JMU Graduate School held our eighth annual competition on January 23, 2026. The following students were chosen among the competitors who presented their thesis or dissertation within a 3-minute timeframe. Students were evaluated on communication, comprehension, content and engagement. The first-place winner moves on to the regional competition at the annual Conference of Southern Graduate Schools. All winners received a monetary award along with recognition for their outstanding work.

First Place 
Helen St. John, Biology, M.S. 
Impacts of radio telemetry tags on monarch butterfly movement, behavior, and survival

Second Place 
Wendy Kinyeki, Adult Education/Human Resource Development, M.S.Ed. 
Leadership and Workplace Bullying: A Narrative Exploration of Employee and Bystander Experiences

Third Place
Ololade Afolabi, Adult Education/Human Resource Development, M.S.Ed.
Employee Engagement and its Motivational Drivers: Lived Experiences of Generation Y Employees in the Workplace

People's Choice
Wendy Kinyeki, Adult Education/Human Resource Development, M.S.Ed. 
Leadership and Workplace Bullying: A Narrative Exploration of Employee and Bystander Experiences