Three Minute Thesis Competition

Second Annual Three Minute Thesis Competition

 Three Minutes to Inspire

A 150 page thesis would take hours to present. In 3MT they do it in 180 seconds!

  Biology graduate student Hannah Eisemann presenting her Three Minute Thesis:
"Assessing Brook Trout Populations Above and Below Waterfalls in Virginia" 

On January 25th, participating graduate students shared their research in a high impact 3-minute presentation and competed for cash prizes and a chance to participate in the regional competition.  The first place winner will be sponsored by The Graduate School to attend the regional competition at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools in Knoxville, Tennesee, February 14-16, 2019. In addition, the audience voted to select the winner of the People's Choice Award, sponsored by the Graduate Student Association!  

The Three Minute Thesis competition, originally developed by The University of Queensland, gives students the opportunity to develop and present their research in a compelling and concise narrative aimed at engaging a general audience. Students are challenged to synthesize the core concepts of their projects and make meaningful connections to real-world issues. The competition celebrates the creativity and scholarship of our graduate students while helping them develop vital academic and communication skills.

At The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition in January, JMU graduate students presented their scholarship before an audience and panel of guest judges.  They were allowed one slide, no props, and they had to present their research in a precise and compelling way.  The Graduate School congratulates the winners of our Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition:

First Place Award Winner:

Hannah Eisemann “Assessing Brook Trout Populations Above and Below Waterfalls”
Program: Biology
Advisor: Christina May

Second Place:

Hannah Crain “Comparing Effectiveness of Colonoscopy versus Fecal Immunochemical Testing in Screening for Colorectal Cancer”
Program: Physician Assistant
Advisor: Abby Massey

Third Place:

Bailie Lavan “Eastern Oyster: An Approach to Oyster Reef Restoration Utilizing Interstitial Space”
Program: Biology
Advisor: Patrice Ludwig

Runners Up:

Allison Brandmark “Using and Eye-Tracking Training Paradigm to Teach Responsiveness to Joint Attention”
Program: Psychological Sciences
Advisors: Krisztina Jakobsen and Trevor Stokes

Morgan Crewe “The Effects of Adenosine Antagonists on Vigilant Attention in Sleep Restricted Rats”
Program: Psychological Sciences
Advisor: Jeff Dyche

Lindsay Griffin “Voice Quality as a Predictor of Dysphagia”
Program: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Advisor: Erin Kamarunas

Kayleigh Hunt “Effects of Stem Cell Therapy on 6-Minute Walk Test Distance and Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction in Patients with Nonischemic Cariomyopathy”
Program: Physician Assistant
Advisor: Abby Massey

Michelle Lenhart “Syntax Interventions for Students Who Struggle with Literacy: A Systematic Review”
Program: Communication Sciences and Disorders
Advisor: Stacey Pavelko

People's Choice Co-Award Winners:
Sponsored by the Graduate Student Association

Lisa Hajdasz “Examining the Relationship between Technostress and the Effectiveness of Oragnizational Communication”
Program: Adult Human Resource Development
Advisor: Noorie Brantmeier

Jacob Peters “Quantification of Intelligible Influences on the Growth and Distribution of American Ginseng: Habitat Modeling and Field Studies”
Program: Biology
Advisor: Heather Griscom

 From left - Peoples Choice Winners: Lisa Hajdasz, Jacob Peters; GSA President Jack Nichting

Guest Judges:

Melissa Aleman - Graduate Faculty in Communication Studies
Jenny Burden - Executive Director, Arts Council of the Valley
Keith Holland - Interim Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship
Michael Klein - Graduate Faculty in Writing, Rehtoric and Technical Communication, Director of the Cohen Center
Sarah MacDonald - Assistant Dean, Outreach and Engagement
Tim Miller - Senior Vice President for Student Affairs
David Owusu-Ansah - Graduate Faculty in History, and Executive Director of Faculty Access and Inclusion
Sal Romero - Vice-Mayor, City of Harrisonburg

  Judges from Left to Right: Michael Klein, David Owusu-Ansah, Keith Holland, Sarah MacDonald, Melissa Aleman, Jenny Burden, Sal Romero
Foreground: Tim Miller, Michael Stoloff (Associate Dean of the Graduate School)