Virtual Three Minute Thesis Finalists

Join the Graduate School on Dec. 2 as our 10 Three Minute Thesis finalists compete to find out who can share their research best in just three minutes. Our sixth annual science communication event will be held virtually for the first time, allowing audience members to join us from around the world.

Ten graduate students representing six NC State colleges will compete for cash prizes as they share their research project by video in three minutes. The finalists were chosen from a field of 45 students who submitted their videos in the preliminary rounds.

The 2020 Three Minute Thesis will be part of NC State’s virtual Parents and Families Week. A link to the event live stream will be posted on the Graduate School’s 3MT webpage the day of the event.

Colleagues, families and fellow students are encouraged to tune in to support the finalists and learn about their research. In addition to watching the competition, participants who log in will be able vote remotely for the People’s Choice winner. A panel of judges will choose first and second place winners.

The finalists were chosen during preliminary rounds by a panel of campus judges. The competition is open to all graduate students at NC State. The first place winner will represent NC State at the Council of Southern Graduate Schools meeting next year.

The 10 finalists, along with their degree programs, are listed below by college.

Agriculture and Life Sciences

• Samah Ameen, master’s student, plant pathology
• Nicholas Faulkner, Ph.D. student, plant and microbial biology

Design

• Saeed Ahmadi Oloonabadi, Ph.D. student, design

Engineering

• Kaitlyn Bacon, Ph.D. student, chemical and biomolecular engineering
• Samrin Ahmed Kusum, Ph.D. student, civil engineering
• Salvatore Luiso, Ph.D. student, chemical and biomolecular engineering

Natural Resources

• Meredith Hovis, Ph.D. student, forestry and environmental resources

Sciences

• Dylan Bates, Ph.D. student, applied mathematics
• Bram Frohock, Ph.D. student, chemistry

Textiles

• SM Azizul Hoque, Ph.D. student, textile technology management

Preliminary judges for the 3MT were Brent Lancaster, engineering; April Kedrowicz, veterinary medicine; Mollie Rappe, agriculture and life sciences; Matt Shipman, university communications; Greer Arthur, veterinary medicine; and Nathan DeGraff, sciences.

These members of the Graduate School’s Professional Development Team also served as preliminary judges: Laura Demarse, Joe Aldinger and Chris Smith.

Three Minute Thesis is an academic research communication competition developed by the University of Queensland, Australia.