3MT in 2023 Winners’ Circle
By: M. Caroline Helms and Sandra Spiroff
Overall Winner
Congratulations to the UM 2023 Three Minute Thesis overall winner, Mr. Matt Chatlaong!
Matthew Chatlaong
Hailing from Sacramento, California, Matt Chatlaong is a health and kinesiology doctoral student specializing in exercise science. His interest in this field stems from its broad relevance to a diverse audience, as exercise offers numerous health benefits. According to Chatlaong, many of these benefits are “preventative, meaning that it’s something that keeps us in good health versus curing disease states.”
Motivated by evidence highlighting the significance of maintaining good artery function from a young age, Chatlaong delves into research on discovering an exercise mechanism to combat vascular aging and cardiovascular disease.
“Our lab is interested in finding the smallest effective exercise doses for preventing the progression of vascular aging and cardiovascular disease in young, sedentary people,” explains Chatlaong.
Chatlaong and his lab are conducting a “randomized controlled trial to test whether a 20-second all-out burst of exercise is enough to improve artery function and other health outcomes.” If successful, this research could pave the way for innovative approaches to incorporating such exercise routines into various contexts.
Expressing gratitude for the opportunity, Chatlaong feels honored to have clinched the overall winner title. He describes the presentations from fellow participants as a “beautiful microcosm” that encapsulates the essence of why people pursue higher education.
People’s Choice
This year’s People’s Choice winner is Gaya Saumya Dasanayake Epita Gedara, a chemistry doctoral student from Sri Lanka.
Dasanayake’s research focuses on developing a cancer cell-specific delivery system to deliver mitochondrial-targeted drug candidates for triple-negative breast cancer drugs using ionic-modified nanoparticles. She feels drawn to this topic due to her fascination with nanoparticle drug delivery research.
Gaya Saumya Dasanayake Epita Gedara
“It has revolutionary potential to transform healthcare. The precision and targeted approach of nanoparticles in delivering medication directly to diseased cells resonates with my specific curiosity and my passion for innovative medical solutions,” Dasanayake explains.
She describes this award as a “significant achievement due to its recognition of the quality of her research and effective communication to a non-specific audience.”
Dasanayake hopes to become a research scientist and continue her work on cancer research.
First Place Doctoral
Shefali Pawar, a doctoral student in electrical engineering, clinched the First Place Doctoral Prize. Originally from Mumbai, India, Pawar has harbored a fascination with electricity since her earliest memories, driven by its “you can’t see it but it’s a part of everyday life” nature.
Shefali Pawar
Her specific intrigue lies in the marvel of antennas. Pawar’s research revolves around the development of ‘invisibility cloaks’ for diverse antennas and their array configurations. Moreover, she aims to mitigate the adverse effects of mutual coupling by harnessing the concept of ‘invisibility.’
“We have designed specialized meta surface-based covers, called meta surface cloaks, to facilitate the decoupling and cloaking phenomena in different printed antenna scenarios. Simply put, the other antennas/radiators in the vicinity will not sense the presence of the cloaked antennas, even though they are quite literally placed right next to each other. Consequently, they do not interfere with each other’s radiation characteristics, ensuring smooth and unhindered radiation,” Pawar explained.
Looking ahead, Pawar envisions utilizing her acquired knowledge and skills to establish her own business, focusing on creating and designing practical equipment that brings convenience to society.
In the meantime, she will represent the University of Mississippi in the regional 3MT competition in Greenville, SC this March.
Second Place Doctoral
Kenneth Hulugalla, a pharmacology doctoral student from Sri Lanka, received the Second Place Doctoral Prize. His research emphasizes the creation of nanoparticles tailored for targeted cancer drug delivery.
Kenneth Hulugalla
“My aim is to design nanoparticles in such a way that they can avoid detection by the immune system, allowing them to stay in the body longer and deliver drugs more effectively. To achieve this, I’m using sugar-based polymers that are more compatible with the body and less likely to trigger an immune response compared to traditional materials,” Hulugalla shared.
Preliminary findings indicate that the developed nanoparticles reach the cancer cells at a higher rate, suggesting that this approach might be successful. The side effects of cancer treatment are well-known. Having drugs reach the target at a higher rate has the potential to reduce those side effects.
