

The 2023 competition will be hosted in the Spring semester with two preliminary rounds in March and the finals in April. See application, prize and deadline information.

One of our past winners, Robert del Carlo, was recently featured in the Nevada Silver & Blue Magazine. Read the article. In addition, our 2022 3MT winner, Jennifer Heppner, won third place at the regional 3MT competition held at the 2023 Western Association of Graduate Schools annual conference. 

Learn more about our competition

 

2022-2023 Finalists and winners

3MT winners posing as a group with large checksKeely Rodgriguez, Kendra Isable, Candi Block, Isabel Penaloza, Fatema Azmee, Yu Rong and Justice Best are pictured above.

Doctoral category

Winners:


FIRST PLACE: Kendra Isable
  • Graduate program: Ph.D. Anthropology
  • Title:  Bones Tell Tales: Giving a Voice to the Historically Silenced
  • Faculty advisor: Marin Pilloud
SECOND PLACE: Keely Rodriguez
  • Graduate program: Ph.D. Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Title: Exposing bacterial communication with your cells and cutting the line
  • Faculty advisor: Yftah Tal-Gan
THIRD PLACE: Yu Rong
  • Graduate program: Ph.D. Business Administration Management
  • Title: Tame the Narcissistic Self: The Buffering Effect of Humility
  • Faculty advisor: Jinyu Hu

Finalists:


Sheena Harvey
  • Graduate program: Ph.D. Education - Equity & Diversity
  • Title: First-Generation Low-Income U.S. Black College Woman Perspectives on the Relationship of Collegiate Fitness Programs and Social Capital
  • Faculty advisor: Eleni Oikonomidoy
Monika Bharti
  • Graduate program: Ph.D. Education - Literacy Studies
  • Title: Are pre-service teachers prepared enough to support Multilingual Students' (MLS) Writing?
  • Faculty advisor: Rachel Salas and Fares Karam
Cossette Canovas
  • Graduate program: Ph.D. Clinical Psychology
  • Title: It really does take a village: The role of support for victims of racial discrimination
  • Faculty advisor: Lorraine Benuto
Caitlyn Orne
  • Graduate program: Ph.D. Cell and Molecular Biology
  • Title: Melioidosis Immunotherapeutic Development: Easy at 1, 2, 3!
  • Faculty advisor: Paul Brett and Mary Burtnick
Stephanie Reyes
  • Graduate program: Ph.D. Clinical Psychology
  • Title: Tracking UP Skill Use Among Latinos with Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)
  • Faculty advisor: Lorraine Benuto

Patricia Berninsone People's Choice Award


Fatema Azmee
  • Graduate program: M.A. History
  • Title:  On the Big-Screen: Korea's Place as a Global Actor
  • Faculty advisor: Eugene Park 

Master's category

Winners:


FIRST PLACE: Isabel Penaloza
  • Graduate Program: M.S. Metallurgical Engineering
  • Title: The Role of Air Bubbles in The Path of The Clean Energy Transition
  • Faculty Advisor:  Pengbo Chu
SECOND PLACE: Candi Block
  • Graduate Program: M.A. Sociology
  • Title: Uncovering Gender Inequality in Spiritual Entrepreneurship
  • Faculty Advisor: Vadricka Etienne
THIRD PLACE: Justice Best
  • Graduate Program: M.S. Geography
  • Title:  Characterizing Habitat and Densities of the Mojave Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)
  • Faculty Advisors: Kenneth Nussear

Finalists:


Luke Rizzotto
  • Graduate program: Visual Arts MFA
  • Title: Loneliness among the Landforms
  • Faculty advisor: Tyler Calkin-Low
Sara Perez
  • Graduate program: Master of Public Health (MPH)
  • Title: The cards are stacked against you: Measuring air quality in smoking and nonsmoking areas of Nevada casinos
  • Faculty advisor: Eric Crosbie
Jose Gomez
  • Graduate program: M.S. Mining Engineering
  • Title: What are They and Why They Need to be Monitored?
  • Faculty advisor: Javad Sattarvand
Geverson De Jesus Moura
  • Graduate program: M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Title: Interlayer Shear Strength Evaluation on Composite Pavements
  • Faculty advisor: Adam Hand