80,000 words in 180 seconds - Three Minute Thesis Competition
This Friday is your chance to hear an 80,000 word thesis, that might have taken years to complete, explained in just 180 seconds.
Nipissing University is proud to host its inaugural Three Minute Thesis Competition (3MT) on March 21, from 3 – 5 p.m. in room F210.
There will be eight competitors from Nipissing vying for a trip to the provincial finals at McMaster University on April 24 as well as cash prizes, $500 for first place; $250 for second place; and $250 for the Peoples Choice Awards.
Nipissing’s brave 3MT competitors and their topics include:
- David Mucz, Master of History student: What was Rhodesia? Identity and Understanding in Rhodesia Autobiographies
- Linda Coffey, Master of History student: Radio, Resistance, and Re-presenting History
- Jonathan Mucz, Master of History student, Representations of the Vietnamese people in American War Comics 1962-1967
- Rachel Lowen, Master of History student: "We Submit Without Murmur to Danger and Toil": Maintaining Manly Excellence in the American Militia, 1800-1815
- Peter Brath, Master of History student: Race and Power: Slavery in Trustee Georgia
- Jamie Polesky, Master of History student: From West to East: The History of Holocaust Denial
- Stephanie Robinson, Master of Education Student: Transitioning to University
- Imane Meddah, Master of Environmental Sciences: Identification and characterization of Ostariophysan alarm cues
The judging panel consists of Dr. Sharon Rich, Associate Vice-President, Academic and Dr. Elizabeth Thorn Chair in Literacy and Language Arts; Dr. Ann-Barbara Graff, Dean, Faculty of Arts and Science and Associate Professor of English; Nancy Black, Executive Director of the Harris Learning Library; Janet Zimbalatti, member of Nipissing’s Board of Governors; and John Picard, Master of History graduate from Nipissing University.
3MT® is a university wide competition for Masters and Doctoral students in which participants present their research and its wider impact in 3 minutes or less to a panel of non-specialist judges.
3MT® competition was initially developed by The University of Queensland in 2008 to promote effective communication of research. The success of the first Queensland competition prompted other Australian and New Zealand universities to run their own competitions, culminating in the first Trans Tasman competition held in 2010. 3MT® has spread internationally.
The challenge is to present complex research material in an engaging, compelling way, using only one slide. The three minute thesis competition provides graduate students with an opportunity to refine skills that can be transferred after graduation to diverse career paths.
Distilling research into a clear form, without over-simplifying or making overly-complex, and highlighting the wider implications of this research are important skills to carry into post-graduate employment and public service.