Hulugalla is drawn to healthcare and cancer because there are no effective cures for the disease.
“I’ve always had a deep personal connection to cancer, as it claimed three of my grandparents before I even had the chance to meet them…This steered me towards science instead. I ended up majoring in pharmaceutical sciences for my undergrad, and now here I am, continuing with cancer research in my Ph.D.,” Hulugalla said.
Hulugalla plans to transition to animal studies following his current research. In the future, he aspires to continuously innovate in drug delivery methods, aiming to benefit individuals grappling with illness and diseases.
First Place Master’s
Patricia Hull finished first in the Master’s category. Hull is a political science master’s student from Eunice, Louisiana. Her interest in the field ignited during the 2016 election and when the Dobbs decision reversed Roe v. Wade.
Patricia Hull
“I knew that there would be people who would probably vote based on their feelings about abortion and the states that immediately banned abortions,” Hull stated.
This pivotal moment sparked her research focus: understanding why individuals choose to vote in U.S. elections, with a specific emphasis on the influence of the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision.
“Specifically, the research I presented was about [some] people’s negative feelings towards Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade and the effect on voting turnout. While turnout is historically low in midterm elections such as 2022, we will be gathering more data in the 2024 election”, Hull elaborated.
Although still in the midst of her research, Hull is optimistic about the response to her work. Her aspirations include deepening her understanding and gaining political expertise through involvement in campaigns or as a political consultant. Ultimately, she envisions continuing her academic journey by pursuing a Ph.D. in political science and philosophy to become a professor.
Second Place Master’s (Tied)
Nichalus Vali
Nichalus Vali, a philosophy master’s student from Buffalo, New York, delves into understanding the law at its most fundamental level, focusing specifically on judicial decision-making. He is one of two students we recognize with the Second Place Master’s Prize.
Vali shares, “Legal positivists have held that when the law doesn’t have enough to say about a case, then neither party has any legal rights or entitlements, and judges just get to make up the law.”
His research centers on exploring such cases, spurred by the escalating politicization of the U.S. judicial system. “I am investigating whether there are any such cases where the law actually completely determines their outcome and whether we ever have any legal rights or entitlements under legal positivism,” Vali added.
With a vision for a legal career dedicated to restoring public confidence in the justice system, Vali emphasizes the significance of understanding the true essence of truth and justice within the judiciary.
“If [the] law is merely a product of social facts, then the only justice we should ever expect is grounded in the psychological states, desires, and opinions of our society at any given time, and history is replete with events and cases where law permitted and even encouraged atrocities in the name of justice,” cautioned Vali.
Ugochukwu Ok
Ugochukwu Okpara is the other Second Place Master’s Prize winner. He is a creative writing master’s student from Nigeria.
Okpara employs a creative approach in his research, using poetry to delve into the theme of queer alienation within the family unit. His inspiration stems from personal experiences, navigating a hostile environment, and confronting the harsh realities of being a queer person.
“Through my poems, I strive to forge emotional connections with familial figures, in an attempt to reconcile queerness within the family space. The poems also serve to provide a sense of hope for queer individuals by imagining an alternative reality where their queerness is not a central force that separates them from their families,” shared Okpara.
While Okpara is still conceptualizing the overall arc of his thesis, he recently debuted his first poetry collection, “In Gorgeous Display,” published by Fordham University Press. He wants to emphasize the importance of family space as a safe haven for queer individuals.
Okpara hopes to continue to produce more work that can “resonate with queer individuals that helps them feel less alone and more seen,” he said.
We would also like to acknowledge our sponsors for this year’s event. Besides the Graduate School, which supports a winner’s travel to the next step in the competition in the Spring, Belk Department Store provided a gift certificate and Mrs. and Dr. Woo (UM Pharm.D. 1998, UMMC M.D. 2005) of Jackson, MS contributed a pair of tickets to the football game against Texas A&M.
If you’d like to support the Three Minute Thesis competition or graduate students in general, then please consider contributing to the Graduate School through the Now & Ever Campaign for UM.
The Graduate School congratulates all our competitors, especially the finalists and winners, and thanks our generous sponsors!